iOS 26
Apple (feature list, release notes, security, no enterprise, developer):
Featuring the new design with Liquid Glass, iOS 26 brings more customization options to the Lock Screen, including a sleek adaptive time presentation and delightful 3D spatial scenes, as well as enhancements to Camera, Photos, Safari, the Phone app, and more. To help users eliminate distractions and focus on the conversations that matter most, Call Screening can screen calls from unknown numbers, while Hold Assist can hold on the line until a live agent is available. In Messages, users can now choose to screen messages from unknown senders, create polls, and add backgrounds to conversations.
iOS 26 also adds Lyrics Translation and Pronunciation in Apple Music, Visited Places in Apple Maps, and order tracking in Apple Wallet. Updates to AirPods allow creators to record content with great sound quality and remotely control content capture in the Camera app. Additionally, iOS 26 introduces the Apple Games app, an all-new personalized gaming destination designed to help users jump back into the games they love, find their next favorite, and have more fun with their friends. Also, CarPlay users will see a new compact view for incoming calls, Tapbacks in Messages, as well as widgets and Live Activities.
The reaction during the summer’s public beta program was divisive. And while some people just hate change, Liquid Glass does invite criticism. Instead of sharpening focus, it too often muddies it due to legibility issues and distracting visual effects. On Mac, controls are overly prominent, yet on iPhone, they are relentlessly eager to disappear into a new Apple take on hamburger menus, denying users the chance to build effective muscle memory.
Oh and […] everyone who has kept gaslighting us all summer assuring us that the legibility and contrast issues would get fixed before the public release.
See also:
Previously:
- Design Is How It Works
- iOS 26 Developer Beta 9
- appleOS 26 Public Betas
- Assorted Notes on Liquid Glass
- iOS 26 Announced
- iOS 18
