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iOS 26 Features: The Ultimate Mega Guide

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For the last several months, MacRumors has been working on a series of in-depth feature guides and how tos that walk you through the design changes and updates in Apple's new software.

iOS-26-Mega-Guide-Feature.jpg

Our ultimate guide includes all of our iOS 26 coverage, and it is a useful resource for iPhone and iPad users who haven't had a chance to test out iOS 26, or those who might want a recap on what's new. We've organized it by app or feature to make it easy to find what you're looking for.

Liquid Glass

Apple's Liquid Glass design brings a big visual change to iOS 26. Icons, apps, menu bars, navigation bars, and all other interface elements feature a Liquid Glass aesthetic. It's not just translucency that you have to deal with. There are pop out menus, collapsing navigation bars, and a much more rounded aesthetic.

Lock Screen

The Lock Screen clock has embraced Liquid Glass in a big way, and there are also new options for wallpaper and widgets.


Home Screen

A new design means a new Home Screen, and there are new features for icons, widgets, and wallpapers.

Apple Intelligence

Apple is still recovering from the Apple Intelligence Siri delay and the company didn't make a major deal about Apple Intelligence features in iOS 26, but there are quite a few additions.

Live Translation auto translates messages and calls, Visual Intelligence now works with what's on your screen, the Wallet app can track all of your purchases, and there are other small additions to be aware of.
All of the Apple Intelligence features require a device that supports Apple Intelligence, which includes the iPhone 15 Pro, iPhone 15 Pro Max, all iPhone 16 models, and all iPhone 17 models.

Messages

There are a bunch of new features in the Messages app, including the option to set custom backgrounds for each chat. Be warned, other people see the background that you set. Group chats support typing indicators and other features, and you can add polls to chats.

Phone

Some of the biggest changes in iOS 26 are to the Phone app. There's a whole Call Screening feature that can screen calls from unknown numbers, and a tool that'll wait for you when you're on hold.

AirPods

With an accompanying firmware update, the AirPods Pro 2, AirPods Pro 3, and AirPods 4 support Live Translation for in-person conversations, plus there are options like pausing audio when you fall asleep and using the AirPods as a remote for the iPhone's Camera app.

Safari

Safari has an updated layout, a Liquid Glass design, tab bar changes, new privacy features, and more.

Apple Maps

The Maps app can learn your preferred route for your commute and alert you if there's anything that's going to make you late. It's also able to save your location history so you can remember your favorite locations when you travel.

Notes and Reminders

The Reminders app has some hidden Apple Intelligence features included, while the Notes app supports 3... Click here to read rest of article

Article Link: iOS 26 Features: The Ultimate Mega Guide
 
Article Link
https://www.macrumors.com/guide/ios-26-mega-guide/
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MacRumors said:
Apple's Liquid Glass design brings a big visual change to iOS 26. Icons, apps, menu bars, navigation bars, and all other interface elements feature a Liquid Glass aesthetic.
Click to expand...
MacRumors said:
Apple is still recovering from the Apple Intelligence Siri delay and the company didn't make a major deal about Apple Intelligence features in iOS 26 …
Click to expand...

25 years ago, Apple's Aqua UI was exciting. We had seen nothing like it before. It wasn't without it's critics (no big change is), but with such a revolutionary new OS (Mac OS X), the timing was perfect and I couldn't wait to have those lickable water-drop buttons pop out of my screen.

25 years later, the world of computing is changing again with AI, and Apple's Liquid Glass feels like… like a pointless distraction from Apple's failure to meet its own AI promises, let alone keep up with the competition. And while elements of the UI are kind of clever, Apple hasn't been able to escape the obvious comparisons to Windows Vista and the awful Aero UI.

So, how excited are we about Liquid Glass? I can't speak for others but I feel zero excitement about seeing this across all my devices.
 
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Tap recents to call Feature to toggle on and off is missing on my iphone se 3rd generation phone. Its suppose to be under settings>app>phone and youre supposed to toggle it on or off. The whole feature is missing
 
kalsta said:
25 years ago, Apple's Aqua UI was exciting. We had seen nothing like it before. It wasn't without it's critics (no big change is), but with such a revolutionary new OS (Mac OS X), the timing was perfect and I couldn't wait to have those lickable water-drop buttons pop out of my screen.

25 years later, the world of computing is changing again with AI, and Apple's Liquid Glass feels like… like a pointless distraction from Apple's failure to meet its own AI promises, let alone keep up with the competition. And while elements of the UI are kind of clever, Apple hasn't been able to escape the obvious comparisons to Windows Vista and the awful Aero UI.

So, how excited are we about Liquid Glass? I can't speak for others but I feel zero excitement about seeing this across all my devices.
Click to expand...
I actually agree with what you are saying about Apple and AI, it is worrying how far behind Apple still is.

As to Aqua, I was there 25 years ago, and agree with you on that, too. However, I am just as excited about Liquid Glass as I was about Aqua, I think it looks absolutely gorgeous, especially on the Mac.

As to great functionality, I have yet to discover anything on iOS or MacOS 26 that blows my mind.

iPadOS 26 is a totally different matter, though: Not only is it gorgeous, too, but it did change the way I use my iPad - I have been using it since an early developer beta. Doesn't "revolutionise" it, and I don't use it any more than before, but I enjoy using it a lot more.

I know many will disagree, but I think Liquid Glass is gorgeous. Some transparency related usability issues still need ironing out, but overall, it is a beautiful redesign in my eyes.
 
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I really want the anti-fingerprinting tech and a few other things in 26, but I just installed it on my old iphone and it is fugly. there are too many places glass makes it REALLY hard to read. the UX is a huge step backwards...
 
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Deacon-Blues said:
I see situations like this a lot. The info bar for Safari… does not look great….

View attachment 2549555
Click to expand...
This is the release version with Bold Text turned on. What happens is that sometimes it will change to a darker background depending on what it is over, but considering your re scrolling over a lot of white background its not hard to read what's in the bar.
MacRumors Apple News and Rumors.png

You can also choose a larger browser bar which is less likely to have legibility issues.
MacRumors Apple News and Rumors 2.png
 
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darngooddesign said:
This is the release version with Bold Text turned on.
Click to expand...
Still bad IMO. Apple had to remind us at the last event that design is about how something works, not just how it looks—as though that Steve Jobs quote would somehow make us look away from the Emperor’s new transparent clothes.
 
darngooddesign said:
This is how the majority of MacRumors is.
Click to expand...
That’s called cherry picking. Even if @Deacon-Blues was doing the opposite (not sure what that’s called), a good UI should be functional and readable all the time. Again, as Steve Jobs said (and I’m paraphrasing here), darn good design doesn’t just look good, it works good too. I’m not convinced Liquid Glass ticks either box. (I admit though, I haven’t tried it yet. Just observing all the screenshots.)
 
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kalsta said:
That’s called cherry picking. Even if @Deacon-Blues was doing the opposite (not sure what that’s called), a good UI should be functional and readable all the time. Again, as Steve Jobs said (and I’m paraphrasing here), darn good design doesn’t just look good, it works good too. I’m not convinced Liquid Glass ticks either box. (I admit though, I haven’t tried it yet. Just observing all the screenshots.)
Click to expand...
I would argue that showing what the majority of MacRumors looks is less cherry picking than highlighting the smaller number of visual issues. I'm not 100% sold on it because there are parts I don't like, but I do like the glass effects.
 
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