iOS 26: The Top 100 New Features and Changes

[Avidos1]

So disappointed that Apple actually thought this was an improvement, so many bad design choices, so much clutter, who in thier right mind signed off on this?

 

[svish]

The new liquid glass design is fantastic. Phone app is also getting a lot of changes. iPad files app is also much better. Will try out everything soon.

 

[CATiNTHESTORE]

The new liquid glass design is fantastic. Phone app is also getting a lot of changes. iPad files app is also much better. Will try out everything soon.

I will praying for you sir

 

[wikiverse]

So far, the only thing I don't like about the new OS are notifications on the lock screen. I'm older and wear reading glasses, but my vision is good enough that when I casually get a notification I could glance over and read it without glasses. That's now a bit harder. with the transparency

Do yourself a favour:
Settings > Accessibility > Display & Text Size > Reduce Transparency

Also:
Settings > Accessibility > Motion > Reduce Motion

The ugly lines around everything remain, but all of the search bars/folder backgrounds on the home screen are just blurred, mostly opaque backgrounds now that are much closer to iOS18.

Also:
Press and hold the lock screen > Customize > Click the clock > change from Glass to Solid > click Done in the top right.

This is the best I've been able to do. Unfortunately, reducing motion in this version creates a clunky cross-fade when you try to swipe up and switch apps which it did not do in iOS18, I don't know why that changed, it was one of the few animations that actually made sense and aligned with the action you're performing.

Also, all of these changes should slightly improve battery life.

 

[ngextreme]

Why is Music baked into the OS? Why can't it just be an app (one that you can uninstall).

 

[pinkkie]

there is no chance Alan Dye and his team of "designers" won't get fired over this fiasco, right?

 

[Henrikr]

This iOS version is extremely buggy and unstable. I’m on an iPhone 16 Pro, and I honestly can’t believe Apple released it in this state. I’ve never experienced such an unfinished product before. This is a product going downhill and it's noticeable that Apple has stopped focusing on their products and more how to be a bank. Also the first thing I immediately want to do is to TURN EVERY NEW FEATURE OFF!!!!

• The phone CRASHES and reboots when trying to send an image via iMessage.
• iMessage conversations occasionally take up to a 30 seconds to load.
• Countless smaller bugs make the entire experience frustrating and unreliable.

This is by far the worst iOS release I’ve ever used.

 

[Sputman99]

Anyone miss the old UI - without all the gaps, silly rounded corners, thin lines everywhere like an inky spider walked over the screen, pointless transparency, and the clunky toy like methods - take more time to set up two side by side than it did in the old UI

 

[miq]

iOS26 really is that bad. I'll take delivery of my iPhone 17 on Friday but will return it within the 14-day window unless Apple do something about this s-show.

 

[NightFox]

OK, a bit niche, but I loathe the new icon for the 'Clock' icon. The pure simplicity and cleanness of the circular one was so symbolic of what Apple used to represent - I hate that they've now squared it to the shape of the icon.

 

[neotint]

I searched around and can't find clear answer but has the dictation engine been improved? So far I think maybe but wondering. It's highly useful real value generating features like this that I care more about than whatever trendy lipstick (but bad UX veneer) they slap onto the UI.

 

[neotint]

Hey editors, can you start of thread of major problems with 26? Like this UX nightmare in Calendar (and elsewhere), with reduce transparency on. Apple has set back its UX in a horrible way. Apple's core long standing user base has told them all the way: don't do this, it sucks. Yet here we are. Apple Design leadership seems to be asleep at the wheel, or there's no psychological safety for any of the excellent UX design staff to speak up, as anti-UX work like "glass" would have never happened if authentic radical candor was encouraged.