Will you actually use the new features in iOS 26

[iPhone-Guy]

Polls in messages
Typing indicators in group chats
Backgrounds in messages
Screening unknown senders
Live translation in messages
(Mostly messages upgrades 😅)
Multiple journals
Custom snooze timers
On screen AI

 

[Skeptical.me]

Polls in messages
Typing indicators in group chats
Backgrounds in messages
Screening unknown senders
Live translation in messages
(Mostly messages upgrades 😅)
Multiple journals
Custom snooze timers
On screen AI

Yeah, the message upgrades are interesting. I still think I'm a bit set in my ways and will probably just keep using messages the same way I did in iOS 18. Like I don't do groups chats or anything like that.

 

[ZebraDude]

Yep,.....I have been waiting for the hold assistant for the longest....I have a pixel 4 that I now use for it's hold for me feature. .

my mother is bedridden and I am caregiver and I have to wait on hold for different bureaucratic entities and my pixel is a lifesaver. I am looking forward to my iPhone being my savior.

 

[CC91UK]

Being in a country where WhatsApp dominates over iMessage, it sounds like the messages app is going to be catching up with the features WhatsApp already has!

Call screening will be useful for me. I currently use the silence unknown callers feature because most of my calls are spam, but have to remember to disable it if I'm expecting an important call. Hopefully the screening will mean spammers will hang up and everyone else will be able to get through!

 

[nickdalzell1]

Yeah, the message upgrades are interesting. I still think I'm a bit set in my ways and will probably just keep using messages the same way I did in iOS 18. Like I don't do groups chats or anything like that.

Backgrounds in Messages only works if your contacts all own iPhones. Because the Android users I chat with, it doesn't give me options to change the backgrounds at all. A shame since the UI redesign brings back some of what I remember from the TouchWiz days (the depth, 3D gloss) and I had the perfect wallpaper to use for all my Messages conversations. It's a feature Samsung has had since the Galaxy SII and I was glad when Apple finally caught up to only be let down because the one I text the most owns a Samsung phone and I ain't got any options for a messages background, and not sure why a purely aesthetic feature depends on iMessage.

 

[rumourmonger]

• Focus to silence a SIM (!!!!!!!!!)
• Photos app again becoming half usable from unusable
• Call/SMS screening
• Custom alarm snooze time
• Allowing 3rd party apps to be like AirDrop
• Journal (if easy to export all in flat text files)
• Turn off liquid glass feature

 

[JanetTheGreat]

Yes, I use the battery information features but other than that I don't really care about the new features that much at all.

 

[TgeekB]

Yes

 

[Yr Blues]

I put AI blockers on my browser and stopped using AI for everything since it'll just lead to brain-rot. The other features look interesting. I'll probably hold off of 26 for at least 3-6 months to see if improves after it releases.