There’s a model new iPhone working system software program to put in in your iPhone (arriving on September 15, 2025). Earlier than you replace your iPhone, learn on to learn the way iOS 26 compares to iOS 19 and study all of the new options coming in iOS 26.
We’ll additionally run although all the explanations to attend prior to installing the replace. As soon as you’re prepared to put in the replace learn: Tips on how to replace iOS on an iPhone
What’s new in iOS 26?
On this comparability of the 2 iOS variations, we’ll run although what the primary variations are and the way the 2 iPhone working techniques evaluate, so you may resolve whether or not to replace to the brand new iOS as quickly because it arrives on Monday, September 15, or wait.
A brand new title: iOS 26
First issues first: there’s a brand new title! The 2024-2025 software program was iOS 18, however quite than launch iOS 19 for 2025-2026, Apple has jumped forwards to iOS 26. It’s the identical for the opposite Apple working techniques: macOS 26, watchOS 26, and so forth.
A brand new look: Liquid Glass
iOS 18 (left) in comparison with iOS 26 (proper)
Foundry
As quickly as you begin up your iPhone in iOS 26 you will note a transparent distinction: iOS 26 introduces Apple’s new design language: Liquid Glass.
Liquid Glass revamps the present menus and interactive elements of the OS with translucent areas that mimic the looks and habits of glass. You’ll see reflective, shiny, and translucent parts all through the interface, with parts that dynamically change colour to mirror the content material beneath them. Buttons seem extra curved, and the menu bar is absolutely clear, contributing to a cleaner design to assist customers concentrate on the content material.
These fearing a return to the previous Aqua design of historical macOS variations concern not: the brand new design is definitely very tasteful.
Search bars appear to drift above the pictures behind them, permitting colours to go by way of as if refracted. The impact is one thing that appears natural quite than the blocky overlays to which we’ve grown accustom. Contextual menus seem the place you faucet the display screen in newly designed playing cards that look consisent all through the interface.
Liquid Glass helps each gentle and darkish modes, in addition to the tint launched in iOS 18, plus there’s a brand new translucent mode for iOS 26 that appears quite fetching.
Modifications to House Display screen and Lock Display screen
Foundry
Following on from the introduction of iPhone widgets in iOS 17, personalisation was excessive on the agenda with iOS 18’s introduction in 2024. The flexibility to personalise your private home display screen with shaded/tinted icons that you possibly can place wherever you want was a a lot beloved function of iOS 18.
This time round three are much more choices for personalisation. The time on the Lock Display screen will stretch to suit the background picture you select, whereas additionally guaranteeing it by no means obscures the primary picture.
The wallpaper basically adjusts its place in order that the topic doesn’t get masked by notifications that are available in.
Apple
There’s additionally a parallax impact on the pictures, just like the one from just a few years in the past, the place a picture seems 3D in case you tilt the iPhone – though the brand new one does appear extra pronounced than its predecessor.
In iOS 18 Apple additionally gave customers the flexibility so as to add new shortcut controls and ones for third-party apps in Management Middle. In iOS 26 Management Centre will supply a brand new, customizable format in iOS 26 to which customers will be capable of add controls for his or her favourite apps and combine third-party widgets and features.
Updates to the Digicam and Pictures app
iOS 18 digicam (proper) vs iOS 26 digicam (left)
Apple
With the introduction of Liquid Glass, Apple is simplifying the digicam app, pairing the whole lot again to only Picture and Video quite than a number of choices to be scrolled thought. You possibly can nonetheless entry choices like Portrait or Panorama by swiping left or proper once you’re within the Picture mode.
Superior settings (resembling facet ratio, and many others.) may be introduced into play by swiping up.
It ought to take away among the frustration of unintentionally capturing a portrait once you meant to take a traditional snapshot, and shall be helpful for these of us who put on lengthy distance glasses and have to take away them each time we have a look at the cellphone to search out the choices we want. To make it even simpler to see what it’s good to see, the interface will transfer out of your approach once you take a photograph – and once you take that picture it is possible for you to to make use of AirPods as a distant! For extra info examine find out how to use the iOS 26 Digicam app.
One unpopular change in iOS 18 was an overhaul of the Pictures app with new filters and collections that have been purported to make it simpler to search out photographs. Sadly, individuals discovered that issues moved round a lot they have been determined to flip the brand new Pictures app adjustments off.
In iOS 26 the Pictures app is getting some extra updates designed that can assist you monitor down your photographs. You’ll see new tabs and collections choices that may be pinned to the primary web page.
You’ll additionally discover an choice so as to add 3D results to pictures in iOS 26.
Know what you’re looking at with Visible Intelligence
Apple
In iOS 18, Apple launched Visible Intelligence, with which customers might level the iPhone digicam at one thing and Apple Intelligence would collect details about the place/merchandise/particular person and many others; so you possibly can discover out extra about it.
In iOS 26 this can prolong past what’s within the digicam viewfinder to no matter is on the display screen – so you may take a screenshot and use Visible Intelligence to establish what’s in it. For instance, in case you see a coat you want in your social media feed and also you need to know the place it’s from, take a screenshot and Visible Intelligence will do a picture seek for it and provide the particulars.
It might probably additionally pull textual content out of the picture, such because the date and time of a live performance or assembly, then create calendar entries replete with the instructions and particulars.
The cellphone will get a receptionist
The Telephone app receives just a few good upgrades in iOS 26. First up, there’s a unified format that exhibits you your Favourites, Recents and Voicemails (with the later displaying summaries from Apple Intelligence), plus the conventional Calls, Contacts and Keypad.
Probably the most spectacular addition although is that of Name Screening. In case your iPhone receives and incoming name from an unknown quantity, it can mechanically reply it within the background and an A.I. agent will ask the callers title and cause for calling. When it has this, a abstract will seem in your display screen and also you’ll have the choice to take or reject the decision. Good.
Maintain Help is one other probably improbable function. It’ll scan for maintain music and if it you’re on maintain an A.I. agent will supply to take your house so you may get on with different issues. When your name is linked they’ll learn that you simply’re there and simply coming to the cellphone, at which level your cellphone will ring and you’ll take over the decision as soon as extra.
Enhancements to Messages
In iOS 18 the Messages app let customers add formatting, resembling underlining and italicisation. Animations known as Textual content Results may be used to indicate your assist or shock at what your folks say. There was additionally the introduction of Message Through Satellite tv for pc which allowed you to ship emergency messages in case you’re caught in a spot with no service sign.
The look of Group Chats will change in iOS 26. You’ll be capable of add wallpapers to the background, which everybody will be capable of see. There’s additionally a brand new Ballot function that may aid you and your loved ones or buddies resolve what you need to do or the place you need to go.
Apple
Typing indicators will arrive within the up to date model of the app, so you may see when somebody is composing a response, plus you’ll now be capable of combine emoji’s collectively to create bespoke responses to one thing somebody has mentioned.
Like on Telephone, Apple Intelligence will display screen you messages for any potential spam or missives from strangers, all of that are filtered right into a separate part so your inbox stays clear.
You’ll additionally be capable of use Picture Playground create new memoji photographs to your contacts, with new poses to match their type.
New Dwell Translation function
You probably have household or buddies who communicate a unique language, or in case you are travelling, this function is for you. In iOS 26 language recognition instruments will allow multi-language conversations within the Telephone, Messages and FaceTime apps.
Apple
Messages will translate your language into that of the recipient, then do the identical again to you.
FaceTime will create real-time captioning, so you may learn the phrases the opposite particular person is saying in your language, whereas the Telephone app will take your spoken phrases and translate them into simulated speech that the opposite particular person can reply to, then in flip do the identical for them. At the very least we could have the common translator that Sci-Fi has promised us ever since Arthur Dent had a Babel Fish stuffed into his ear. If solely there have been extra featured languages at launch it’s: English, French, German, Italian, Japanese, Korean, Portuguese (Brazil), Spanish, and Simplified Chinese language.
New gaming app
Gaming on the iPhone is getting a lift because of a brand new gaming app that may collect all of your video games, log progress, and make it simpler to search out the video games you’re searching for.
It will likely be extra social too: you may arrange gaming challenges with buddies by way of the Play Collectively tab and in addition evaluate scores in a leaderboard.
Siri enhancements and AI
Siri was meant to achieve some spectacular new options in iOS 18 because of the brand new AI options, nevertheless, these have been delayed till iOS 26.
These updates goal to make Siri extra conversational, contextually conscious, and able to performing advanced in-app actions, leveraging each Apple’s personal intelligence and an upgraded integration with ChatGPT. The wait goes to increase past iOS 26’s launch in September although.
Updates to Safari
Apple’s browser additionally will get a nip and tuck with iOS 26. Edge-to-edge internet pages refill the display screen, and the tab bar will shrink as you scroll in order that it retains out of your approach. The Liquid Glass replace additionally makes the whole lot really feel extra a part of the web page quite than interrupting the move.
Different updates to the iPhone
That’s not all that’s in retailer with iOS 26, there are a number of different options that may little doubt be helpful. These embrace Maps creating various routes to your hottest journeys; Pockets now permitting the creation of a Digital ID of U.S. Passports that can be utilized for home flights and age verification; order monitoring in Apple Pay; a brand new interface for Apple Music; plus heaps extra little particulars which are there to enhance the iPhone expertise.
Privateness Enhancements
In iOS 18 it’s attainable to lock and conceal particular apps, plus there’s the choice to limit which contacts apps can see and which wi-fi equipment they will entry.
With iOS 26 you may relaxation assured that options like stay translation in Messages, FaceTime, and Telephone shall be processed solely on the machine, so no one shall be eaves dropping in your calls.
Equally, Siri will construct a personal profile utilizing your mail, messages, and internet historical past, in order that it may present extra customized and related responses – however this knowledge won’t ever depart the machine.
The iOS 26 replace may even enhance passkey performance and prolong the autofill function for safety codes from Mail or Messages to third-party browsers like Chrome, and permit codes from the Gmail app.
What’s the primary variations between iOS 26 and iOS 18?
As you may see, there’s lots to be enthusiastic about in iOS 26. The brand new Liquid Glass design appears nice, however it’s the improvement-to-life options like Name Screening, Message Screening, Dwell Translation, and Visible Intelligence now together with what’s in your iPhone display screen that actually mark a distinction between the 2 iterations.
Do you have to improve to iOS 26?
It is a particular sure, however keep in mind in fact that among the options outlined right here will depend on Apple Intelligence, which signifies that they may solely be obtainable for the most recent iPhone fashions (iPhone 15 Professional and newer). So, in case you have an older machine, then it is perhaps value sticking with what you’ve received if it’s working effectively. Then you definately’ll have all these options to stay up for once you finally improve to a brand new iPhone.
Causes to not replace to iOS 26
Whereas conserving an iPhone’s software program up to date is usually beneficial for safety causes and to benefit from new options, there are a number of explanation why if is perhaps sensible to delay, particularly within the early days of a brand new iOS model when the steadiness of the brand new launch is perhaps a difficulty.
One more reason to delay the set up, or to not replace your iPhone, is that if there could also be compatibility points. When you received’t be capable of set up the replace on an incompatible iPhone, there are some older iPhones that may be capable of run the replace, however they received’t be capable of profit from all the brand new options – particularly these options powered by AI which is reserved for the iPhone 15 Professional and newer. You will have to weigh up the advantages of the options you’re going to get with potential issues attributable to the necessities of the brand new iOS. Our recommendation is to attend and see what occurs to different individuals who set up it on the identical handset as you, as a result of reverting to the previous model of iOS isn’t simple.
You’ll be sensible to verify that any apps you depend on work with the brand new iOS as effectively earlier than updating. Typically it may take just a few weeks for builders to handle points that come up from the brand new iOS model.
One more reason to carry off putting in is that some individuals report that their iPhones runs a bit slower following a iOS replace. It’s unlikely to be an issue particular to the brand new iOS, however quite the iPhone reindexing itself after the software program set up. This background processing is usually a drain on the system and battery for just a few days. If you’re going to want your iPhone to be working its finest over the following few days then we advocate that you simply wait till a greater time to put in the replace.
Lastly, one key cause to attend is that on launch day Apple’s servers are very busy as everybody tries to get their obtain. A obtain and set up can take hours as a substitute of minutes.