iOS 26 is Apple’s most ambitious iPhone update in years. It seamlessly integrates on‑device AI, revamps the design, enhances communications, battery life, accessories, and developer tools—all while maintaining privacy. Mark your calendar for September 2025 if you’re updating on a compatible device.
- “Liquid Glass” visual language brings a translucent, depth-rich interface inspired by visionOS—floating elements, glossy icons, parallax wallpapers, and adaptive clock positioning on the lock screen .
- Many core UI updates across Control Center, Safari, Camera, Photos, with increased opacity in beta 2 for better readability
Apple Intelligence (on-device AI)
- Live Translation across Messages, FaceTime, and phone calls, supporting around nine languages .
- Visual Intelligence: press-and-hold any screen content to search, extract info, or ask ChatGPT .
- Genmoji & Image Playground: create custom emojis or images via prompts/ChatGPT; background suggestions, writing tools, smart summaries, order tracking via Wallet
Phone & Messages enhancements
- Phone app unified view combining Favorites, Recents & Voicemail; Call Screening and Hold Assist to auto-screen unknown calls and alert you when a human picks up .
- Messages app gains message filtering, group typing indicators, custom conversation backgrounds, polls, Apple Cash in groups .
Smart battery & power tools
- Adaptive Power mode uses AI to save battery by adjusting activity and screen brightness on supported A17 Pro and newer devices .
- Battery charging time estimations visible on lock screen .
Wallet & Travel upgrades
- Option to disable promotional content in Wallet (a response to recent criticism) .
- Digital U.S. passport integration accepted at TSA checkpoints, improved boarding passes with airport maps and luggage tracking via AirTags .
Recovery Assistant & privacy
- Recovery Assistant allows on‑device recovery of iPhones without needing a Mac/PC .
- New Wired Accessories Permission restriction and unified blocked contacts list .
App & ecosystem updates
- CarPlay gets Liquid Glass UI, compact call banners, emoji reactions, Live Activities, and CarPlay Ultra deep integration .
- New Apple Games hub for Arcade and friends activity .
- Major updates in Camera, Photos, Safari, Music, Maps, AirPods, Parental Controls, Accessibility, and Siri .
Compatible iPhones
- iPhone 15 series (15, 15 Plus, 15 Pro, 15 Pro Max)
- iPhone 14 series
- iPhone 13 series
- iPhone 12 series
- iPhone 11 series
- iPhone SE (2nd generation and 3rd generation)
Not supported
(dropped from iOS 26):
- iPhone X
- iPhone 8 and 8 Plus
- iPhone SE (1st generation)
These older models stop at iOS 25.
📦 Download & Installation Size
- Over-the-air (OTA) update: Around 3–5 GB, depending on your current iOS version and iPhone model .
- Full installer file (e.g., beta IPSW): Typically 9–15 GB, depending on the model (e.g., ~9.8 GB for iPhone 12/12 Pro, ~9.7 GB for 12 mini) .
💾 Free Space Required
- Minimum free space:
- 5 GB free to meet basic requirements .
- 10–15 GB free is recommended for smooth OTA updates and room for temp files .
- Beta installations may require up to 20 GB free space .
📱 Model-Specific Notes
- Newer devices (iPhone 13 and up) often receive slightly smaller incremental OTA updates (~3–4 GB).
- Older but supported devices (iPhone 11/12 series) may need 5 GB or more, depending on their current iOS version .
- Beta users should expect larger downloads (~9–15 GB) and plan for greater free space
iOS 26 vs iOS 25
– Feature Comparison
|
Category |
iOS 25 |
iOS 26 |
|
Design / UI |
Minor visual changes, standard flat design |
â€Å“Liquid Glass†redesign – translucent layers, depth, 3D effects, adaptive layouts |
|
AI / Intelligence |
Siri upgrades, predictive typing, basic on-device learning |
Apple Intelligence (A17 Pro+ only): Genmoji, smart writing tools, ChatGPT integration, live call translation |
|
Siri |
On-device processing for basic queries |
Smarter, more contextual Siri with memory, deeper app actions, and ChatGPT hand-off |
|
Messages |
Edit/unsend messages, scheduled send |
Polls, custom backgrounds, group typing indicators, message filtering |
|
Phone app |
Contact Posters, Voicemail transcription |
Call Screening, Hold Assist, unified call view |
|
Photos app |
Improved search, AI object recognition |
Revamped interface, new Memories tab, clean grid, better AI organization |
|
Control Center |
Limited customization |
Fully customizable, add/remove tiles, grouped controls |
|
Battery / Power |
Optimized charging |
Adaptive Power Mode (A17 Pro+), lock screen shows time to full charge |
|
Wallet / Apple Pay |
Tap to pay, order tracking |
Turn off promotions, enhanced travel passes with luggage tracking, passport support (US) |
|
Recovery Tools |
Required Mac or iTunes |
Recovery Assistant – restore iPhone without computer |
|
Privacy / Security |
App Tracking Transparency |
Wired accessory lock, unified blocked list, more granular permissions |
|
CarPlay |
Standard layout |
Liquid Glass interface, emoji reactions, banners, Live Activities |
|
Supported Devices |
iPhone 8 and newer |
iPhone 11 and newer (iPhone 8/X dropped) |
|
AI hardware requirement |
N/A |
A17 Pro+ (iPhone 15 Pro or later) needed for Apple Intelligence
|
🔹
What is iOS 26 Beta 1?
- Released: June 10, 2025 (immediately after WWDC 2025).
- Purpose: First look for developers to test new features, APIs, and performance.
- Includes:
- Early build of the Liquid Glass UI
- Initial versions of Control Center redesign, new Messages features, and Apple Intelligence framework (though mostly hidden or restricted)
- Many bugs and stability issues, battery drain common
🔹
What is iOS 26 Beta 2?
- Released: June 24, 2025
- Purpose: More stable developer version with expanded features and performance improvements.
- New in Beta 2:
- Improved UI elements: e.g., better opacity in Liquid Glass components, refined animations
- More visible Apple Intelligence features on supported iPhones (e.g., Genmoji, writing tools)
- Safari and Photos app updates start appearing
- Bug fixes for early crashes and app compatibility issues