Apple Unveils iOS 26 with Liquid Glass Design, Built-in AI, and Year-Based Naming

At WWDC 2025, Apple officially launched iOS 26, marking a major shift in its mobile OS — both in look and logic. Abandoning the traditional sequential numbering (iOS 19 was next in line), Apple is now syncing iOS version names with calendar years.

But this isn’t just a renaming. iOS 26 brings a dramatic visual overhaul with Liquid Glass, a dynamic, translucent UI layer that refracts surroundings and gives icons, widgets, and navigation controls a shimmering, living texture. Dynamic wallpapers with 3D effects and floating tab bars create a more immersive Home and Lock Screen experience. Developers can tap into the new Liquid Glass APIs to bring third-party apps into this visual ecosystem.

Apple Intelligence, the company’s on-device AI engine, powers smart features across Messages, FaceTime, Phone, and beyond. From live translation and contextual task assistance to enhanced screenshot processing and Genmoji creation (custom emojis made from descriptions), the intelligence now lives natively on your iPhone — without compromising privacy.

Other highlights include:

Messages: Smart inboxes, AI-generated polls, custom chat backgrounds, and Apple Cash in group chats.

Phone app: Unified view, call screening, and hold assist.

Apple Music: Lyrics translation & pronunciation, plus AI DJ AutoMix.

CarPlay Ultra: Sleeker design with widgets, pinned messages, and compact call overlays.

Maps: Visited Places log and encrypted route history.

Wallet: Support for reward points, instalments, and real-time travel updates.

New Apple Games app: Organizes your games and boosts Arcade access.

Accessibility enhancements, AirPods controls, parental features for child accounts, and sharper visuals in Safari and Camera further enhance the user experience.

Release Timeline:

iOS 26 is available to developers now. Public beta rolls out next month, with general availability in fall 2025 for iPhone 11 and newer. AI features will require iPhone 16, iPhone 15 Pro, or Apple silicon devices (M1+).

With iOS 26, Apple isn’t just tweaking — it’s transforming the iPhone into a smarter, more intuitive, and more personal device.