Apple Releases iOS 26
iOS 26 arrived on September 15, 2025 with Liquid Glass design, Phone and Messages upgrades, Apple Intelligence improvements, and a new Games app.
Apple released iOS 26 on September 15, 2025, the first major iPhone software release under Apple’s year-based version numbering. It is a bigger visual jump than most recent updates, paired with practical changes to Phone, Messages, and Apple Intelligence.
What’s new
- Liquid Glass design: A translucent, glass-like interface language shared across iPhone, iPad, Mac, and the rest of Apple’s platforms: the largest system look refresh since iOS 7.
- Lock Screen and Home Screen: More customization, including adaptive clock presentation and spatial scenes.
- Phone app: Call Screening for unknown numbers and Hold Assist for waiting on hold until a live agent picks up.
- Messages: Screening for unknown senders, polls, and custom conversation backgrounds.
- Apple Intelligence: Broader on-device language features, including Live Translation in supported conversations and apps.
- Apple Games app: A dedicated place to resume games, discover new ones, and play with friends.
- Everyday app polish: Updates across Camera, Photos, Safari, Maps, Wallet, Music, CarPlay, and AirPods recording controls.
Apple announced the public release in its September 2025 software platforms update.
Compatibility notes
iOS 26 supports iPhone 11 and later. Many Apple Intelligence features still need newer hardware (generally recent Pro models and the iPhone 16 family and newer), so two phones on iOS 26 can have different feature sets.
How to update
On a supported iPhone, install from Settings → General → Software Update.
For business devices, treat this like any major OS jump: validate line-of-business apps, MDM profiles, and VPN clients on a pilot group before you approve the update broadly.