iOS 26 marks a major evolution of Apple’s mobile operating system, distinguished by its striking Liquid Glass design — a translucent, fluid aesthetic that brings expressive, glass-like refractions and dynamic controls to the Lock and Home screens, app icons, widgets, and more.
It features improved Apple Intelligence features such as live translation across Messages, FaceTime, and Phone, AI-powered visual search, Contextual Shortcuts, Genmoji enhancements, and screenshot-based ChatGPT interactions.
iOS 26 also refines communication apps with customizable chat backgrounds, polls, draft filtering, advanced call screening and Hold Assist, introduces a unified Games app, optimizes apps like Music, Maps, Wallet, and Clock, adds broader system-level enhancements like Qi 2.2 support for faster wireless charging, accessibility innovations such as Braille input and head tracking, smarter battery management, and seamless eSIM transfers.
All this combines into a more intuitive, personalized, and visually immersive iPhone experience.
Apple is opening up its walled garden further with iOS 26.3. As part of the update, it will allow third-party Bluetooth earbuds to pair with an iPhone just as seamlessly as AirPods.
It will also enable third-party smartwatches and wearables to receive and mirror notifications from the iPhone.
This week on Cult of Mac’s podcast: Leaked code indicates Apple is working on a new iMac Pro, years after the powerful all-in-one faded from the scene.
Does a new iMac Pro make sense in the Apple silicon era? And what price point would make it appealing? We discuss the possibilities.
Also on The CultCast:
Listen to this week’s episode of The CultCast in the Podcasts app or your favorite podcast app. (Be sure to subscribe and leave us a review if you like it!) Or watch the video live stream, embedded below.
The Safari web browser on your iPhone got a minimalist toolbar with iOS 26. You don’t have to use it, though. You can restore the full-featured Safari t00lbar — with all the traditional browser controls like sharing, bookmarks and tabs — by simply changing one setting.
Here’s what to do if you want to restore Safari’s toolbar to the way it used to be.
iPhone screenshots can be simple again. Change a setting, and you can get rid of the complex new system Apple created for iOS 26 to capture an image of your iPhone screen.
Here’s what to do. Don’t worry — switching back is easy.
Apple made the first betas of iOS 26.3 and macOS 26.3 available to anyone interested in testing them on Wednesday. This comes two days after developers got access to these betas, and less than a week after the final 26.2 versions went out to users around the world.
The same goes for iPadOS 26.3 beta 1, watchOS 26.3 beta 1, tvOS 26.3 beta 1 and visionOS 26.3 beta 1.
Just days after pushing iOS 26.2 to the public, Apple seeded the iOS 26.3 beta 1 to developers on Monday. The next major point release of the iPhone operating system does not include radical new features, but it promises to bring some notable changes to the platform.
Below are all the changes we’ve discovered in iOS 26.3 beta 1.
Experts urge iPhone users to install iOS 26.2 as soon as possible, warning that the update includes important security patches designed to protect devices from newly identified threats.
New iOS versions usually patch security vulnerabilities, but the need is unusually urgent this time because Apple says hackers are already exploiting the security holes patched in iOS 26.2.
Apple recently changed the way you turn off alarms on your iPhone, switching to a new slide-to-stop gesture. The new method is designed to help you. But if you just can’t stand it, going back to the old way — stopping alarms with a button — is easy.
Here’s how to make the quick change.
A leaked iOS 26 internal build reveals several new features Apple plans to introduce in iOS 26.4. These include credit card autofill support for third-party apps, folders in whiteboarding app Freeform, and a Sports tier in Apple TV.
The company will supposedly also introduce additional security measures with the update.
Not ready to take a gamble on iOS 26? You can stop an iOS update in its tracks if you don’t want to be pushed into the latest version.
There are all kinds of reasons you might not want to upgrade. Maybe you like the speed and stability of iOS 18. Perhaps you don’t want Apple’s divisive new Liquid Glass user interface slowing down your aging iPhone.
While Apple is finally starting to push people to update to iOS 26, you don’t need to go along with the crowd. Obviously, you can disable automatic updates to put on the brakes, but it won’t be long before Apple starts sending push notifications and red badges, encouraging you to update.
Luckily, there’s a secret trick to hide those and make sure your phone stays on iOS 18 for as long as you like. Here’s how.
In addition to hundreds of bug fixes, iOS 26.2 brings much-needed refinement to the iPhone’s operating system — along with more than 20 new features.
iOS 26.2, which Apple released Friday, lets you turn your reminders into alarms, so they’re impossible to ignore. Apple Podcasts gains automatic chapters and links. And the controversial Liquid Glass user interface continues to be refined and tweaked.
There are subtle improvements everywhere. Here’s the complete list of exciting changes in iOS 26.2. Keep reading or watch our video.
The wait for iOS 26.2 is over! Apple’s latest update to the iPhone operating system includes a useful change to AirDrop file sharing, a prominent tweak to Liquid Glass and more. We expected it all week, and it’s finally out.
The update is joined by macOS Tahoe 26.2, iPadOS 26.2, watchOS 26.2, tvOS 26.2 and visionOS 26.2, all at the same time.
Apple has begun actively encouraging iPhone users to move from iOS 18 to iOS 26, and social media is filling up with people complaining about Liquid Glass, with the occasional compliment for the new look.
Trying to find out what most people really think about the new version, Cult of Mac polled its readers, and their answers might surprise you.
Apple on Wednesday seeded the iOS 26.2 and macOS Tahoe 26.2 release candidates to developers and public testers, a move that typically signals the software is just about ready. The final versions are expected to arrive next week.
There is a useful change to AirDrop file sharing, improvements to Sleep Score for Apple Watch wearers, a prominent tweak to Liquid Glass and more.
Release candidates for iPadOS 26.2, watchOS 26.2, tvOS 26.2 and visionOS 26.2 also went out on Wednesday.
Apple continues to quickly push ahead with development of its next round of operating system updates. The result: the third betas of iOS 26.2 and macOS Tahoe 26.2 reached developers on Monday, and the public on Tuesday. The same goes for iPadOS 26.2 beta 3, watchOS 26.2 beta 3, tvOS 26.2 beta 3 and visionOS 26.2 beta 3.
Expect the full versions to be ready in only a few weeks.
Apple continues testing iOS 26.2, seeding the third beta to developers. Building on the first two betas, the third beta contains several changes.
Below is everything new in iOS 26.2 beta 3.
Apple will soon allow iPhone users in Japan to use the side button to trigger a third-party voice assistant they might prefer to Siri. It is laying the groundwork for this change in iOS 26.2, which is currently in beta testing.
The company posted a detailed post on its developer blog providing insight into this change.
Apple’s latest iOS 26.2 beta 2 may look like a minor update on the surface, but it hides a handful of clever changes. It builds on the changes found in iOS 26.2 beta 1 to deliver an even better experience.
Below are all the changes and tweaks iOS 26.2 beta 2 brings to your iPhone.
When Apple needs to install a security patch onto an iPhone, iPad or Mac, it now does so without requiring the user to do anything — or even be aware of the update. The new Background Security Improvements feature delivers “additional security protections between software updates,” according to Apple.
It’s a feature of iOS 26.1, iPadOS 26.1 and macOS 26.1, but users have the option to deactivate it.
This week on Cult of Mac’s podcast: Apple reportedly plans to pay a cool $1 billion a year to use Google Gemini to make Siri smarter. How do we feel about that? Honestly, anything that fixes Siri sooner rather than later would be a big win.
Anybody creeped out about iPhones and Macs with Google inside should rest easy, though. Apple plans to keep everything safe and secure. And Cupertino’s still scrambling to get its own AI up to speed.
Also on The CultCast:
Listen to this week’s episode of The CultCast in the Podcasts app or your favorite podcast app. (Be sure to subscribe and leave us a review if you like it!) Or watch the video live stream, embedded below.
You’re happily listening to music on your AirPods when the audio suddenly gets yanked away by a Bluetooth speaker. Don’t get frustrated. Make a quick tweak to the settings on your iPhone running iOS 26.1, and it’ll never happen again.
Here’s what to do.
Liquid Glass in iOS 26 brings dramatic change to the look of the iPhone user interface, so it’s no surprise that some people hate it. If it’s just not for you, the option to turn off Liquid Glass was added in iOS 26.1. And it’s easy.
The same setting is available in macOS Tahoe 26.1 and iPadOS 26.1, so you can turn off Liquid Glass on all your devices. Here’s how:
My favorite change in iOS 26.1 has nothing to do with Liquid Glass, though cosmetic tweaks to the glossy user interface have drawn the most attention in the latest OS update. To me, the biggest improvement is the option to disable the Lock Screen swipe to open the iPhone’s Camera app.
I frequently pull out my iPhone to find the Camera app has been running in my pocket, draining the battery. It’s that damn Lock Screen swipe at fault. If this happens to you, too, here’s how to disable it in iOS 26.1.
iOS 26.1, which Apple released Monday, brings five features you should check out immediately after you install the update.
The biggest change gives you a way to customize the legibility of Liquid Glass, the major user interface overhaul Apple delivered to all its software platforms this year. But there’s plenty of other cool stuff you don’t want to miss.
Other key upgrades come to Apple Music and the iPhone’s alarm clock interface. Plus, there’s a setting that can keep your iPhone battery from draining in your pocket. And for iPad owners, there’s the celebrated return of Slide Over on iPad.
In addition to a bunch of much-needed bug fixes, iOS 26.1 brings plenty of new features. Tweaks to Liquid Glass improve its legibility without sacrificing its cool effects. iPad multitaskers can rejoice the return of Slide Over, which returns better than before.
There are 20 new changes: A new user interface for alarms, improvements to Photos, a new gesture for quickly fast-forwarding music, a setting that fixes a long-standing problem with the Lock Screen, and much more.
Here’s the complete list. Read on or watch our hands-on video.