As expected, Apple today unveiled revamped versions of its operating systems with a new naming convention (say hello to iOS 26, not iOS 19) and a “Liquid Glass” makeover. Some of the upgrades tap into Apple Intelligence, while others are small but potentially useful add-ons.
Developers will get access to iOS 26, iPadOS 26, macOS 26 Tahoe, and more this week. Everyone else can check out a public beta next month or wait until the fall to update. Here’s a rundown of the more notable features coming to your iPhone later this year.
Introducing iOS 26 at WWDC25
1. Live Translation
(Credit: Apple)
Need to talk to someone who speaks another language? A Live Translation feature will be integrated into Messages, FaceTime, and the Phone app, so texts or in-person chats will be translated automatically. At launch, Messages will support English (US, UK), French (France), German, Italian, Japanese, Korean, Portuguese (Brazil), Spanish (Spain), and Chinese (simplified). On the Phone app and in FaceTime, it’ll work with English (US, UK), French (France), German, Portuguese (Brazil), and Spanish (Spain). Google introduced something similar for Meet video conferences at I/O last month.
2. More Ways to Keep Spam Calls and Texts at Bay
(Credit: Apple)
Apple’s iOS already lets you screen incoming calls with Live Voicemail, but with iOS 26, Call Screening will act as your assistant to ask who’s calling and give you the option to answer or send to voicemail.
And if you’re getting bombarded by spam texts, iOS 26 will send messages from unknown senders into their own dedicated folder. They won’t make noise until you mark them as known, though Apple notes that you’ll still be able to find things like multi-factor authentication codes or “your table is ready” texts from a restaurant.
(Credit: Apple)
To that end, Apple promises a more “unified” message inbox that combines Favorites, Recents, and Voicemails all in one place.
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And, if you’re stuck on hold, Hold Assist allows you to silence the hold music and move on to something else. Your phone will alert you when a human answers and is ready to take your call.
Apple is also adding some minor but potentially popular features to Messages: polls and custom backgrounds. It will also let you see a typing indicator in a group chat, and request, send, and receive Apple Cash.
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3. Analyze Screenshots With Visual Intelligence
(Credit: Apple)
Visual Intelligence is an AI-powered feature that lets you point your iPhone camera at items you want it to identify. At WWDC, Apple showed off the option to take a screenshot and have Visual Intelligence analyze it. Maybe you spotted a pair of shoes on someone’s social feed you want to buy; take a screenshot, and Visual Intelligence will search Google, Etsy, or other supported apps to find similar images and products. If you’re looking at an event, meanwhile, Visual Intelligence will suggest that you add it to your calendar and populate key details like date, time, and location.
(Credit: Apple)
The OS design upgrade extends to CarPlay, and adds a few new options from the iPhone, like message tapbacks and pinned conversations. You can also see widgets on the CarPlay display for info at a glance, as well as Live Activities, like the status of a flight.
(Credit: Apple)
5. Visited Places in Apple Maps
(Credit: Apple)
AI announcements were rather muted at WWDC, humming along in the background rather than a focal point of the keynote. That includes the “visited places” option in Apple Maps, which will keep tabs on favorite locations for quicker navigation, suggested routes, and traffic notifications. “Visited Places are protected with end-to-end encryption and cannot be accessed by Apple,” the company says.
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About Chloe Albanesius
Executive Editor for News
