Apple on Monday announced sweeping changes to its product ecosystems, including a wide-ranging revamp of its iOS operating system for its iPhones, as well as the software that powers its iPads and Macs.
The updates, which the company debuted as part of its WWDC developer event held at its headquarters in Cupertino, Calif., mark the biggest shift in Apple's software design in years. Still, the improvements were light on new AI capabilities at a time when Wall Street is looking for Apple to prove it can compete in the space.
Apple calls its new design Liquid Glass and says it will include a translucent look that makes the software feel more responsive across the company's hardware lines.
Apple has also updated the naming scheme of its operating systems, changing their designation from the order in which they were released to the year they'll largely be in use. So instead of iOS 19, the latest version is called iOS 26, since the software will be available throughout 2026.
Yes, it'll launch in fall 2025 along with the next-generation iPhone, but let's not split hairs.
iOS 26
Apple's iOS 26 gets Liquid Glass's new customizable views for the lock screen and home screen. Apple also says notifications will now adjust to your lock screen photo so that they don't block the subject of your image.
The Safari, Camera, and CarPlay apps also get Liquid Glass's new look. Safari now extends webpage content all the way to the edge of your iPhone's display, shrinking the address bar as you scroll through content.
Apple designed the updated Camera app to make it easier to quickly access the video or photo options while keeping advanced features readily available.
CarPlay features new widgets that allow you to get quick information like the weather outlook on your car's home screen. The new Phone app displays will now show things like recent calls and voicemail summaries on the same screen. A new call screening feature will ask unknown callers their name and explain why they're calling and then send you an alert, allowing you to decide if you want to answer or not.
The Phone app can also detect when you're on hold by listening for hold music and alerting you when the other person picks up again. Messages gets a new look that lets you change the background of your chat and gives you the ability to add polls into a conversation. Apple Intelligence will also suggest polls if you ask a group chat question.
Phone, Messages, and FaceTime also get live translation via Apple Intelligence, including the ability to translate what a speaker is saying and then mimic their voice in the translated language.
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