[WWDC 2025] Apple Introduces iOS 26: Liquid Glass UI, Apple Intelligence Updates & More

At WWDC25, Apple has revealed the next version of iOS, named iOS 26, skipping several numbers to align the version number with the year of general release (which is 2026). The biggest update is the UI change to adopt the new Liquid Glass design that sees most of the interface featuring translucent buttons and elements.

iOS 26 Preview

Liquid Glass is the new design language adopted across all Apple operating systems announced here in WWDC, and in the case of iOS 26, you’ll see the new design as soon as you turn on the iPhone with its lock screen display time in glass-like material. These hovers over underlying UI elements to produces a translucent effect that dynamically adapts to other UI elements in real time depending on lighting and colors. (You can even turn all home screen icons into glass if you’re into that kind of aesthetic.)

For Apple Intelligence, iOS 26 now provides on-device live translation in Messages, FaceTime, and Phone app, along with Visual Intelligence which recognizes content on screen a la Google’s Circle to Search. There’s also updates for Genmoji and Image Playground, and the device can now automatically detect contexts within emails (i.e. order tracking) to give users a quick overview on the progress. Additionally, a new Foundation Models framework allows developers to access the device’s onboard AI model to develop new AI-based features.

Updates to the Phone app consolidate Favourites, Recents, and Voicemails into a single interface, and enhancements such as call screening utilize live voicemail techniques to assist with unwanted calls and interruptions, while Messages now includes options to screen messages from unknown senders, organize conversations with customized backgrounds and poll creation, and display typing indicators in group chats.

Enhancements to CarPlay include a new compact view for incoming calls that displays essential information alongside upcoming navigation directions, along with updates such as Tapbacks, pinned conversations in the Messages interface, and the addition of widgets combined with Live Activities. These also apply to the new CarPlay Ultra now available in select vehicles featuring deeper integration with Apple’s automotive software.

Meanwhile, Apple Music now display translated lyrics, pronunciation (for languages such as Korean), and AutoMix that transitions between songs via beat matching like real DJs do; Apple Maps now optimizes routes for frequently-visited places (such as home and work). Apple Wallet provides new payment options with rewards or installments, as well as live tracking of flights (based on user’s boarding ticket) which provides quick access to relevant features, such as Maps and Find My.

If you’re keen to try out the new features, Apple will be opening its public beta program for iOS 26 starting next month, with the full versions expected to be available starting this fall.

Pokdepinion: Personally, I like Apple Music’s updates this time around.