Apple is finally ready to release iOS 26 to the public and that is an important update. The new version of the iPhone operating system has a new look and feel with liquid glass that instantly makes your iPhone look fresh. But that’s not all.
Under the cap there are a lot of improvements, tools and new APIs worth exploring. Here are the best things you should definitely try when you update your iPhone to iOS 26.
1. Explore the new floating glass interface
The most notable change in iOS 26 is liquid glass, which is what Apple calls its new interface available across its family of operating systems. Liquid glass simulates the effects of glass on the screen, which brings much more transparency and brightness to elements such as icons and buttons.
There are cool new animations when you open and close apps, pull the Notification Center down or unlock the screen. Not only that, but many of the buttons and shifts now answer how to press, hold and pull them.
But there are other ways to explore liquid glass. Try to customize your lock screen with one of the new wallpaper. Change your home screen with the new clear and tinted icon settings. Or try a new layout in lock screen. Liquid glass is more than just a new look, so start starting to explore.
2. Give visual intelligence another look
Apple Intelligence became equally much more useful. If you have an iPhone 15 -Pro or later with Apple Intelligence enabled, there are some new features to try with iOS 26. For example, Visual Intelligence is now also working across apps so you can search for everything you see on your screen.
To do this, take a screen shot and then just circle something on it to search for on Google. This allows you to find where you can, for example, buy a cool clothes you saw on Instagram. Visual Intelligence can also detect things like addresses or dates in screens to provide card and calendar suggestions.
Visual Intelligence has a brand new set of tricks in iOS 26.
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And if you want to move on, press the “ASK” button to call Chatgpt to find more information about the screen.
3. Use chatgpt to generate images
With iOS 26, Apple has taken its partnership with Chatgpt further. Users can now generate images based on text recordings using Apple’s Image -Place space. Just open the app and select Chatgpt under Style Opportunities. The result is shown right in the playground.
In addition to Chatgpt -Support, Apple has added a new “genmoji” style and improved its own AI models, so that image playground is now able to create better illustrations of what you want.
4. Have fun with Automix
If you are an Apple Music subscriber, try Automix, a new feature that acts as a DJ for your playlists.
Essentially, AutoMix uses artificial intelligence to mix the transition from one song to another, resulting in a DJ-like experience. The feature adjusts the speed and beats of songs to create unique transitions.
You can activate Automix by going to Settings> Apps > Music > Song transitions. Remember that this feature only works for playlists or songs that play in mixing mode.
Automix is ​​one of the best Apple Music features.
Apple
5. Try a new ringtone
It’s been a while since Apple last added new ringtones to iPhone, but iOS 26 comes with a total of seven new ringtones you can choose from.
Go to Settings> Sounds & Haptik and choose Ringtone menu. There, press the reflection option to see a list of several new ringtones such as reflected, pop and buoyancy.
6. Change your chat background
IMessage just got more fun with iOS 26 thanks to new animated backgrounds. You and your friends can add backgrounds to individual or group chats and everyone will see them.
There are many options to choose from, such as color, sky, water and aurora. If you prefer, you can also use a custom photo as the background or even generate a new image using image playground.
Just open an iMessage chat and press the conversation details. Then go into the background menu and select one of the available options.
If you send a lot of messages, you will love the new backgrounds in iOS 26.
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7. filter unwanted calls
iOS 26 adds new filters to unwanted calls, so you no longer have to respond to unknown numbers to know who is calling. The system automatically answers these calls and waits until the one who rings shares their name and the reason for the call, so you can choose whether to answer or not.
You can activate the new feature by going to Settings> Apps > Telephone and looking for Call Filtration section.
Update today to iOS 26
As you can see, there is much more to try in iOS 26 in addition to the new floating glass interface. And today is the day to update your device. Just go to Settings> General> Software Update later in the afternoon (usually around 10am pts).
Remember that iOS 26 requires an iPhone 11 or later and that some features are limited to newer models. We also recommend that you back up your phone to iCloud before continuing with the update.