iOS 26: The Dawn of Liquid Glass and Apple Intelligence

Published: June 16, 2025

At WWDC 2025, Apple unveiled iOS 26, marking its most dramatic design and AI-driven update in over a decade. Branded with a sleek new “Liquid Glass” interface and infused with Apple Intelligence, this release reshapes the iPhone experience from the ground up.

1. Liquid Glass: A Visual Overhaul

The hallmark of iOS 26 is the introduction of “Liquid Glass”—a translucent, fluid-inspired UI layer seen across Lock Screen, Home Screen, apps, widgets, menus, and controls. Elements dynamically refract and reflect their surroundings, with rounded corners, adjustable navigation bars, and pop‑out menus enhancing content focus :contentReference[oaicite:1]{index=1}.

• Transparent app icons and pill-shaped controls
• Adaptive tab bars that shrink/expand on scroll :contentReference[oaicite:2]{index=2}
• 3D-style spatial Lock Screen images with dynamic time sizing :contentReference[oaicite:3]{index=3}

2. Apple Intelligence: On-Screen Smarts

Apple doubles down on intelligence features: "Visual Intelligence" recognizes objects in screenshots, enabling search, calendar events, or ChatGPT-driven context :contentReference[oaicite:4]{index=4}. Meanwhile, “Live Translation” offers real-time translation in Messages, Phone, and FaceTime across multiple languages :contentReference[oaicite:5]{index=5}.

• Genmoji & Image Playground: create custom emoji and AI art, now with enhanced ChatGPT styles :contentReference[oaicite:6]{index=6}
• Enhanced Shortcuts: AI-powered text summaries and image generation actions :contentReference[oaicite:7]{index=7}

3. Redesigned Phone and Messages

An improved Phone app includes “Call Screening” for unknown callers and “Hold Assist” to alert you when the call connects—no more lingering on hold :contentReference[oaicite:8]{index=8}. iMessage gains polls, custom chat backgrounds, bill-splitting via Apple Cash, typing indicators, and better spam detection :contentReference[oaicite:9]{index=9}.

4. System-Wide Enhancements

• Camera & Safari: Cleaner UI, streamlined settings menus :contentReference[oaicite:10]{index=10}
• Battery & Adaptive Power: New insights dashboard, app-specific usage stats, and an intelligent power-saving mode :contentReference[oaicite:11]{index=11}
• CarPlay: Liquid Glass UI has landed in cars—multi‑touch gestures, message Tapbacks, and live activities support :contentReference[oaicite:12]{index=12}
• Games app: A new hub for App Store & Arcade games, with social features and leaderboards :contentReference[oaicite:13]{index=13}
• Wallet & IDs: Digital State IDs, boarding passes, and web-based identity verification :contentReference[oaicite:14]{index=14}

5. Compatibility & Release Timeline

Compatibility starts from iPhone 11 and up (plus iPhone SE 2nd-gen) :contentReference[oaicite:15]{index=15}. Developer beta has been available since June 10; public beta is due in July (around mid-July), with a full public release expected in September alongside new iPhone models :contentReference[oaicite:16]{index=16}.

Final Thoughts

iOS 26 isn’t just an update—it’s a reimagining. Liquid Glass usurps the static, flat designs of past iOS versions, injecting depth and motion. Apple Intelligence weaves AI into our everyday workflows with translation, visual search, and creative tools. Add in smarter communication, better battery insights, next-gen CarPlay, and a new gaming hub—iOS 26 sets a bold new standard for smartphones.

Between now and fall, the public beta will allow users to preview these transformations—and it’s shaping up to be one of Apple’s most ambitious releases yet.