iOS 26 is expected to boast the iPhone’s largest design changes since iOS 7—which was 12 years ago now.
We’re just days away from iOS 26, the freshly branded iPhone update, being fully unveiled during Apple’s WWDC keynote. Here is a roundup of all the rumored new iOS 26 features we’re expecting to see debut.
Major new OS redesign
This is the big one. Though iOS 26 will offer plenty of other new features, the highlight will undoubtedly be Apple’s design overhaul.
iOS 26 is expected to boast the iPhone’s largest design changes since iOS 7—which was 12 years ago now.
Here’s Mark Gurman’s summary of what’s coming:
The big thing with this redesign is consistent controls, icons, buttons, user interface dynamics and mechanisms across both iOS and macOS. The interfaces between the iPad, the Mac and the iPhone, they have a lot of similarities, but they have a lot of differences.
Things like hamburger menus and menu buttons, and the menu bar, and buttons for closing applications, the way the dock looks and acts. There are a lot of differences across the operating system. So it’s about adding consistency there. It’s about adding glassy effects across the user interface. It’s about rejiggering some applications for a new generation of users to better understand, to make it seem more unified between the individual and the devices. So it’s gonna be a pretty dramatic set of changes. It could take a little bit of getting used to, but I think in the end people are going to like it.
Several concepts have been created, including a popular concept video by Jon Prosser you can find here.
Apple’s reported goals for the redesign are to make iOS, and the iPhone:
Simpler to use
Faster to navigate
Easier to learn
Apple Intelligence 2.0
Last year brought Apple Intelligence’s first act, but year two will be unveiled as part of iOS 26. Here are some of the rumored features we’re expecting:
Siri’s AI upgrades: Siri’s three delayed iOS 18 features are expected to finally ship this fall.
New third-party AI integrations: Like ChatGPT last year, Apple will add even more options for third-party AI models in iOS.
iPhone battery improvements: Thanks to AI, your iPhone’s battery life will get a boost.
Expanding AI into more apps: Features like Image Playground, Genmoji, and more will expand into more Apple apps.
New and updated Apple apps
Every year, new iOS versions bring a variety of big and small changes to Apple’s system apps. So far rumored changes have been scarce, but expect to see a lot more app improvements in iOS 26 than what’s been shared so far. Here’s what the rumors have indicated:
Games app: Apple is making its own dedicated Games app, absorbing Game Center’s functionality and adding even more.
Live translation in Translate: AirPods and an upgraded Translate app will enable live translation for the first time.
New Health app with Apple Health+: Food logging, educational videos, and even an AI coaching feature are coming.
Messages RCS enhancements: End-to-end encryption and more RCS upgrades are coming to Messages.
All the miscellaneous iOS 26 features
Here’s a grab bag of other iOS 26 rumored features that we’re expecting to see next week when Apple reveals its latest software:
Charging estimate on Lock Screen: You’ll finally get an idea of how long your iPhone battery will take to charge.
New Accessibility features: Highlights include new App Store labels, systemwide Reader mode, and more.
Stage Manager on external display: Using an iPhone with an external display could get a lot better this year.
Captive Wi-Fi sync: The most annoying kind of Wi-Fi networks to connect to will get a little less painful.
“Less glitchy”: Sort of a feature, sort of not, but iOS 26 may be more stable than prior releases.
Background Sounds enhancements: The built-in iOS white noise feature is getting three improvements.
Bilingual Arabic-English keyboard: Timed for Apple’s strategic pushes in growing markets overseas.
eSIM transfer to Android: Migrating your eSIM to an Android device will be easier than ever.
iOS 26 features: wrap-up
There have been a lot of leaks about new iOS 26 features, but Apple likely has a whole lot more coming in its latest iPhone update.
Expect to see plenty of surprises at WWDC next week not only from iOS 26, but also companion updates like macOS 26, iPadOS 26, watchOS 26, and more.
Which rumored iOS 26 features are you most looking forward to? Let us know in the comments.
