This new aesthetic spans all Apple platforms: iOS 26, iPadOS 26, macOS Tahoe 26, watchOS 26, and tvOS 26, fostering a sense of unity while maintaining each system’s distinct character. The outcome is a vibrant, engaging interface that revitalizes app icons, widgets, controls, and navigation.
iOS 26
On the iPhone side, Apple Intelligence takes center stage in iOS 26. It transcends basic smart suggestions, enabling users to maximize their screen content. Live Translation is a highlighted feature integrated into Messages, FaceTime, and Phone, allowing seamless communication across languages. The best part? All translation occurs on-device, ensuring privacy in conversations.
Apple also rolled out visual intelligence, enabling users to engage with anything displayed on their screens — from querying ChatGPT about an image to exploring similar products on platforms like Google or Etsy. This intelligent screen recognition can even detect events and automatically assist in adding them to calendars.
Messaging becomes smarter and more enjoyable. Users can filter messages from unknown senders, keeping those chats muted until they choose to respond. Group chats introduce fresh features such as custom backgrounds, polls, and typing indicators. Moreover, sending and receiving Apple Cash within Messages is now simpler. On top of that, Apple Music enhances the experience with features like Lyrics Translation and Pronunciation for easier singing across languages, along with AutoMix, which merges songs like a live DJ.
Apple Maps receives a thoughtful update with Visited Places, aiding users in recalling visited locations while ensuring that data remains private with end-to-end encryption. The app leverages on-device intelligence to anticipate preferred routes and notify users of delays. Wallet is more functional, allowing users to make installment payments or earn rewards while shopping with Apple Pay, and now includes interactive boarding passes that provide real-time flight updates and straightforward access to airport navigation tools.
macOS 26
macOS Tahoe 26 introduces the Phone app to the Mac, allowing users to take cellular calls directly on their laptops. It retains the convenient call screening and hold assist features from iPhone, ensuring that important calls are never missed and waiting time is minimized.
Spotlight receives a significant upgrade with an all-encompassing search feature that not only locates files, messages, and apps but also allows actions like sending emails or playing podcasts directly from the search bar. It learns user preferences and presents personalized shortcuts to save time.
iPadOS 26
For iPad users, iPadOS 26 focuses on enhanced multitasking. The revamped windowing system allows for easy resizing and arrangement of app windows, simplifying workflows across multiple tasks or when using an external display. An improved menu bar makes commands more accessible, and developers can tailor it to enhance their applications.
Apple Intelligence is more deeply integrated into iPadOS, featuring live translation in Messages, FaceTime, and phone calls. Creators will benefit from new tools such as Genmoji for customized emojis and powerful shortcuts leveraging Apple’s AI for tasks like comparing lecture transcriptions with notes.
watchOS 26
Lastly, watchOS 26 introduces Workout Buddy, a fitness coach driven by Apple Intelligence that provides real-time motivation and personalized insights during workouts. It tracks progress, celebrates achievements, and encourages users throughout their fitness journey.
visionOS 26
Apple’s visionOS 26 update delivers smoother and more intuitive interactions for the Vision Pro mixed reality headset. With enhanced hand gestures and eye tracking, navigating apps and virtual environments becomes simpler without over-reliance on controllers.
The update also improves multitasking, allowing users to resize and stack windows in their physical space for a personalized workflow. An advanced virtual assistant delivers helpful suggestions while ensuring user data remains secure through local processing.
All updates are scheduled for general release in the fall of 2025, with developer betas currently available and public betas anticipated in July.
