In the WWDC 2025 keynote, Apple confirmed what had been leaked weeks before: iOS will now carry the year as an identifier. Thus was born iOS 26, the system that replaces what would have been iOS 19, aligning its name with the year of deployment and not with the traditional sequence.

This change was not exclusive to iOS. It also affects iPadOS 26, macOS 26 (Tahoe), watchOS 26, tvOS 26, and visionOS 26, ushering in a new era of consistency across Apple’s platform lineup. The company aims to simplify user communication and reinforce the idea of ??a unified ecosystem. If you buy an Apple device in 2025, you’ll know it’s running “the 2026 operating system.”

In addition to being a clearer marketing strategy, this change is also a way of marking a turning point: Apple visually redesigned all of its operating systems, something that hasn’t happened since the revolution brought by iOS 7 in 2013.

Visual and functional innovations: “Liquid Glass” and more AI

“Liquid Glass” design

The iOS 26 interface incorporates the new Liquid Glass visual language, an aesthetic evolution that takes direct inspiration from visionOS, the Apple Vision Pro system. Apple is committed to a translucent aesthetic, layers of depth, soft edges, and a fluidity reminiscent of liquid glass. Everything looks more modern and dynamic, without sacrificing familiarity.

Widgets are more expressive, animations are more consistent with their surroundings, and the lock screen lets you customize the time like never before, varying the color, location, and even the size to match your wallpaper. This gives each iPhone a more individual character, something users have long been asking for.

Developers are also winning: Apple has made new APIs available for Liquid Glass, meaning third-party apps will be able to replicate this aesthetic in their interfaces. Popular apps are expected to adopt this new look over the next few months to natively integrate into the visual ecosystem.

Apple Intelligence more present than ever

iOS 26 continues to advance Apple Intelligence, the suite of tools with integrated AI that is now central to the user experience. One of the most powerful features is the live translation of voice and text, directly from FaceTime or Messages, without an internet connection. This is possible thanks to language models that run directly on the device, protecting privacy.

Other new features include:

All of this works directly on the device, without sending data to the cloud. Apple highlights this as a commitment to privacy and efficiency.

Star features and availability of iOS 26

In addition to the redesign and AI, iOS 26 introduces key improvements that affect the daily use of the iPhone. These are some of the most notable:

Apple has also incorporated an intelligent predictive charging system: the iPhone will show you how long it will take to fully charge from the lock screen, something useful to better manage your time.

In terms of availability, iOS 26 has been in the hands of developers since June 9. The public beta will arrive in July and the official launch is scheduled for September, coinciding with the iPhone 17 presentation event. It will be available for devices from the iPhone 11 onwards, which means that models with the A12 chip and earlier are left out.

With this complete renovation, Apple is not only refreshing its interface, but it is redefining how it thinks about mobile software: more personalized, more private and smarter than ever.

iOS 26 has been available to developers since June 9. The public beta will arrive in July, and the official launch is scheduled for September, coinciding with the iPhone 17 launch event. It will be available for devices from the iPhone 11 onwards, which means that models with the A12 chip and earlier are not included.

With this complete overhaul, Apple is not only refreshing its interface, but redefining how it thinks about mobile software: more personalized, more private, and smarter than ever.

iOS 26 has been available to developers since June 9. The public beta will arrive in July, and the official launch is scheduled for September, coinciding with the iPhone 17 launch event. It will be available for devices from the iPhone 11 onwards, which means that models with the A12 chip and earlier are not included.

With this complete overhaul, Apple is not only refreshing its interface, but redefining how it thinks about mobile software: more personalized, more private, and smarter than ever.