Apple has rolled out major updates across iOS 26, iPadOS 26, macOS Tahoe, watchOS 26, tvOS 26, and visionOS 26. The updates introduce a unified Liquid Glass design, expanded Apple Intelligence features, enhanced privacy protections, accessibility improvements, and platform-specific enhancements for iPhone, iPad, Mac, Apple Watch, Apple TV, and Vision Pro.
Liquid Glass: A Unified Design
Apple’s Liquid Glass is a translucent material that dynamically adapts by reflecting and refracting its surroundings. The new design spans iOS, iPadOS, macOS, watchOS, and tvOS, providing ecosystem-wide consistency while maintaining each operating system’s unique identity. Controls, navigation, widgets, and app icons—including third-party apps—adjust to this design, offering a seamless visual experience across devices.
Apple Intelligence Features
Apple Intelligence introduces advanced capabilities to make devices more context-aware and helpful.
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Live Translation works in Messages, FaceTime, and Phone, and on AirPods Pro 3 for real-time spoken translations and type-as-you-write text translation. Language support will expand later this year to Italian, Japanese, Korean, and Mandarin.
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Visual Intelligence allows users to search, interact with, or query content on-screen, including object-based searches, text summarization, translation, and adding events to Calendar. This can be accessed through screenshots, Camera Control, the Action button, or Control Center.
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Genmoji and Image Playground let users create personalized emojis or artistic images. Attributes like expressions or hairstyle can be modified, while ChatGPT integration enables generation in styles like watercolor, oil painting, or custom designs.
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Workout Buddy provides real-time motivational audio during workouts by analyzing heart rate, pace, distance, and fitness history. A generative voice model based on Apple Fitness+ trainers delivers personalized coaching. Available in English on Apple Watch, iPhone, and AirPods.
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Intelligent Shortcuts allow users to automate complex workflows, such as document summarization, PDF extraction, or transcription comparison, running fully on-device or via Private Cloud Compute to protect privacy.
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Developers can integrate Apple Intelligence into third-party apps offline and free, maintaining privacy. Early adopters include Streaks, CARROT Weather, and Detail AI Video Editor.
Additional features include Reminders auto-categorizing tasks, Wallet tracking order details, and Messages supporting polls, chat backgrounds, and Image Playground. Privacy is safeguarded through on-device processing and Private Cloud Compute for complex tasks.
Platform-Specific Updates
iOS 26 offers Lock Screen customization with adaptive time and 3D spatial scenes, Call Screening, Hold Assist, lyrics translation in Music, Visited Places in Maps, Wallet order tracking, and the Apple Games app. AirPods now support high-quality content recording, and CarPlay introduces widgets and Live Activities.
iPadOS 26 adds a multitasking window system with a menu bar for app commands. Files app supports Dock folders and advanced organization. Preview enables PDF editing with Apple Pencil Markup and AutoFill. Journal app debuts, and Background Tasks support creative workflows.
macOS Tahoe introduces a transparent menu bar, redesigned Control Center, customizable folders and widgets, and Spotlight with browsing views and quick actions. Shortcuts integrate more deeply with Apple Intelligence. Call Screening and Hold Assist are available in the Phone app, and Live Activities sync from iPhone to Mac.
watchOS 26 brings Sleep Score tracking, FDA-cleared hypertension notifications, Flow and Exactograph watch faces, Workout Buddy, and the Notes app. Smart Stack hints, Live Translation in Messages, and a wrist flick gesture improve one-handed usability.
tvOS 26 refreshes the Apple TV interface and introduces Sing in Apple Music using iPhone as a wireless microphone. FaceTime Contact Posters and profile updates enhance personalization.
visionOS 26 delivers spatial widgets, enhanced Personas, immersive spatial scenes, 3D object embedding in Safari, the Jupiter Environment for planetary time-lapse views, and 180°, 360°, and wide FoV video playback from action cameras.
Accessibility and Parental Controls
Accessibility improvements include App Store Accessibility Nutrition Labels, Mac Magnifier support for external cameras, Accessibility Reader with customizable fonts and colors, Braille Access, and Apple Watch Live Listen with real-time captions.
Parental controls allow sharing a child’s age range with apps, expanded protections for ages 13–17, new App Store age ratings (13+, 16+, 18+), and updated Communication Limits for remote contact approvals.
Availability
iOS 26, iPadOS 26, macOS Tahoe, watchOS 26, tvOS 26, and visionOS 26 are now rolled out as free updates.
Note: Some features may vary by region or language.