Apple's iOS 26 brings the most significant change to your iPhone in years

Thu, Jul 24, 2025, 1:50 PM 5 min read

Apple (AAPL) is bringing the biggest changes to the iPhone in years with its upcoming iOS 26 software. I've been using a beta version of the operating system, and while it's taken a bit of getting used to, I generally appreciate the broad-based refresh.

Available for download as a public beta on Thursday, iOS 26 brings a new naming convention pinned to the year ahead, in this case 2026, as well as a completely new look and feel.

Apple calls the new aesthetic Liquid Glass, owing to its translucent features that make it appear as though light is warping and bending around buttons, sliders, and app folders. Like any major software change, iOS 26 is sure to stir up controversy for some users.

Apple has already dialed back the translucence in some menus after early user complaints about readability. But iOS 26 doesn't just come with a stylistic makeover. It also brings improvements to the Phone and Messages apps, as well as Apple's AI-powered Visual Intelligence. There's even a new Games app that acts as a hub for all of your time-killing adventures.

But it's hard to imagine iOS 26 boosting iPhone sales, which is Apple's main goal. People generally upgrade their phones based on hardware improvements, like better batteries or enhanced cameras, not new software.

Still, iOS 26 could set the table for what is expected to be Apple's foray into superthin smartphones, including, according to Bloomberg's Mark Gurman, an iPhone 17 Air later this fall. That Air will also help guide a future foldable phone, a smaller market dominated by Android device makers like Samsung.

That makes getting the software right all the more important as the company prepares for some of the most radical changes to its phones since the iPhone X.

Part of Apple's decision to roll out Liquid Glass, the company said, was to create a cohesive look across all of its devices, from the iPhone to the iPad to the Mac. But most users will experience the software on their iPhones.

And while it's a big change, it's not as though you'll download the update and have to learn how to use your iPhone from scratch. Virtually all of the menus and apps you're used to are exactly the same. That doesn't mean some folks won't like the new look.

I like seeing light move around the app folders on my home screen, even if they're somewhat reminiscent of "Candy Crush" blocks. But after a while, I hardly noticed the change. And for people who aren't fans of the design update, you can still adjust the color and tint of app icons and folders.