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iOS 26 introduces a host of significant updates to the Messages app, bringing at least ten new features and enhancements to iPhone users. These changes aim to improve functionality and user experience in group chats and individual conversations. One of the standout features is the ability to create polls within group chats, enabling users to vote on various topics, such as dining options. The app can even suggest when a poll might be beneficial.

In addition to polls, users can now customize their conversations with backgrounds that all participants can view. Apple provides a selection of backgrounds, or users can simply upload their own photos. The update also enhances financial interactions with the introduction of Apple Cash in group chats. You can easily send and receive money without leaving the conversation.

Furthermore, typing indicators have been added, allowing users to see who is currently composing a message in group chats, fostering better communication. Another useful feature is the “Add Contact” button, which simplifies adding people from chats into the Contacts app. Additionally, the “Select” option allows users to highlight specific portions of text in messages, a functionality that enhances readability and ease of communication. Privacy has been prioritized with the new unknown sender screening feature, which automatically moves messages from unfamiliar senders into a designated folder, silencing notifications until accepted.

The app can also detect spam and filter those messages accordingly. For improved search capabilities, natural language search has been implemented, allowing users to find photos by describing them. A new “Send Photo Previews” setting has been added for users in Low Data Mode, sending lower-quality previews initially, with the full photo sent later. Lastly, the addition of end-to-end encryption for RCS messages will enhance security, making it impossible for Apple or third parties to read these messages during transmission.

The iOS 26 update is currently available in developer beta, with a public beta expected next month and the official release slated for later this year for iPhone 11 and newer models.

Apple’s introduction of Liquid Glass design has created significant buzz this week, marking the first major design overhaul for iOS in years and extending across all its platforms. While Liquid Glass is still evolving, let’s take a moment to highlight its initial features that enthusiasts are eager to see in action. Upon updating to iOS 26, the Liquid Glass design becomes immediately noticeable.

The Lock Screen showcases a redesigned clock with an option to expand, making it more prominent and harmonizing with your wallpaper. The widgets on the Lock Screen share the same transparent aesthetic, complemented by see-through notifications that allow glimpses of your wallpaper in the background. On the Home Screen, the trend continues with a translucent search bar, dock, and app folders.

By default, app icons adopt a layered glass look, but users can opt for a “clear” glass-like icon setting that makes them and the widgets transparent. This customization enhances the overall glass effect, providing users with a unique experience. The Control Center embraces the Liquid Glass theme fully, featuring icons that reflect the background colors.

Several apps, including Safari, Photos, Camera, Mail, Messages, and more, have incorporated Liquid Glass elements. In particular, buttons and menu bars have been updated for a more rounded look, while navigation has been streamlined. For instance, selecting certain buttons in the Camera app reveals a popup Liquid Glass menu that simplifies access to available options.

Liquid Glass extends beyond iOS, encompassing iPadOS 26, macOS 26, watchOS 26, and tvOS 26. iPadOS mirrors iOS closely, while macOS features a translucent menu bar and uses Liquid Glass for various UI elements. watchOS and tvOS incorporate this design in navigation and certain app features, although the changes in these platforms are relatively subtle. As this is only the first beta of Liquid Glass, further enhancements are expected before the full public release this fall.

Apple envisions that this design will serve as the foundation for its software aesthetics for the next decade, paving the way for future innovations.

iOS 26 introduces an innovative design element that Apple refers to as Liquid Glass. This new material emphasizes transparency, allowing the content on your display to stand out.

However, if the aesthetic doesn’t appeal to you or impacts readability, there is a way to modify its appearance for better clarity while still maintaining some of the new design features. Apple provides various Accessibility options that cater to individual visual preferences, including the Reduce Transparency feature.

By enabling this option, users can add a darker background to transparent areas like the Control Center, app icons, and folders, which enhances the contrast and overall readability. To activate Reduce Transparency, open the Settings app, navigate to Accessibility, select Display and Text Size, and toggle on the Reduce Transparency option.

For quicker access to this feature, consider adding it to your Accessibility Shortcuts for easy toggling from the Control Center. While enabling Reduce Transparency does not eliminate translucency from the iPhone’s interface, it lends a more opaque appearance to the overall look.

Notably, it doesn’t alter the shape of buttons or revert the interface to its pre-iOS 26 style. At this early stage of beta testing, Apple may adjust the Liquid Glass design based on user feedback.

Transitioning to a completely new interface can be challenging, but users participating in the beta program might find that temporarily activating Reduce Transparency eases the adjustment period. Most users are likely to acclimate to the updated interface quickly.

Apple has not drastically changed app layouts, so despite the fresh look delivered by iOS 26, the user experience remains familiar. Liquid Glass may evolve before the official public launch, which is expected to take place in September following a public beta in July.

Apple recently unveiled macOS Tahoe 26 at WWDC 2025, showcasing an impressive visual redesign alongside enhanced Apple Intelligence features and improved Continuity capabilities that seamlessly connect Mac and iPhone workflows. The update boasts what Apple describes as a “gorgeous new design” featuring Liquid Glass, a translucent material that reflects the surrounding environment. The Dock, sidebars, and toolbars have been streamlined to emphasize content, while a fully transparent menu bar creates an illusion of a larger display.

Users will enjoy extensive personalization options, including vibrant app icon tints, customizable folder colors with emoji, and upgraded Control Center layouts. Significant improvements have been made to Continuity, with the Phone app debuting on Mac. This app brings many familiar iPhone functionalities, including Recents, Contacts, and Voicemails.

New features such as Call Screening help identify unknown callers, while Hold Assist allows users to stay in phone queues without interrupting their work on a Mac. Live Activities from the iPhone will now appear in the Mac menu bar, providing real-time updates for flights, ride-sharing, and sports scores. Users can click on these activities to open iPhone Mirroring for additional details and actions.

The Spotlight feature has received its most comprehensive update to date, now intelligently ranking all search results and enabling filtering by specific file types. Users can perform a variety of actions directly from Spotlight, such as sending emails or creating notes, without switching apps. The feature adapts to user habits, offering personalized shortcuts for frequently used tasks.

Apple Intelligence has expanded to include Live Translation across Messages, FaceTime, and phone calls, translating conversations in real-time while preserving user privacy. Other enhancements include the Genmoji and Image Playground features, which allow customization of emojis and access to various creative styles. The new Apple Games app provides centralized gaming experiences with tailored recommendations and social features.

Additional updates enhance Safari’s performance, introduce the Journal app for Mac, improve Messages with new backgrounds, and offer significant accessibility improvements. macOS Tahoe 26 is now available for developer beta, with a public beta set for next month and a general release anticipated for fall 2025.

iOS 26 brings significant enhancements to the boarding pass feature within the Apple Wallet, making it a more streamlined and informative experience for users. One of the standout updates is the integration of Live Activities, which allows users to monitor their flights directly on the Lock Screen of their iPhones. This functionality provides at-a-glance information about flight arrival times and other critical updates, previously available only through third-party apps like Flighty.

In addition to Live Activities, the Wallet app now showcases essential details beneath the boarding pass itself. Users will find handy features, such as Apple Maps directions to the applicable airport terminal and a convenient shortcut that links to the updated Find My app for baggage tracking. This integrated approach aims to simplify travel and enhance overall user convenience.

The first developer beta of iOS 26 has recently been made available, with a public beta expected to follow in the upcoming month. The full update is slated for release later in the year, promising a host of new features and refinements. At the recent Worldwide Developers Conference (WWDC) 2025, Apple also unveiled its new design philosophy dubbed “Liquid Glass.”

This redesign is set to influence not only iOS but also iPadOS, macOS, watchOS, tvOS, visionOS, and CarPlay, introducing a fresh universal design language across all platforms. The keynote presentation highlighted Apple’s focus on delivering a cohesive user experience, alongside improvements to core apps and expanded capabilities powered by the latest advancements in Apple’s hardware and software. With these updates, iOS 26 stands to enhance how users interact with their devices during travel and beyond, aiming for greater efficiency and a modern aesthetic.

iOS 26 introduces an innovative design element known as Liquid Glass, characterized by its transparency which allows content on the display to shine through the user interface. For users who may not prefer this aesthetic or are finding it difficult to read, there is a solution to enhance visibility without completely abandoning the new look. Apple offers several Accessibility options to cater to various visual preferences, one of which is the Reduce Transparency feature. By activating this setting, users can darken backgrounds of translucent elements, such as the Control Center, app icons, and folders, thus improving contrast and readability.

To enable Reduce Transparency, simply open the Settings app, navigate to Accessibility, select Display and Text Size, then toggle the Reduce Transparency option. For quick access, it’s possible to add this feature to your Accessibility Shortcuts, allowing you to toggle it directly from the Control Center interface. While enabling Reduce Transparency won’t eliminate all transparency in the iPhone’s interface, it provides a more opaque appearance overall. It’s important to note that this adjustment doesn’t alter button shapes or revert the design to that of earlier iOS versions.

Currently, we are in the early stages of beta testing, and user feedback will guide refinements to the Liquid Glass design. Transitioning to a fundamentally new interface can be challenging, particularly for developers participating in the beta. Using Reduce Transparency temporarily may help ease this transition. Many users will likely acclimate to the Liquid Glass design within a few days, as Apple aims to maintain a sense of familiarity despite the changes.

The design may continue to evolve leading up to the public rollout, which is expected in September following a public beta in July.

Barnes & Noble has introduced an update to its Nook app for iPhone and iPad, featuring a new “buy on BN.com” button. This addition allows users to be redirected to the company’s website to finalize their purchases of e-books and audiobooks.

The “buy on BN.com” button appears next to book listings within the app. When clicked, it opens the user’s default browser and takes them to the relevant product page on Barnes & Noble’s website.

Once the purchase is completed, the content syncs automatically to the Nook app and any associated Nook devices. Before this update, iOS users often faced confusion about how to buy content, as there was no straightforward method available through the app.

This change reflects a trend seen in recent updates to other platforms, such as Amazon’s Kindle app and Spotify, which have implemented similar external purchase options. The updates were prompted by a court ruling in the ongoing litigation between Epic Games and Apple.

A notable decision made by Judge Yvonne Gonzalez Rogers in April prohibited Apple from blocking external purchase links or imposing commissions on them. For years, Apple required developers to either utilize its in-app purchase system, which comes with a 30% commission, or refrain from including links that directed users to alternative payment methods.

The recent ruling has paved the way for e-reader applications like Barnes & Noble’s Nook as well as Kobo to provide a more seamless and user-friendly purchasing experience.

With the release of iPadOS 26, Apple has unveiled a new multitasking user interface that enables users to run multiple applications simultaneously. This allows for the resizing of app windows, moving them over one another, and rearranging them according to personal preference, similar to the user experience on a Mac. In a recent interview, Apple’s software chief, Craig Federighi, discussed the factors that delayed the introduction of effective windowed multitasking on the iPad.

Federighi attributed the extended timeline primarily to the hardware limitations of early iPads. He explained that the original devices did not possess the necessary power to support true multitasking while maintaining optimal responsiveness. He emphasized that a touch-based interface requires immediate feedback when users interact with the screen, stressing, “Otherwise, the entire interaction model is broken.”

The initial launch of Stage Manager in 2022 also faced challenges, as Apple limited this feature to more powerful models to guarantee reliable performance.

This decision led to frustration among users with older iPads. However, as the iPad Pro’s hardware evolved to match that of Macs, the technical impediments began to dissipate. Federighi noted that advancements in the iPad’s capabilities and the increasing use of trackpads and keyboards indicated a demand for enhanced multitasking features.

In iPadOS 26, Apple adopted a new strategy, making multitasking available even on older devices, although with some limitations on the number of simultaneous apps. Users on older models are limited to four open apps, while newer devices support more. The updated interface introduces Mac-like features, including traffic-light controls for window management and menu bars for settings adjustments.

Despite these advancements, significant distinctions remain. For instance, background processing is limited to finite tasks, such as file transfers. This update represents a significant stride towards positioning the iPad as a viable laptop alternative, particularly for the base $349 model.

As iPadOS 26 is currently in developer beta, with a public version expected soon, the changes reflect Apple’s recognition of user demands for a more versatile multitasking experience. What are your thoughts on these updates?

With the release of iOS 26, Apple has made significant updates to the iPhone experience, introducing a fresh Liquid Glass redesign that is compatible with all eligible devices. However, some features are exclusively available to the iPhone 15 Pro and iPhone 16 models, as they utilize Apple’s advanced Intelligence technology. The new capabilities rely on powerful on-device large language models and machine learning that necessitate the advanced neural processing found in Apple’s latest A-series chips.

Users of iPhone 15 Pro and newer models can look forward to several exciting features that are not accessible to those with older devices. One of the standout features is the Live Translation within Messages, FaceTime, and Phone, which offers real-time translation for messages, live captions during video calls, and spoken translations during phone conversations. Additionally, Shortcuts has been enhanced with new actions that utilize Apple Intelligence, enabling users to create images, summarize text, and obtain AI responses as part of their automated workflows.

Furthermore, the Reminders app now benefits from on-device AI, providing task and grocery item suggestions based on information gleaned from Messages and emails, along with automatically organizing task lists. The Messages app also includes AI-powered poll suggestions and innovative background generation using Image Playground integration. In terms of utilities, the Apple Wallet offers improved order tracking capabilities by extracting tracking information from emails, eliminating the need for merchant involvement.

There are also new features in Genmoji and Image Playground, allowing users to mix emojis, customize characters, and access a variety of artistic styles powered by ChatGPT. Lastly, the Visual Intelligence capability with Screenshots expands the functionality of the camera-based AI across the system, enabling users to analyze screenshots for shopping or event information. While the new Spatial Scenes effect may seem like an AI feature, it actually employs the Neural Engine and is available on iPhone 12 and newer devices, animating photos based on device movement.

Hello everyone! Although we’re still in the beta phase, I wanted to share my thoughts based on the keynote presentation. I’m firmly in the “love it” camp when it comes to the new Liquid Glass design language.

It’s sleek, modern, and full of promise. However, after exploring both iOS and macOS, I’ve observed that the new design feels more cohesive and impressive on iOS. The brilliance of Liquid Glass truly shines in environments with dynamic content like media, images, or vibrant colors.

On iOS, the design comes alive through album art, emojis, wallpapers, and videos, creating a layered and fluid effect that feels refreshing. Conversely, the experience on macOS feels flatter. Many applications still display buttons and menus over static white sidebars or menu bars, which dulls the glossy, translucent effect of the design.

It appears that numerous Mac apps have yet to fully adopt this new design language. The transparency is limited, and aside from a few refreshed widgets, icons, and specific applications such as Safari and Apple Music, macOS Tahoe lacks the same vitality. I would love to see Apple enhance transparency and dynamic layering throughout macOS.

There’s incredible potential here, but currently, it seems only partially realized. It might even be beneficial if macOS windows drew inspiration from the glassy, blurred aesthetics of the Windows Vista era. Love it or hate it, that era offered a striking design that made UI elements feel more lively.

What are your thoughts? Would you like to see more glass-like elements and blurred transparency in Mac applications?