Apple has just launched the iOS 26 system. This update is named directly after the year and brings a series of in-depth improvements from interface design to artificial intelligence. The purpose is to make the iPhone experience smarter and more private.
Comprehensive evolution of design language
The "liquid glass" design language has been newly introduced into iOS 26. Apple provides developers with a new set of APIs, which allows them to call dynamic and flowing visual elements, so that their application interfaces can have the same luster and flexibility as system applications. This represents a key innovation in the visual style of iOS.
Starting from the system's own applications to third-party software, users can experience a more unified and pleasant visual experience. This design is not just beautiful, but through subtle dynamic feedback, it improves the intuitiveness and responsiveness of operations, making every interaction more natural and smooth.
Real-time translation integrated into core communications
In iOS 26, language barriers have been further broken down. Apple has deeply linked the real-time translation function running on the device to the three most commonly used communication applications: messages, emails, and phone calls. This shows that users can instantly see or hear the translated content when making cross-border text chats or voice calls.
All of this is done by an AI model independently developed by Apple and is completed locally on the device, without the need to upload the conversation content to the cloud. In this way, it protects user privacy to the greatest extent, ensuring that sensitive business negotiation content or private chat content will not be leaked, and at the same time, it also provides a translation experience with almost no delay.
Visual intelligence empowers cross-application operations
With Apple's self-developed "Apple Intelligence" system, visual intelligence functions have been greatly expanded. Now, in almost any application interface, users can summon the AI assistant to ask questions or perform related operations on the text and picture content presented on the screen.
Taking a picture of furniture as an example, you can directly ask about its material and style, and let AI search for similar products in e-commerce applications such as Amazon or Etsy. It can also recognize event information on the screen, such as a concert poster, and intelligently suggest adding it to the calendar, automatically filling in key information such as time and location.
Reshaping communication application experience
The phone and messaging applications have been greatly optimized. The phone application adopts a new unified layout, which integrates personal favorites, recent calls and voice messages into a clear view, making it easier than ever to find and manage contacts.
Messaging applications enable enhanced message filtering capabilities, allowing users to easily filter out messages from unknown senders. Moreover, AI will perform intelligent scene recognition during chat. Once it finds that people are discussing dinner parties or outings, it will actively propose to create a poll to quickly collect opinions, and use image generation tools to create a chat background that matches the topic.
Deep integration of vehicle and travel experience
In order to target driving scenarios, iOS 26 has brought significant updates to the information application in CarPlay. Now, important conversations can be pinned to the top, combined with widgets and real-time activity functions. Drivers do not need to operate their phones so frequently. Key information can be obtained synchronously on the car screen without taking their eyes off the road.
This set of updates also applies to the new Apple CarPlay Ultra, which deeply integrates a series of iPhone ecosystems with car hardware, giving a seamless unified experience to every screen in all areas of the car. Travel planning has become more intelligent, and the system can learn users’ commuting routes, predict delays in advance and provide alternatives.
Accessibility and privacy security
In terms of accessibility features, iOS 26 launched "Assistive Reader", which can provide users with dyslexia with a highly customized global reading experience. At the same time, a new "Braille Access" interface is specially designed for Apple devices connected to Braille displays.
The Live Caption function has been enhanced, the background sound function has also been enhanced, and personal voice and other functions have also been enhanced. Based on these enhancements, the inclusiveness of Apple's ecosystem has reached a new level. All these powerful functions are built on the basis of device-side intelligence. While providing convenience, they fundamentally safeguard the data security of each user and the privacy sovereignty of each user.
Currently, Apple users can use the Apple Developer Program to download the developer beta version to experience it, and the public beta version is expected to be launched next month. Every major version update of iOS means a leap forward in mobile interactive experience. Regarding the balance between artificial intelligence and privacy protection achieved by iOS 26, and the specific changes it brings to daily life, which new feature are you most looking forward to experiencing? Welcome to share your views in the comment area. If you think this article is beneficial to you, don’t forget to like and share it.
