MacRumors

There are hundreds of changes in iOS 26, some of which are huge updates and some of which are smaller. We've rounded up two lists, one featuring the best features ‌iOS 26‌ has to offer, and one that includes some of the smaller but still useful changes that are available.

Best iOS 26 Features

  • Visual Intelligence - In ‌iOS 26‌, Visual Intelligence works with screenshots, so you can ask ChatGPT questions about what's on your screen, or search for items in screenshots on Google.
  • Messages - The Messages app got a major update, and it supports custom backgrounds, polls, and typing indicators for group texts, and even Live Translation if you're chatting with someone that speaks a different language
  • Phone - The Phone app has a feature that will screen your calls, asking callers for their name and reason for calling before they can speak to you. There's also Hold Assist that'll wait for a live agent for you, so you don't need to listen to annoying hold music.
  • AutoMix - AutoMix in Apple Music is a new feature that can seamlessly transition from one song to another with time stretching and beat mixing. It's like a DJ in your pocket.
  • Visited Places - In the Maps app, there's a new Visited Places feature that keeps track of where you've been. If you're on vacation and visit a great restaurant, but don't happen to remember what it was called, you can check in the Maps app so you can visit again.
  • Games - There's an all-new Games app that houses all of your mobile games, and makes it easy to find new ones. It also includes Game Center functionality and features so you can challenge your friends.

Hidden iOS 26 Features

  • Battery - There's a useful new battery feature that lets you know how long it will be until your phone is fully charged.
  • Adaptive Power Mode - Adaptive Power Mode is a new option that can save battery when you're using more battery life on your phone. Maybe you're using Maps more, or taking a lot of photos. It'll let you know your battery usage is up, and will help you trim down features you don't need so that your battery lasts as long as it normally does.
  • Alarm Snooze - When you set an alarm, you can now customize the snooze time. No more nine minute snoozes.
  • Album artwork - When you play songs from ‌Apple Music‌, Spotify, and other services, album artwork is now full screen on the Lock Screen.
  • Spatial Scenes - Spatial Scenes are a fun new Photos feature that takes your 2D images and adds a 3D feel to them.
  • Apple Music Translation - When you're listening to a song in ‌Apple Music‌ and there are lyrics in another language, you can now see real-time translations.

Do you agree with our picks? Know of a hidden feature we didn't mention? Let us know in the comments below.

Apple provided developers with the second beta of iOS 26, introducing the first changes and refinements to the new operating system since it debuted after the WWDC keynote. Because we're early in the beta testing process, there are quite a few tweaks to ‌iOS 26‌, which we've rounded up below.

Control Center

The background behind the Liquid Glass Control Center buttons has more blur, allowing for a more opaque look that makes everything easier to see than before.

ios 26 control center b2‌iOS 26‌ beta 1 on left, ‌iOS 26‌ beta 2 on right

Reduce Transparency

The Reduce Transparency option under Accessibility in the Settings app now cuts down on the Liquid Glass transparency even more.

ios 26 reduce transparency‌iOS 26‌ beta 1 on left, ‌iOS 26‌ beta 2 on right

Safari

In Safari, Apple changed the location of the new tab button in the tab management view. The "+" button for adding a new tab is now located in the bottom left as it is in iOS 18, rather than the upper left as it was in ‌iOS 26‌ beta 1.

safari design changes ios 26 b2Safari in beta 2 on left, Safari in beta 1 on right

With the Compact tab bar, there are also now both back and forward options.

App Store

In the App Store, Apple added an Accessibility section to product pages. Developers will need to provide details listing the accessibility features they support for this section in the ‌App Store‌ to be populated.

app store accessibility ios 26 b2

Wallet

‌iOS 26‌ beta 2 adds full support for the order tracking feature that Apple announced at WWDC. In the Wallet app, there is an option to let Siri to scan your Mail app to find all orders and emails from merchants, even if those orders weren't made with Apple Pay.

ios 26 order tracking wallet

New Ringtone

There's a new "Alt 1" ringtone option for the Reflection ringtone. You can choose it as your ringtone by going to the Settings app, tapping on Sounds and Haptics, tapping on Ringtone, and then choosing Alt 1 under Reflection.

ringtone alt 1 ios 26

Radio Widget

There is a new Live Radio Apple Music widget.

ios 26 live radio

Low Power Mode

Apple has improved the description for Low Power Mode, making it clearer what it does.

iPhone will temporarily reduce some background activities, processing speed, display refresh rate and brightness, and limit certain features such as 5G, iCloud syncing, mail fetch, and more.

Before now, the setting only mentioned reducing background activity like downloads and mail fetch.

Live Captions

For Live Captions, the Transcribe Calls option is now Save Call Transcripts, and the feature makes it clear that it will inform call participants with a sound before transcribing begins.

ios 26 live captions

Passkeys

The Passkey sign-in window has a new design.

ios 26 b2 passkey

Lock Screen Widgets

Widgets on the Lock Screen can now be moved to the bottom of the display, and aren't limited to the top.

ios 26 b2 widgets

Wallpaper

The default wallpaper that's new in ‌iOS 26‌ now animates with the spatial scene functionality in the update.

ios 26 home screen

Read More

For an overview of the features in ‌iOS 26‌, make sure to check out our iOS 26 roundup. We also have a roundup of iPadOS 26 features.

Related Roundups: iOS 26, iPadOS 26
Related Forum: iOS 26

iOS 26 beta 2 adds full support for the order tracking feature that Apple announced at WWDC. In the Wallet app, there is an option to let Siri scan your Mail app to find all orders and emails from merchants, even if those orders weren't made with Apple Pay.

ios 26 order tracking wallet
The Wallet app previously had an order tracking feature, but it was only an option when an order was made using ‌Apple Pay‌.

Order tracking was partially working in the initial ‌iOS 26‌ beta, but the functionality was limited. The Wallet app is now able to scan your email and pull in all recent order emails with Apple Intelligence.

In the Wallet app, orders can be accessed by tapping on the "..." button and choosing the "Orders" option. Using on-device intelligence to scan the Mail app is opt-in.

‌iOS 26‌ is limited to developers right now, but a beta will be made available to public beta testers in July. The order tracking option will require an iPhone that supports ‌Apple Intelligence‌.

The second beta of iOS 26 hints at the existence of an iPhone with a new display size, perhaps the iPhone 17 Air that's expected this fall.

iPhone 17 Air Size Feature
Macworld found a version of the classic iOS clownfish wallpaper with a "420x912@3x" resolution, which translates to a 1260 x 2736 resolution. That does not match the resolution of any ‌iPhone‌ that's available now, but it is similar in size to what we're expecting for the ‌iPhone 17‌ Air.

Last year, Apple analyst Ming-Chi Kuo suggested Apple's new ultra slim ‌iPhone 17‌ model would feature a 6.6-inch display with a resolution of approximately 1260 x 2740, which is close to what was found in the beta.

With the ‌iPhone 17‌ models set to come out in September with ‌iOS 26‌ pre-installed, it seems likely that the wallpaper is designed for the all-new device that Apple plans or release this year.

With a 6.6-inch display size, the ‌iPhone 17‌ Air will be smaller than the iPhone 17 Pro Max and larger than the standard ‌iPhone 17‌. It will have a super thin chassis, which rumors suggest could measure in at around 5.5mm. Other rumored features include Apple's C1 modem and a single-lens rear camera.

Related Forum: iPhone

In iOS 26 beta 2, Apple updated the location of the new tab icon in Safari, fixing a frustrating change that was made in the first ‌iOS 26‌ beta.

safari design changes ios 26 b2Safari in beta 2 on left, Safari in beta 1 on right

The initial ‌iOS 26‌ release introduced three view options for the tab bar and it changed the look of the interface for managing all open tabs. The tab view significantly altered the placement of buttons, including the "+" button for a new tab.

Apple moved the button from the bottom of the Safari interface in iOS 18 to the top in ‌iOS 26‌, which led to people tapping the wrong buttons when trying to open a new tab. There was no logical reason for the "+" button to move to the top of the screen, and in ‌iOS 26‌ beta 2, Apple moved it back to the bottom of the app.

The Safari tab management interface in ‌iOS 26‌ beta 2 is now similar to the tab management interface in iOS 18. The new tab option is on the left where it always was, and while "Done" is now a checkmark, it's still there on the right.

Apple kept the option to swipe between standard browsing, private browsing, and tab browsing, rather than tucking those away behind a hamburger menu. Options for managing tab groups, selecting tabs, and copying links remain in the top left.

‌iOS 26‌ beta 2 makes another small change to Safari, for those who opt to use the new "Compact" Safari tab view. With the Compact setting, if you tap on the back button, the button now splits into a forward and a back button for easier navigation. Before, there was no forward button option.

The top and bottom layouts have not changed, and have always had both the forward and back buttons.

Related Roundups: iOS 26, iPadOS 26
Related Forum: iOS 26

In macOS Tahoe Beta 2, Apple included a new option to add a background to the menu bar, making it possible to have a menu bar design that’s similar to the menu bar in macOS Sequoia.

macos tahoe show menu bar background
As part of macOS Tahoe’s Liquid Glass design, Apple removed the background of the menu bar, so it blends into the wallpaper or background behind it. The icons of the menu bar are more free floating with the transparent look, though Apple does add a slight gradient to wallpapers to improve visibility.

The menu bar toggle is available in the System Settings app under the Menu Bar section. Turning it on clearly delineates the background from the menu bar for those that prefer the non-transparent aesthetic.

With the second beta of macOS Tahoe, Apple is making updates to address some of the issues that developers have raised. Apple also changed the color of the Finder icon to better match the traditional Finder colors.

Related Roundup: macOS Tahoe 26
Related Forum: macOS Tahoe

In the initial macOS Tahoe beta, Apple swapped the colors of the Finder icon, a longtime Mac classic. Rather than featuring blue on the left side of the face and light blue on the right side, the icon was primarily white and the right side of the face was blue.

macos tahoe finder beta 2macOS Tahoe Finder icon in beta 2

The updated Finder look was a significant deviation from the design that Apple has used for Finder since 1996, and many Mac users were unhappy with the change. Apple had tweaked the Finder colors and design slightly over the years, but the first Tahoe beta marked the first significant change that we've seen because of the decision to put the darker color on the right.

Apple has now reverted the Finder icon to a more traditional color scheme, while keeping the Liquid Glass look. The left side of the face is blue, while the lighter side is a white/blue gradient that has a layered, glass-like appearance.

macos tahoe finder beta 1macOS Tahoe Finder icon in beta 1

The icon isn't the same as the version in macOS Sequoia because it doesn't use an even color split, but it's much closer to the original design while still looking fresh.

Related Roundup: macOS Tahoe 26
Related Forum: macOS Tahoe

iOS 26 adds a new Recovery Assistant feature to all compatible iPhones, and it can help return the device to a working state, with no Mac or PC required.

iOS 26 Recovery Assistant Feature Clean
Recovery Assistant was introduced in the first iOS 26 beta, but Apple only mentioned the feature in its release notes for the second iOS 26 beta today.

"Recovery Assistant is a new way to recover your device if it doesn't start up normally," says Apple. "It can look for problems and attempt to resolve them if found."

Apple says an iPhone running iOS 26 will boot into a Recovery mode if the device has "encountered an issue while starting."

Here is what Recovery mode says on the iPhone's screen: "This iPhone encountered an issue while starting. To aid in diagnosing and resolving it, it has booted into Recovery. Recovery will look for any problems and attempt to resolve them if found."

According to a Reddit post, Recovery Assistant can help you return an iPhone to a working state with help from another Apple device, such as an iPad. This process can be initiated through the menu in the top-right corner of the Recovery mode on the affected iPhone. On the other Apple device, you can follow the on-screen steps to download and install a newer iOS version on the iPhone that is in Recovery mode, to help revive it.

This seems to expand on a recovery feature that debuted on iPhone 16 models last year.

Related Roundups: iOS 26, iPadOS 26
Related Forum: iOS 26

The second beta of iOS 26 includes a new ringtone that's an alternative to the classic "Reflection" ringtone that Apple uses as a default on iPhones.

ios 26 call holding
Apple didn't give the new ringtone a special name, and it's just listed as "Alt 1" as an option if you tap into Reflection. You can get to the ringtone in ‌iOS 26‌ by opening up Sounds and Haptics in the Settings app, tapping on Ringtone, and then tapping on Reflection.

The classic Reflection ringtone is still the default, so if you prefer the new sound, you'll need to set it manually. You can listen to the ringtone below.


We first found the ringtone in the ‌iOS 26‌ beta 1 code, but it wasn't enabled until now.

Related Roundups: iOS 26, iPadOS 26
Related Forum: iOS 26

With the second beta of iOS 26 that Apple provided to developers today, Apple addressed one of the major complaints that people have had with Liquid Glass.

ios 26 control center b2‌iOS 26‌ beta 1 on left, ‌iOS 26‌ beta 2 on right

The Control Center buttons are now slightly more opaque, making it easier to see the different control options even on a multicolored background. The new, more opaque look is apparent with the standard app icons and the glass icon style.

The Liquid Glass design refresh in ‌iOS 26‌ will be an adjustment, but small tweaks like the one Apple made to Control Center will make it easier for people to transition when the operating system launches this fall.

Related Roundups: iOS 26, iPadOS 26
Related Forum: iOS 26

Apple today provided developers with the second beta of macOS Tahoe 26 for testing purposes, with the update coming two weeks after the first beta was released following WWDC.

macos tahoe
Registered developers can download the new beta software through the System Settings app.

macOS Tahoe features Apple's Liquid Glass redesign, which extends across all of the new updates this year. Apple also brought the Phone and Journal apps to the Mac for the first time, and introduced a new cross-platform Games app.

With the update, Apple overhauled how Spotlight works, enabling new functionality that allows it to be used to complete all kinds of actions like sending emails without having to open up an app. There are also changes to a number of apps, including Messages, Safari, and Notes.

All of the new features that are included in macOS Tahoe are outlined in our dedicated roundup.

Related Roundup: macOS Tahoe 26
Related Forum: macOS Tahoe

Apple today provided developers with the second betas of iOS 26 and iPadOS 26 for testing purposes, with the updates coming two weeks after Apple seeded the first betas following the WWDC keynote.

iOS 26 Feature
Registered developers can download the new beta software using the Software Update section of the Settings app.

‌iOS 26‌ and ‌iPadOS 26‌ feature Apple's new Liquid Glass design aesthetic, with a focus on translucency and glass-like interface elements. The new design extends to the Lock Screen, Home Screen, and Control Center, along with menus and buttons in apps.

Apple's new software includes new features for apps like Messages, Phone, Shortcuts, and Apple Music, along with new Apple Intelligence features, a revamp for CarPlay, and more. In ‌iPadOS 26‌, there's a whole new multitasking system that supports multiple app windows for a more Mac-like experience.

For more on the new features in ‌iOS 26‌, we have a dedicated iOS 26 roundup and a separate iPadOS 26 roundup.

While the ‌iOS 26‌ and ‌iPadOS 26‌ betas are limited to developers right now, Apple plans to release a public beta in July. The updates will launch in the fall.

Related Roundups: iOS 26, iPadOS 26
Related Forum: iOS 26

Apple today provided developers with the second betas of watchOS 26, tvOS 26, and visionOS 26 for testing purposes, with the betas coming two weeks after the first betas were released after the WWDC keynote.

General visionOS watchOS and tvOS Betas Feature Redux
The software updates can be downloaded through the Settings app on each device. A developer account is required.

‌watchOS 26‌ and tvOS 26 adopt new Liquid Glass design changes inspired by visionOS, much like iOS 26 and macOS 26. watchOS has a new AI-powered Workout Buddy for motivation and the Smart Stack incorporates more personal context for better suggestions. There's also a new Notes app and support for Live Translation.

tvOS 26 supports karaoke using an iPhone as a microphone, improvements for using AirPlay speakers with a TV, new Aerial screen savers, and support for quicker logins to apps at setup thanks to Apple Account syncing.

visionOS 26 adds support for spatial widgets that can be placed anywhere in the space around you, along with refinements to make personas more lifelike and support for shared spatial experiences between two Vision Pro users.

The betas are limited to developers right now, but ‌watchOS 26‌ and tvOS 26 will be available to public beta testers in July. The updates will launch in the fall.

watchOS 26 is adding a new "Show Data When Locked" setting to the Apple Watch.

Apple Watch Ultra 2 Complications
MacRumors contributor Steve Moser discovered the new setting within the code for the first watchOS 26 beta, and a Reddit user has seemingly found it in action, but we have yet to figure out where it is exactly. Leave a comment if you know.

The new privacy setting allows you to toggle on or off the ability to view data in the little "complications" that appear on select watch faces.

There is one exception: Apple says data from the Health app will never be visible in complications when an Apple Watch is locked, regardless of the toggle's position.

This is one of the many smaller but useful quality-of-life improvements in watchOS 26 that Apple did not announce during its WWDC 2025 keynote.

watchOS 26 will likely be released in September.

Related Roundup: Apple Watch 11
Buyer's Guide: Apple Watch (Buy Now)

Apple's Audio Sharing feature on iPhone and iPad lets you share your device's Bluetooth audio with a second pair of wireless headphones, allowing two of you to listen to the same music together while running, or enjoy a movie on a plane without disturbing those around you, for example. Keep reading to learn how it works.

share audio

Device Compatibility

To get started with Audio Sharing in iOS 18 or later, first make sure that the headphones and the iPhone/iPad that you plan to use are compatible with the feature.

According to Apple, Audio Sharing is supported by the following devices:

  • iPhone models:
    • iPhone 8 or later
    • iPhone SE (2nd generation) or later
  • iPad models:
    • iPad (5th generation or later)
    • iPad mini (5th generation or later)
    • iPad Air (3rd generation or later)
    • iPad Pro 10.5-inch
    • iPad Pro 11-inch (all generations)
    • iPad Pro 12.9-inch (2nd generation or later)

Next, you'll need one of the following compatible wireless headphones:

  • AirPods (all models)
  • AirPods Pro (all models)
  • AirPods Max
  • Beats Fit Pro
  • Beats Flex
  • Beats Solo Pro
  • Beats Solo3 Wireless
  • Beats Studio3 Wireless
  • BeatsX
  • Powerbeats
  • Powerbeats Pro
  • Powerbeats3 Wireless

How to Use Audio Sharing on iPhone and iPad

Depending on the headphone model, there may be minor differences in the setup process of sharing audio, but they shouldn't diverge too much from the way of doing it with AirPods, which goes like this.

  1. With your AirPods connected and in your ears, start playing audio on your iPhone or iPad.
  2. If you have the Music app open and showing the media playback controls, tap your AirPods at the bottom of the screen. Alternatively, swipe down for Control Center, then in the audio playback controls panel, tap the icon in the top-right corner representing your connected AirPods.

  3. Tap Share Audio... below the playback controls.
    music

  4. You should see a prompt on your device's screen offering to Share Audio. Now, bring your friend's AirPods, inside their case, close to your device, and flip the lid open.
  5. When your friend's AirPods are detected, tap Share Audio.
    music

  6. Hold the button on the back of the AirPods charging case if requested.
  7. When you've successfully connected, the iPhone or iPad hosting the audio controls the volume level on both pairs of headphones, but both people listening can also use any headphone controls they may have to change volume independently.
    music

Pro Tip: If you have an Apple TV 4K running tvOS 14 and later, you can also Share Audio over two pairs of wireless headphones. You'll find similar options to those described above in the Apple TV Control Center.

JetBlue today announced that it now supports the iPhone feature that makes it easier to share the location of AirTag-equipped baggage at airports.

AirTag on Baggage
iOS 18.2 added a new feature to the Find My app that allows you to temporarily share the location of an AirTag-equipped item with others, including employees at participating airlines. This way, if you have put AirTags inside your bags, the airline can better help you find them in the event they are lost or delayed at the airport.

Here is how JetBlue explains the process:

Customers who place an Apple AirTag or Find My network accessory in their bag can now choose to securely share its location with JetBlue's Baggage Service team, helping the airline reunite customers with their belongings more quickly.

To share an item's location, customers can generate a Share Item Location link in the Find My app on their iPhone, iPad, or Mac. This link can be provided to JetBlue by scanning a QR code in the baggage claim area or by working with a crewmember at the airport's Baggage Service Office. JetBlue crewmembers will use the temporary link to help locate and retrieve bags found within JetBlue stations or other contracted facilities.

Other airlines that already offer the feature include American Airlines, Delta, United, Air Canada, Virgin Atlantic, Lufthansa, and more.

iOS 18 2 Share Item Location
iPhone, iPad, and Mac users running iOS 18.2, iPadOS 18.2, and macOS Sequoia 15.2 or later can generate a "Share Item Location" link in the Find My app. Anyone they share the link with can then view a web page with a location of the item on a map. The page will automatically update with the item's latest known location.

Apple said it worked directly with airlines to put systems in place to "privately and securely" accept the "Share Item Location" links. Access to each link is "limited to a small number of people," and airport employees are required to "authenticate" to view the link by signing into their Apple Account or partner email address.

Apple Share Item Location iPhone iPad Mac
The item's location stops being shared "as soon as a user is reunited with their item," or automatically expires after seven days.

Counterpoint Research VP Ross Young today cast doubt on the 20th-anniversary iPhone featuring a truly all-screen design, but he still expects Apple to make some progress towards that ambitious goal over the next few iPhone generations.

iPhone 14 Pro Dynamic Island
In a post on X today, Young reiterated that at least some new iPhones launching in 2026 will be equipped with under-screen Face ID. While he did not mention any specific models, he is very likely referring to the iPhone 18 Pro and iPhone 18 Pro Max.

Despite the move to under-screen Face ID, Young said that the 2026 iPhone models will still have some visible Face ID elements, and for this reason he believes that the devices will still have a "notch" (aka the Dynamic Island), but he said that it will be "smaller" compared to the one on the iPhone 14 Pro through iPhone 16 models.

Young's information seems to conflict with a report last month from The Information's Wayne Ma that said the iPhone 18 Pro and iPhone 18 Pro Max would have "only a small hole cutout in the top-left corner to accommodate the front-facing camera." This wording suggested that the devices might not have a Dynamic Island at all, but Young has implied that there will still be a smaller Dynamic Island, which would still be an improvement.

In his Power On newsletter over the weekend, Bloomberg's Mark Gurman also said that Apple would shrink the size of the Dynamic Island on at least some iPhone models launching next year, so there are now multiple sources who believe that iPhone 18 models will still have a smaller Dynamic Island rather than only a front camera hole.

Young said he is unsure if the front camera hole will nonetheless be moved to the top-left corner of the iPhone 18 screen, or if it will remain more centered.

Young does expect all Face ID elements to eventually be moved under the screen, but he now believes that change will not happen until 2028.

Related Roundup: iPhone 18
Related Forum: iPhone

Apple is rumored to be planning a redesigned iPhone model for release in 2027, to mark the 20th anniversary of the device's launch. However, a source with a proven track record has now cast doubt on the device featuring an all-screen design.

Beyond iPhone 16 notch less
In his Power On newsletter last month, Bloomberg's Mark Gurman said that Apple was planning a 20th-anniversary iPhone model "without any cutouts in the display." He later added that the device would have "extraordinarily slim bezels" around the screen, along with "curved glass sides around the entire phone, even at the edges."

In a post on X today, however, Counterpoint Research VP Ross Young revised his expectations for future iPhone displays. He now believes that the first iPhone with both under-screen Face ID and an under-screen front camera will be released all the way in 2030, suggesting that a truly all-screen iPhone remains a full five years away.

At one point, Young expected an iPhone with under-screen Face ID and an under-screen front camera to launch as early as 2027, so his current expectation of 2030 is disappointing news for Apple fans, if accurate. At the same time, it is not too shocking, as an all-screen iPhone is one of those rumors that seems to get pushed back over and over again.

Gurman and Young both have very good track records with Apple rumors, but their timelines for an all-screen iPhone now differ, so we will have to wait and see if Gurman responds. If we go by the latest word from Young, though, the 20th-anniversary iPhone might not be the ambitious, all-screen model that Apple fans have long dreamed of.

Gurman and Young have shared conflicting information in the past. In February 2024, Young was first to report that the rumored micro-LED Apple Watch Ultra was canceled. In a since-deleted post on X, Gurman responded by telling Young that he was looking forward to wearing his micro-LED Apple Watch in a few more years. A few weeks later, Gurman relented and reported that the micro-LED Apple Watch project had been canceled.