Are you ready for the stunning new features coming to your iPhone? iOS 26 introduces Apple's remarkable liquid glass design language that will transform not only your iPhone experience but also extend across iPad, Mac OS, Watch OS, and TV OS . This visually striking update represents just the beginning of what's in store.
Furthermore, the iOS 26 new features focus heavily on making your communication smarter and more secure. Call Screen, one of the most practical new iPhone features, filters unknown numbers by automatically asking callers about their purpose before your phone rings . Additionally, what's in the new iOS update includes impressive Live Translation capabilities that work in real-time during text conversations, FaceTime calls, and even regular phone calls . Visual Intelligence has also evolved significantly, offering new screenshot-based search and query options that enhance how you interact with on-screen content . Despite being in development, these iOS 26 beta 4 new features demonstrate Apple's commitment to creating a more intuitive and privacy-conscious mobile experience for you.
Apple introduces privacy-first Liquid Glass design
Image Source: The Verge
The latest iOS 26 update brings Apple's first major interface redesign since 2013, marking a significant evolution in how you interact with your device [1]. The centerpiece of this design revolution is Liquid Glass, a translucent material that fundamentally changes the look and feel of iOS while maintaining a strong focus on privacy.
What is the Liquid Glass interface?
Liquid Glass represents a complete visual overhaul of your iPhone experience, crafted to be both visually striking and functionally superior. This new design language creates an interface that behaves like actual glass—reflecting and refracting its surroundings while dynamically transforming to help bring greater focus to your content [2].
The interface uses real-time rendering to react to your movements, creating subtle reflective highlights that make the entire experience feel more responsive and alive [2]. As you tilt your iPhone, you'll notice delicate glints of light reflecting off app icons, the dock, folders, and search bar [1]. This creates an interface that feels less static and more responsive to your physical interaction.
Throughout the system, you'll see Liquid Glass in:
App icons that appear as layered glass with subtle depth
Lock Screen elements including customizable control buttons and clock
Widgets that adopt a frosted glass appearance
Dock and search interface that blend into your background
App folders with a soft, frosted look that changes tint based on wallpaper
Navigation elements in apps that seem to float above content [1]
Liquid Glass isn't merely decorative—it represents a thoughtful balance between form and function. The material intelligently adapts between light and dark environments, ensuring optimal visibility regardless of your surroundings [2]. Moreover, you can customize the level of transparency, even opting for completely clear app icons that allow your wallpaper to take center stage [3].
How does it enhance user control and visibility?
Liquid Glass goes beyond esthetics to improve your interaction with iOS 26 new features. The design creates distinct functional layers that clearly separate controls from content. This layered approach helps you instantly understand what elements are interactive versus informational, consequently improving navigation.
In practical terms, when you scroll through apps, tab bars intelligently shrink to bring focus to your content while keeping navigation instantly accessible [2]. The moment you scroll back up, these elements fluidly expand again. This responsive behavior ensures you always have maximum screen space for what matters most, while controls remain readily available when needed.
Navigation bars and menus appear to float above app content, creating a distinctive layered look that helps you instantly recognize interactive elements [1]. Notably, interface components fade more into the background, putting greater focus on your content without sacrificing usability.
For those concerned about readability, Apple has thoughtfully included accessibility options. You can adjust the Liquid Glass design by reducing transparency or increasing contrast to better suit your visual preferences [3]. These options maintain the design language while ensuring everyone can comfortably use the new interface.
Concerning privacy, the translucent nature of Liquid Glass has been carefully implemented to show hints of background content without compromising sensitive information. The system intelligently blurs and obscures personal data that might be visible through transparent elements, ensuring your privacy remains protected even with the new glass-like design.
The overall effect creates an interface that feels more natural and intuitive, aligning with Apple's vision of establishing greater harmony between hardware, software, and content [4]. While it may take some adjustment time, these ios 26 new features represent a thoughtful evolution in how you'll interact with your device going forward.
Apple upgrades call and message screening tools
iOS 26 introduces powerful call and message screening tools that provide you with unprecedented control over your communications. These new features simultaneously enhance privacy and reduce unwanted interruptions, placing you firmly in control of who can reach your device.
How Call Screen protects against spam
Call Screening in iOS 26 transforms how you handle incoming calls from unknown numbers. Your iPhone now silently answers calls in the background, asking callers to state their name and purpose [5]. This information appears as a real-time transcript on your screen, allowing you to decide whether to pick up, ignore, or respond with a text message without ever speaking [6].
From Settings > Phone, you can choose between three options: "Never" (traditional call handling), "Ask Reason for Calling" (the screening feature), or "Silence" (automatically sending unknown calls to voicemail) [7]. Thereafter, screened calls from unknown numbers appear in a dedicated area of your call list, keeping your main call history uncluttered [1].
For those concerned about scam calls, this screening tool acts as a critical first line of defense. Indeed, the Federal Trade Commission reported that in 2024, U.S. consumers lost $470 million to scams initiated through text messages [8].
Hold Assist and its privacy benefits
The frustration of waiting on hold is effectively eliminated with Hold Assist, another standout feature in iOS 26. When placed on hold during customer service calls, your iPhone detects hold music and offers to wait on your behalf [6]. Once you activate this feature, you can set your phone aside while the call continues in the background. When a live agent becomes available, your device immediately notifies you to return to the conversation [1].
Specifically designed with privacy in mind, Hold Assist processes everything on-device through Apple Intelligence [6]. There's no cloud processing involved, as the system listens for general audio cues like hold music or voice transitions. All analysis happens directly on your iPhone, ensuring your conversations remain private [6].
Message filtering and scam detection explained
Currently, iOS 26 brings sophisticated organization to your Messages app with several filtering options:
Messages from known contacts appear in your main conversation list
Unknown Senders are automatically filtered into a separate folder
Spam messages are identified and segregated
Recently Deleted messages are accessible when needed [8]
This email-like organization keeps unwanted messages away from your primary conversations. For unknown sender messages, you can choose to receive notifications for specific categories like time-sensitive updates, order notifications, and personal texts [9].
The spam protection mechanisms in iOS 26 go beyond simple filtering. Links within messages identified as spam are automatically disabled, including both URLs and phone numbers [10]. Furthermore, reply functionality is removed from these messages, preventing accidental responses to scammers [10]. If a legitimate message is incorrectly flagged as spam, you can easily move it back to your main conversation list [10].
These comprehensive screening tools represent a significant advancement in how your iPhone handles communications, ensuring greater control, privacy, and protection against unwanted interruptions.
Apple launches real-time Live Translation with on-device processing
Among the most impressive new features in iOS 26 is Live Translation, which eliminates language barriers in real-time across multiple communication channels. First of all, this capability enables seamless cross-language conversations through text messages, audio calls, video calls, and even face-to-face interactions.
How Live Translation works across apps
Live Translation operates throughout Apple's core communication apps, each with unique functionality. In Messages, the feature automatically translates your text as you type, delivering it in the recipient's preferred language [11]. Responses are instantly translated back into your language, making international conversations effortless. This works for both one-on-one and group messages [1].
For FaceTime calls, Live Translation displays live captions in your preferred language while preserving the original speaker's voice [12]. This allows you to maintain the emotional connection of hearing the other person while understanding everything they say.
On Phone calls, the technology takes communication a step further—translating audio in real-time and speaking it aloud [13]. As a result, you hear the other person in your preferred language alongside an on-screen transcription when using speaker mode [1]. Particularly useful is that this works with any phone—even landlines—as all translation happens on your device [14].
iOS 26 additionally supports translation through compatible AirPods. By pressing both AirPods stems simultaneously, saying "Siri, start Live Translation," or using the Action button on iPhone, you can hear real-time translations directly in your ear [13]. Active Noise Cancelation even lowers the volume of the original speaker to help you focus on the translation [13].
Currently, Live Translation supports these languages, depending on the specific function:
English (UK, US)
French (France)
German
Portuguese (Brazil)
Spanish (Spain)
Italian (coming soon)
Japanese (coming soon)
Korean (coming soon)
Chinese (simplified and traditional, coming soon) [13]
Privacy implications of on-device translation
In contrast to cloud-based translation services, Apple's approach prioritizes privacy through complete on-device processing [3]. This means your personal conversations never leave your iPhone, iPad, or Mac [12].
The entire translation process utilizes compact AI models built directly into your device [12]. These Apple-built models ensure no audio or content from your conversations is uploaded to external servers [3]. In essence, your private communications remain private—without sacrificing translation quality or speed [15].
For more complex requests, Apple extends this privacy protection through Private Cloud Compute, which maintains the security of your data even when additional processing power is needed [13]. In this case, your information is never stored or shared with Apple; it is used solely to fulfill your specific request [13].
Apple enhances Visual Intelligence with contextual privacy
Visual Intelligence receives a major upgrade in iOS 26, introducing powerful new screenshot-based capabilities that extend its functionality across your entire iPhone experience. Previously limited to camera-based interactions, this feature now works directly with on-screen content in any app [13].
New screenshot-based search and data extraction
Visual Intelligence now activates when you press the same buttons used for taking screenshots (Side button + Volume up) [16]. Once activated, the system offers several intelligent options based on what's displayed:
Search by highlighting: Draw over specific items in screenshots to search for similar products across Google and compatible apps like eBay, Etsy, and Poshmark [13]
Ask questions: Tap the Ask button to send questions about your screenshot directly to ChatGPT [17]
Smart data extraction: Automatically identify calendar events from flyers or invitations and add them with a single tap [13]
Text processing: Summarize, translate, or have text read aloud from any screen [16]
Contextual recognition: Automatically identify plants, animals, landmarks, and other objects without requiring internet access [4]
The system intelligently adapts to what you're viewing, offering relevant actions based on context. For instance, when you take a screenshot containing event details, the "Add to Calendar" option appears automatically [18].
How Apple ensures data stays on your device
At the core of Visual Intelligence is Apple's commitment to privacy through on-device processing. The foundation of this approach ensures your personal information remains protected while still delivering powerful AI capabilities [19].
Primarily, Visual Intelligence handles most operations directly on your device without sending data externally. Object identification for plants, animals, landmarks, and basic text analysis happens completely on-device [4]. Although this means your data remains private, you still benefit from sophisticated AI analysis.
For more complex requests beyond your device's capabilities, Apple employs Private Cloud Compute—a groundbreaking approach that extends device-level privacy into cloud processing [13]. Even then, only data relevant to your specific request is processed on Apple silicon servers, never stored, and immediately removed after fulfilling your request [19].
To verify these privacy promises, Apple has taken an unprecedented step: independent privacy and security researchers can inspect the code running on Apple's servers at any time [19].
Apple adds private location tracking and app-level controls
iOS 26 introduces enhanced privacy for your location data with new user-controlled features that keep sensitive information secure yet accessible.
Visited Places in Apple Maps and user consent
Primarily, the Visited Places feature in Apple Maps automatically detects and saves locations you visit, such as restaurants or shops, without requiring any action from you [20]. This convenient log helps you easily reference places you've been previously [2]. The feature stores your location history securely through end-to-end encryption, meaning even Apple cannot access this information [20].
Currently, Visited Places is scheduled for release in select countries initially—United States, Canada, United Kingdom, Australia, Switzerland, and Malaysia [21]. Importantly, you retain complete control over this data, with the ability to remove any stored location with a simple swipe [20].
New app permission prompts and transparency features
Meanwhile, iOS 26 enhances app permission controls, giving you greater transparency into how apps use your information. The system continues to request explicit permission the first time an app attempts to access data from Contacts, Photos, Calendar and other apps [22].
Subsequently, you can review and modify these permissions through Settings > Privacy & Security, where apps are organized by information category [22]. The App Privacy Report provides detailed insights into how apps use their granted permissions and displays their network activity [22].
Additionally, iOS 26 maintains strict app tracking controls, requiring all apps to request permission before tracking you across websites or apps owned by other companies [23]. You can manage these permissions individually or globally disable all tracking requests through Settings > Privacy & Security > Tracking [23].
Conclusion
iOS 26 stands as one of Apple's most significant updates, fundamentally transforming how you interact with your devices while prioritizing your privacy. The striking Liquid Glass design certainly delivers visual appeal, but also improves functionality through thoughtful layering that helps distinguish interactive elements from static content.
Your communication experience changes dramatically thanks to Call Screen and message filtering tools that shield you from unwanted interruptions. These features effectively reduce spam while giving you complete control over who reaches your device. Additionally, Hold Assist eliminates wasted time on customer service calls without compromising your conversation privacy.
Language barriers disappear with Live Translation, which works seamlessly across Messages, FaceTime, and phone calls. This capability processes everything directly on your device, therefore ensuring your private conversations remain private regardless of which language you speak.
Visual Intelligence expands beyond the camera to analyze on-screen content, thus creating powerful new ways to interact with information across your entire device. Screenshot-based search, data extraction, and contextual recognition happen primarily on your device, keeping your data secure.
Last but not least, location privacy improves through encrypted Visited Places in Maps and enhanced app permission controls that give you transparency into how your information is used. Throughout iOS 26, Apple demonstrates its commitment to balancing powerful AI capabilities with strong privacy protections. The result gives you a more intuitive, secure, and personalized iPhone experience that keeps your data under your control while still offering impressive new capabilities.
Key Takeaways
iOS 26 represents Apple's most privacy-focused update yet, combining stunning visual design with powerful security features that keep your data on-device while enhancing functionality.
• Liquid Glass design revolutionizes iOS interface with translucent materials that adapt to movement while maintaining clear separation between controls and content for better usability.
• Call Screen automatically filters spam calls by asking unknown callers to state their purpose, displaying real-time transcripts so you can decide whether to answer without speaking.
• Live Translation works across all communication apps with real-time translation in Messages, FaceTime, and phone calls—all processed entirely on your device for complete privacy.
• Visual Intelligence now analyzes screenshots enabling you to search, extract data, and ask questions about any on-screen content while keeping all processing local to your device.
• Enhanced location privacy gives you complete control with encrypted Visited Places in Maps and granular app permission settings that provide transparency into how your data is used.
These features demonstrate Apple's commitment to delivering advanced AI capabilities without compromising user privacy, ensuring your personal information stays secure while providing a more intuitive and powerful iPhone experience.
FAQs
Q1. What is the Liquid Glass design in iOS 26? Liquid Glass is a new interface design that creates a translucent, glass-like appearance across iOS. It adapts to movement, enhances content visibility, and improves the distinction between interactive and static elements while maintaining user privacy.
Q2. How does Call Screen work in the new iOS update? Call Screen automatically filters unknown calls by asking callers to state their purpose. It provides a real-time transcript, allowing you to decide whether to answer, ignore, or respond with a text message without speaking.
Q3. What languages does Live Translation support in iOS 26? Live Translation currently supports English (UK, US), French (France), German, Portuguese (Brazil), and Spanish (Spain). Italian, Japanese, Korean, and Chinese (simplified and traditional) are coming soon.
Q4. How does Visual Intelligence work with screenshots in iOS 26? Visual Intelligence now analyzes screenshots, allowing you to search for similar products, ask questions about the content, extract data, and perform text processing. Most of these operations are performed on-device to protect your privacy.
Q5. What new privacy features are included in iOS 26 for location tracking? iOS 26 introduces Visited Places in Apple Maps, which securely stores your location history with end-to-end encryption. It also enhances app permission controls, giving you greater transparency and control over how apps use your location and other personal information.