It's new iPhone season, which also means it's new iOS season.
With Apple launching the iPhone 17 lineup, that also heralds the arrival of iOS 26. Originally unveiled back at WWDC over the summer, iOS 26 brings a total UI overhaul, the likes of which iOS hasn't seen in years. With the advent of new iPhones, you'll also be able to install iOS 26 when it launches, as long as you have a compatible device. Here's what you need to know.
iOS 26 release date
Apple always times the launch of a new iOS build with the launch of new iPhones, and this year should be no different. Expect to be able to install iOS 26 on Sept. 15, with the new phones coming out a few days after that. When it's available, you should be able to install it the same way you install any software update on your iPhone, in the "General" part of the Settings app.
What's new in iOS 26?
For the past few years, new iOS releases have been a little ho-hum, but iOS 26 promises to be much more substantial thanks to the big makeover it's giving every part of your iPhone's user interface.
I'm referring to Liquid Glass, the new design language Apple introduced with iOS 26. It makes app icons and other UI elements look like glass, but they also animate like liquid. Go figure. There are also much-needed updates to the Photos and Phone apps, with the former getting an especially necessary overhaul to make it easier to sort between your full photo library and any folders you've created.
Other new toys include an expanded feature set for group chats in Messages. You can now set custom backgrounds for group chats and even conduct polls, a feature that will almost certainly be abused to heinous ends as soon as it launches. There's also a new Games app for all your mobile gaming needs, including a place to compare scores to friends and a dedicated tab for Apple Arcade games.
Apple Intelligence
Apple Intelligence is getting in on the fun, too. Both Messages and phone calls will support live language translation using AI, which is definitely the flagship AI feature on iOS 26. That will certainly be useful to plenty of people in lots of different situations.
Natural language searching is also coming to the Messages app, so you can hopefully find old chats and photos more easily than before. AI-generated summaries for voicemails are built into iOS 26, as well. Users can also expect to use ChatGPT to generate images in Image Playground, as well as a new feature that lets you mix multiple emojis together into one custom Genmoji.
Which devices will support iOS 26?
Of course, not every iPhone on the planet will support iOS 26. Here's the full list of compatible devices:
iPhone SE (second generation and beyond only)
iPhone 11, Pro, and Pro Max
iPhone 12, Mini, Pro, and Pro Max
iPhone 13, Mini, Pro, and Pro Max
iPhone 14, Plus, Pro, and Pro Max
iPhone 15, Plus, Pro, and Pro Max
iPhone 16, Plus, Pro, and Pro Max
iPhone 16e
If you don't have one of those, you're out of luck. Sorry.
