Last month Apple hosted it’s annual World Wide Developers Conference from Apple Park in Cupertino, California. As they always do the first day was for announcing the new versions of their upcoming operating systems. This year they gave us a big change, announcing a unified naming system and cohesive look across all the platforms. All versions will now go with a year based naming system beginning this year with version 26. This will bring in a new era for Apple which will unify all of it’s operating systems, not just in naming but also in visual style. The new Liquid Glass feature which is described by Apple as “With the optical qualities of glass and a sense of fluidity, Liquid Glass brings an expressive new design to your Lock Screen, Home Screen, Control Center, apps, and more.” is integrated into all the OS platforms further unifying the experience on all their devices. Let’s break down the new versions and some of the most exciting new features.
iOS 26
iOS 26 brings us the biggest design overhaul since the release of iOS 7 in 2013. Not only did Apple bring Liquid Glass to iOS, but they have given the app icons a fresh new look. Beyond the redesigned app icons you can now pick from original look, light or dark icons and a new stunning clear look to compliment the Liquid Glass design. iOS 26 also gives us a new lock screen. The time dynamically adjusts to your photo wallpaper and notifications, keeping the most important info easily visible. Beyond the new design overhaul Apple has introduced some great new features. There are too many to cover them all so I will touch on some of my favorites.
One of the biggest redesigns Apple gave us was the Photos app. Many people hated the new design introduced in iOS 18 and now with iOS 26 we have a much cleaner design similar to the old design with your photo library in one tab and your collections in another tab. Finally, the Photos app has returned to it’s simplistic roots.
Apple has integrated Apple Intelligence features into more apps giving us powerful tools to make daily tasks easier and save time. There are three great features that allow you to have fewer interruptions and deal with less spam. Call Screening silences unknown callers and requires them to provide their name and reason for their call. Once the caller provides this information your phone rings and you can see their name and reason for calling and decide if you want to answer. Another great feature that helps with spam is called Screen New Senders. This feature allows you to approve unknown numbers with new intelligent screening tools to detect spam and allow you to control who appears in your conversations in Messages and your recent calls in Phone and FaceTime. We also now have a feature that can detect when you are on hold called Hold Assist. This feature can detect when you are on hold and allows you to keep your spot in line without having to hold the phone or listen to hold music. Once a live agent picks up it notifies them you will be right with them and sends you a notification so you can answer the call.
Another great Apple Intelligence feature is Live Translation. With Live Translation your iPhone will automatically translate text in messages, display live translated captions in FaceTime and provide spoken translations for calls in Phone app. Live translation is also available in iPadOS 26 and macOS 26.
iPadOS 26
In iPadOS 26 we also have the new lock screen and liquid glass design elements. There are some new features that will make using an iPad even closer to the experience of a Mac.
A new redesigned windowing system allows you to move and resize windows similar to how you can in macOS. Not only can you resize and move windows, but they have also brought the window controls from macOS windows to the iPad. You can now close, minimize and enter full screen with the 3 buttons in the top left corner of a window. Another exciting feature that brings more of the Mac experience to iPadOS in a menu bar. You can quickly find the commands you need in an app from the new menu bar which is available by swiping down from the top of the screen.
There are some other great new features that will increase productivity while using your iPad. You can now put folders in the dock giving you quick access to things you need regularly. They have updated the Files app giving you the ability to customize folders with colors and a new list with resizable columns and collapsible folders. Also the Preview app is now available on iPad and it works with Apple Pencil. You can open, edit and markup PDFs and images quickly and easily.
macOS 26 Tahoe
Apple has brought the Liquid Glass and new icon design macOS as well. You can now customize the look and feel of your Mac like never before.
One of my favorite new features in macOS 26 is the updated Spotlight App. You can now do so much more than just search for files or web results. You can now do things like send a message from the Messages app, quickly run shortcuts and even access your most used apps. Apple has also finally brought the Phone app to the Mac. You can now make and take calls quickly with just a click. You can even access synced content like recents, contacts and voicemail. The new call screening feature is also available on the Phone app on your Mac.
Many of the apps on your Mac have a refreshed new streamlined look. From Camera and Photos to Safari and FaceTime. Giving many of the apps you use on a daily basis a fresh look and feel.
watchOS 26
watchOS 26 also brings the new updated design and Liquid Glass feature as well as Live Translation, Call Screening and Hold Assist. We also have some exciting new features such as Workout Buddy which works with Apple Intelligence from your phone to give you just the right amount of motivation based on your workout data and fitness history. With the Wrist Flick feature you can mute incoming calls, silence timers, dismiss notifications and more – just by rotating your wrist away from you.
tvOS 26 and visionOS 26
tvOS 26 and visionOS 26 also give us the new Liquid Glass look as well as a redesigned interface. In tvOS 26 we get a new redesigned Apple TV app. Giving you a more streamlined experience allow you to find and view content quickly and easily.
visionOS 26 allows you to place widgets and apps in your space and keep them there, as well as bring a whole new experience to the Safari browser.
Wrap up
All the new versions of these operating systems will be available for download sometime in September. If you would like to know if your devices are compatible, need help upgrading your device to one of these new systems or just want these features explained in a one-on-one setting contact Mike The Mac Guy for the best Apple Support in Sarasota County.
