iOS 26: 26 New Features for Apple’s New iPhone Software Update | WSJ

Key Concepts:

iOS 26, Liquid Glass interface, Accessibility settings, Call screening, Hold Assist, Live call translation, Message filtering, Message backgrounds, Message polls, Snooze duration, Visual Intelligence, Camera app redesign, Adaptive Power, Text selection, AirPods camera control, Visited Places, Lens Cleaning Hints, Spatial Scene, Charging time display, Emoji combination, Photo filtering, Voice Memo ringtones, Full-Screen Previews, CarPlay screenshots, Preview app, Head Tracking.

1. Liquid Glass Interface Customization

• Main Point: iOS 26 introduces a "Liquid Glass" interface with translucent menus and toolbars.
• Customization Options:
  • Reduce Transparency: Located in Settings > Accessibility > Display & Text, this option removes the translucent effect almost entirely.
  • Increased Contrast: Lessens the effect of Liquid Glass.
  • Home Screen Glassification: Hold down on the home screen, select Edit, then Customize, then Clear or Tinted to match icon colors to the background.
• Example: The video demonstrates how enabling "Reduce Transparency" significantly alters the visual appearance of menus and toolbars.

2. Phone App and Call Management

• Phone App Reversion: The new phone app design can be reverted to the classic view by selecting the three lines at the top right of the Calls view, then selecting Classic.
• Call Screening:
  • Functionality: Screens calls from unknown numbers by asking the caller to state their name and reason for calling.
  • Process: The assistant transcribes the caller's message and sends it to the user, who can then decide whether to answer.
  • Example: The video demonstrates the call screening feature with a spam call about a car warranty.
• Hold Assist:
  • Functionality: Allows users to put a call on hold and be notified when an advisor is available.
  • Process: Accessed via the "More" menu during a call. The call runs in the background and mutes the audio.
  • Example: The video demonstrates using Hold Assist while waiting for Apple customer support.
• Live Call Translation:
  • Functionality: Translates calls in real-time.
  • Languages: Limited to English, Spanish, Portuguese, German, and French.
  • Requirement: Requires Apple Intelligence, available on iPhone 15 Pro or newer.

3. Messages App Enhancements

• Message Filtering:
  • Filters: Messages, Unknown Senders, and Spam.
  • Unknown Senders: Filters texts from numbers not in your contacts (e.g., two-factor codes). Enabled via the three lines in the top right corner > Manage Filtering > Screen Unknown Senders.
• Message Backgrounds:
  • Customization: Change the background of a conversation by tapping the contact image at the top, then Backgrounds.
  • Limitation: Changes affect all participants in the chat.
• Message Polls:
  • Creation: Add a poll to a message chain by tapping the plus icon, then Polls.
• Typing Indicators: The Messages app now shows typing indicators in group texts.

4. Other iOS 26 Features

• Snooze Duration:
  • Customization: Adjust snooze time in the Clock app by tapping an alarm, then Snooze Duration.
  • Limitation: Maximum snooze time is 15 minutes.
• Visual Intelligence:
  • Functionality: Allows users to search for items displayed in screenshots.
  • Process: Take a screenshot, tap Search, and circle the item on the screen.
  • Requirement: Requires Apple Intelligence, available on newer iPhones.
• Camera App Redesign:
  • Changes: Stripped-down interface with camera and video buttons at the bottom.
  • Accessing Modes: Swipe across or press and hold to see all modes. Swipe up from the bottom for more settings.
• Adaptive Power:
  • Functionality: Learns battery usage patterns and adjusts settings to extend battery life.
  • Location: Settings > Battery > Power Mode > Adaptive Power.
• Text Selection: In Messages, tap the Select button to highlight and copy specific words instead of the entire text.
• AirPods Camera Control:
  • Functionality: Use AirPods as a camera remote.
  • Enablement: AirPods menu in Settings > Camera Control. Press the stem to take a photo.
• Visited Places: Apple Maps keeps track of visited locations.
• Lens Cleaning Hints: Alerts users when the camera lens needs cleaning (Settings > Camera > Lens Cleaning Hints).
• Spatial Scene: Add movement to photos on the lock screen.
• Charging Time Display: Shows how long until the phone is fully charged on the lock screen and in Settings > Battery.
• Emoji Combination: Combine two emojis using GenMoji on the keyboard.
• Photo Filtering: Easier way to filter photos by type (e.g., screenshots) in the Photos app.
• Voice Memo Ringtones: Set a Voice Memo recording as a ringtone (Share > Use as Ringtone).
• Full-Screen Previews: Disable full-screen screenshot previews in Settings > General > Screen Capture.
• CarPlay Screenshots: Turn on or off CarPlay screenshots in Settings > General > Screen Capture.
• Preview App: Easier to scan documents and deal with PDFs.
• Head Tracking: Control the phone with face and head movements (Settings > Accessibility > Head Tracking).

5. Notable Quotes

• "[Assistant] Hi, if you record your name and reason for calling, I'll see if this person is available." - iOS 26 Call Screening Assistant
• "[Hugh] Hugh Jass, and I want to talk about your car warranty." - Example of a screened call.
• "[Advisor] Well, if you record the call, I cannot continue, Joanna." - Apple Advisor, highlighting potential issues with call recording.

6. Synthesis/Conclusion

iOS 26 introduces a range of features, from visual interface changes like Liquid Glass to functional improvements in call and message management. While some features like the Camera app redesign may be controversial, others like call screening, Hold Assist, and Adaptive Power offer practical benefits. The integration of Apple Intelligence unlocks advanced capabilities such as live translation and visual search, but these are limited to newer iPhone models. The update provides extensive customization options, allowing users to tailor their experience to their preferences.