Apple IOS 26

[OVERKILL]

I'm apparently late to the draw on this, my wife already had it installed when I got home!

I'm about to install it on my phone, so I'll give a bit of an update later when I've had a chance to mess around it it, but it's pretty wild how Apple skipped so far ahead with the versioning.

Here's an article on the changes:
https://9to5mac.com/2025/09/15/ios-26-now-available/

But cliff notes of two major changes:
- Totally different icons and "glassing" as well as "active" icons
- Enhanced spam filtration for voice and text

 

[BobsArmory]

I always try to wait until a major release has it's first update till I upgrade (IOS 26.1 should be out in a couple weeks). Just to let them have some time to get the major kinks ironed out. I'll be interested to see what you think of it.

 

[dogememe]

I’ve been on it since day one and it’s fine.

iOS was due for a visual refresh and it has been feeling stale for a few years. That said, I am not in love with the new look. A few places I’ve noticed it makes this hard to read with poor contrast.

 

[Hall]

but it's pretty wild how Apple skipped so far ahead with the versioning.

It's for the year 2026 plus it gave them the opportunity to change ALL of their OSes to the same version #.

 

[Hall]

I always try to wait until a major release has it's first update till I upgrade (IOS 26.1 should be out in a couple weeks). Just to let them have some time to get the major kinks ironed out. I'll be interested to see what you think of it.

I've been running the developer beta for months, then moved to the public beta for the past month. No issues here.

 

[OVERKILL]

It's for the year 2026 plus it gave them the opportunity to change ALL of their OSes to the same version #.

Ahhh, so they've gone Auto OEM on it and named it after the model year that we aren't yet into, lol.

 

[Propflux01]

My only update available was 18.7. I have an Iphone 16 pro. Where is the 26 coming from?

 

[OVERKILL]

My only update available was 18.7. I have an Iphone 16 pro. Where is the 26 coming from?

When you go into "Check for Updates" it'll be on the very bottom, way below the 18.7 update.

 

[Patman]

My only update available was 18.7. I have an Iphone 16 pro. Where is the 26 coming from?

I have a 16 and this is what I see under software update:

 

[JWC86]

I’ve been on it since day one and it’s fine.

iOS was due for a visual refresh and it has been feeling stale for a few years. That said, I am not in love with the new look. A few places I’ve noticed it makes this hard to read with poor contrast.

Same here, been using it since day one and I like it.

First thing I did was change the “ transparency” settings thou to not have the contrast issue you describe.

Settings
Accessibility
Reduce Transparency

It takes away from the “Liquid Glass” theme a bit but makes it much more practical

I’ve yet to find any changes with iOS 26 I don’t like. Small things like search bar in the bottom, better camera UI, etc.

Edit to add: only thing I don’t like is some of the transition when opening/closing apps, opening messages, emails, etc are over animated.

 

[Wireman1987]

I have a 16 and this is what I see under software update:View attachment 301576

going to check it out

 

[Owen Lucas]

The best part of the update is you can enable call screening!

Essentially, callers not in your contact list will have to introduce themselves and the phone will transcribe the call into text you can read and hangup / answer.

In action:



How to:

 

[dogememe]

Same here, been using it since day one and I like it.

First thing I did was change the “ transparency” settings thou to not have the contrast issue you describe.

Settings
Accessibility
Reduce Transparency

It takes away from the “Liquid Glass” theme a bit but makes it much more practical

I’ve yet to find any changes with iOS 26 I don’t like. Small things like search bar in the bottom, better camera UI, etc.

Edit to add: only thing I don’t like is some of the transition when opening/closing apps, opening messages, emails, etc are over animated.

You’re amazing, thanks. To address your concern, go to accessibility > motion > reduce motion to make the animations less.

 

[Tomioka]

Had it as a beta on an iPhone 11 Pro Max and fresh install on an iPhone SE3. Here's what I think of it:
(not a youtube link, but an unfortunate play button placement over the thumbnail)

Yet to install it on my iPhone 16 PM, I usually wait until xx.1 where they work out any bugs. iOS 26 will be dubbed liquid ass in my book.

 

[JWC86]

You’re amazing, thanks. To address your concern, go to accessibility > motion > reduce motion to make the animations less.

Thanks. I tried that but unlike in previous IOS this doesn’t only turn off the animations, it makes the transitions slow which I find more annoying than the animations so I just left it off. With the old IOS’s there was a way to make it instant when you clicked on something.

 

[dogememe]

Thanks. I tried that but unlike in previous IOS this doesn’t only turn off the animations, it makes the transitions slow which I find more annoying than the animations so I just left it off. With the old IOS’s there was a way to make it instant when you clicked on something.

Yeah, I get what you mean.

 

[Propflux01]

I have a 16 and this is what I see under software update:View attachment 301576

I see it now. Did my ipad to see what it was going to look like.

 

[Wireman1987]

got it going on my 16. liking it much

 

[Marlin39a]

I have a 16 plus. Upgraded day one. I like the new call screening feature, and have not had a spam caller get through yet. Battery life is fine. Also on my IPad.

 

[Gyro Gearloose]

Apple … Because nothing says simplicity more than hiding the controls.