Monday, September 15: Apple has seeded the newest version of its ‘OS 26’ operating system for iPhone, iPad, Mac, Apple Watch, Apple TV, HomePod, and Vision Pro. You can update your devices right away to experience the unique Liquid Glass interface and all the other newest features.
After four months of beta testing and bug fixes, Apple has finally released the following:
- iOS 26
- iPadOS 26
- macOS Tahoe 26
- watchOS 26
- tvOS 26
- HomePod Software Version 26 (based on tvOS 26)
New naming scheme
Much like cars (such as the Tesla Model Y 2026, which was released in 2025), Apple has switched to a year-based naming scheme for all its major operating systems. For instance, software released from September 2025 to September 2026 will have “26” in its name. And so on…
As a result, you’ll be making a massive number change from the current OS version on your Apple devices to the latest OS 26. Your iPhone will update from iOS 18 to iOS 26. The biggest jump is for visionOS, where Apple Vision Pro users will move from visionOS 2 to visionOS 26!
Liquid Glass design language
All major Apple operating systems this year, including tvOS, watchOS, and visionOS, receive a brand new Liquid Glass interface. Although this new design language was severely flawed in its early beta versions and had major visibility issues, Apple had four months to modify things, and now it’s nearly perfect. In my opinion, it has gotten so good that going back from iOS 26 on my iPhone to iOS 18 on my wife’s iPhone feels a bit like returning from iOS 7 to iOS 6.
Other new features
Here are some of the highlights of the new OS 26:
- Clear app icons (not on Apple Watch)
- New updated app icons based on the Liquid Glass design
- Change clock size on iPhone or iPad Lock Screen
- Set 3D spatial photo as the Lock Screen background on iPhone or iPad
- Redesigned Phone app on iOS
- New Phone app for iPad and Mac
- Message chat backgrounds
- Polls in Messages
- Unknown call and message screening
- Hold Assist for phone calls
- Adaptive Power Mode on iPhone
- Live Translation in Messages, FaceTime, and Phone apps
- Live Translation with AirPods
- AutoMix in Apple Music
- Lyrics translation and pronunciation in Apple Music
- Widgets and other improvements to CarPlay
- New Games app
- New Preview app on iOS and iPadOS
- Improved visual intelligence
- Use AirPods as a camera remote for iPhone
- Custom alarm snooze duration
- Personalized Control Center on Mac
- New Spotlight Search on Mac
- Intelligent actions in the Shortcuts app
- Live Activities on Mac
- Journal app comes to iPad and Mac
- Notes app on Apple Watch
- Flick Wrist gesture on Apple Watch
- Sleep Score
- Suggested smart actions in Messages based on the context of a text
- Workout Buddy
- Smart Stack hints
- Automatic volume adjustment
- and more…
Supported devices
iOS 26:
- iPhone 11
- iPhone SE 2nd generation
- All later models
iPadOS 26:
- iPad Pro (M4)
- iPad Pro 12.9‑inch (3rd generation and later)
- iPad Pro 11‑inch (1st generation and later)
- iPad Air (M3)
- iPad Air (M2)
- iPad Air (3rd generation and later)
- iPad (A16)
- iPad (8th generation and later)
- iPad mini (A17 Pro)
- iPad mini (5th generation and later)
macOS 26:
- MacBook Air with Apple silicon (2020 and later)
- MacBook Pro with Apple silicon (2020 and later)
- MacBook Pro (16‑inch, 2019)
- MacBook Pro (13‑inch, 2020, Four Thunderbolt 3 ports)
- iMac (2020 and later)
- Mac mini (2020 and later)
- Mac Studio (2022 and later)
- Mac Pro (2019 and later)
watchOS 26:
- Apple Watch SE 2 and later
- Apple Watch Series 6 and later
- Apple Watch Ultra (all models)
tvOS 26:
- Apple TV 4K (2nd generation and later)
HomePod software version 26:
- HomePod (the original one) (rumored)
- HomePod mini
- HomePod 2
How to update to OS 26
- iOS 26, iPadOS 26, and macOS 26: Go to device settings > General > Software Update.
- watchOS 26: Update it using the Watch app on iPhone. You can also update directly from the Settings app on Apple Watch, but you may have to accept the terms and conditions on your iPhone first.
- tvOS 26: Go to Settings > System > Software Update > Update Software.
- HomePod OS 26: Update it using the Home app on your iPhone, iPad, or Mac.
Note: You may also get new carrier updates after installing iOS 26. Make sure you do this so 5G, 4G, and cellular services work properly.
Source link: https://www.idownloadblog.com/2025/09/15/apple-releases-os-26/
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