Apple Showcases iOS 26, Its Biggest Software Update Since 2013

Consumer electronics giant Apple (AAPL) has released a beta version of its iOS 26 operating system, which is the most significant software update for the iPhone since 2013.

The beta version of the software allows the public with newer iPhones to preview how the device’s interface will change in the autumn when the software is formally released.

To try out iOS 26, iPhone users must enroll on Apple’s website, then they can navigate to the settings menu, select General, then Software Updates, and finally Beta Updates.

Apple says this newest version of its mobile operating system is one of the biggest changes to the iPhone’s user interface since 2013, when Apple’s iOS 7 introduced a new, flatter look.

This year’s redesign is called “Liquid Glass,” and it replaces many of the iPhone’s familiar buttons and menus with versions that are translucent and show animations while the user navigates their various apps.

The buttons are supposed to mimic the look of glass that flows like liquid. Apple relies on public feedback of its betas to change some of the interfaces before official release.

Apple has also updated its operating systems for iPads, Mac computers, and the Apple Watch to use the new Liquid Glass interface.

Besides the new look, Apple updated the phone app to combine recent calls and voicemails into one screen.

The company has also added more screening tools into the iPhone’s software to filter out spam calls and texts.

Noticeably missing from iOS 26 are the artificial intelligence (A.I.) updates to the Siri digital assistant that Apple promised in 2024. Those features are not expected to arrive until 2026.

Apple has added several new features that use A.I., including real-time translations inside iMessage and FaceTime, and the ability to visually search using a screenshot.

The company releases one major software update per year for its iPhone. They are announced in June at the company’s Worldwide Developers Conference and released in the fall.

Most people’s iPhones automatically update to the newest iOS once it is pushed out by Apple.

AAPL stock has declined 12% this year to trade at $213.76 U.S. per share.