The Best iOS 26 Features: What’s New and Actually Useful

iOS 26 is Apple giving your iPhone a glow-up and a brain upgrade at the same time. You’ll notice bigger gains in personalization, AI-assisted help, privacy, and productivity, with a new look built around Liquid Glass across icons, widgets, and system controls.

The goal is simple: fewer taps, less busywork, and more your phone just gets you. Apple’s leaning into smarter actions and upgrades across the apps people use every day, plus more customization on the Lock Screen and Home Screen.

Privacy gets a practical boost, too. iOS 26 supports options to lock or hide apps, which is very mind-your-business in the best way, especially on shared phones or while traveling.

We’re breaking down the best iOS 26 features, what they do, why you’ll care, and who they’re best for, so you can skip the fluff and go straight to the upgrades you’ll actually use.

What’s New in iOS 26?

Apple packed iOS 26 with a long list of changes, but we’re not doing the full scavenger hunt. This guide sticks to the updates you’ll actually notice on day one, the ones that save time, add privacy, and make your iPhone feel more “yours.”

The big themes are:

• Personalization: more ways to customize how your iPhone looks and how you get around.
• Intelligence and productivity: Apple Intelligence shows up in more places, plus new shortcuts and actions that help you move faster.
• Accessibility and performance: practical improvements aimed at making your iPhone easier to use and smoother day-to-day.

iOS 26 runs on a wide range of iPhones, but the biggest AI perks hit hardest on newer models. Apple lists Apple Intelligence support on iPhone 15 Pro models and iPhone 16 models or later, so the latest hardware gets the full “wow” package.

Breaking Down iOS 26’s Top Features

iOS 26 has a lot going on, but these are the changes you’ll actually feel in daily use.

Advanced Control Center Redesign

Control Center finally grew up and got hobbies. In iOS 26, you can move controls, resize them, and build custom sections so the stuff you use all the time is exactly where your thumb goes first.

Want a dedicated “travel page” with hotspot, Low Power Mode, and Airplane Mode sitting together like besties on a group trip? You can do that by creating a new section and adding controls from the gallery.

App Locking + Hidden Apps Folder

You can lock individual apps so they require Face ID, Touch ID, or your passcode to open. That includes anything you want private; even when your phone ends up in someone else’s hands, like your kid “accidentally” ordering 31 cheeseburgers via delivery service when they’re supposed to be playing an educational game.

You can also hide apps so they move into the Hidden folder in App Library, which also requires authentication to access. It’s basically a velvet rope for your most private apps, and the bouncer is your face.

Smarter Siri with On-Device Intelligence

Siri got a proper glow-up in iOS 26. With Apple Intelligence, Siri has a new look, feels more natural, and stays on screen so you can keep scrolling, tapping, and pretending you aren’t multitasking while asking it to do things for you.

Quick reality check: Apple has said some of the bigger “more personalized Siri” upgrades are delayed, with reporting pointing to a 2026 timeline for those advanced improvements. 

So yes, Siri is better now, and the flashiest “reads your life and helps like a loyal assistant” stuff is still on its way.

AI-Powered Suggested Actions

This is the part of iOS 26 that saves you time in tiny, oddly satisfying ways, like finding five bucks in an old jacket, but every day.

Apple Intelligence adds smarter help inside apps you already live in, like Reminders, Photos, Safari, and Shortcuts. 

That can look like suggested reminders, auto-organized reminder lists, natural-language search in Photos, and more intelligent actions inside Shortcuts, so you spend less time building routines from scratch and more time… doing literally anything else.

On the privacy side, Apple’s approach leans heavily on on-device processing, and it uses Private Cloud Compute when a request needs extra muscle. Translation: more of your info stays on your phone, and when it can’t, Apple is pitching a locked-down process instead of trust us, it’s fine vibes.

Customizable Lock Screen Widgets & New Themes

iOS 26 keeps Apple in its customization era, aka Apple finally admitting you might have a personality. You can change up your Home Screen with new icon styling, tinting, and even a clear icon look that makes your phone feel fresh without buying a new one.

Lock Screen widgets are still a big part of the experience, too. Apple’s support docs show you can add and adjust widgets right from the Lock Screen customization screen, so you can build a setup that fits your day, like calendar + weather + battery, all visible at a glance.

Fun ways people actually use this: A travel Lock Screen with weather, calendar, and battery widgets. 

Or a cleaner Home Screen that makes your iPhone feel new again (without buying a new iPhone).

Messages Upgrades (New Effects, Scheduling, & More)

Messages got the kind of upgrades that sound minor at first, then immediately ruin every other texting experience for you.

First up: Send Later. You can schedule an iMessage up to 14 days ahead, and the best part is your friend won’t see that it was scheduled. So yes, you can look effortlessly on top of your life, even if you’re currently eating cereal for dinner. Cereal has protein, right? 

You also get more ways to dress up your texts without turning the chat into a glitter explosion. iOS 26 adds text formatting and animated effects, and Messages can even suggest effects while you type, which is basically your phone agreeing that your jokes should come with a confetti cannon.

New Health & Wellness Features

Apple keeps nudging Health and Fitness into “actually useful” territory, which is a polite way of saying your iPhone is getting better at helping you do the things you swear you’ll start on Monday.

With iOS 26, Apple points to additions like workout logging in the Fitness app, plus the usual round of improvements and fixes that make tracking feel smoother over time.

This pairs especially well with Apple Watch, since syncing keeps your activity and health data connected across devices. If you’re already in the Apple ecosystem, this is where the payoff hits, like your phone and watch finally agreeing on what “a real walk” counts as.

Safari Overhauled With Highlights + Better Tab Intelligence

Safari gets smarter in a “do less reading, still know what’s going on” way. With Apple Intelligence, you can generate a summary of a webpage in Safari using Reader view. 

Safari also supports Tab Groups so you can organize tabs into buckets that make sense for your brain, like Travel, Shopping, School, or “I swear I’ll read these later.”

Photos App Revamped With Better Search + Smart Collections

Photos finally stopped acting like a junk drawer with a camera roll attached.

With iOS 26, Photos gets way better at finding what you want fast. Apple Intelligence adds natural-language search, so you can type something normal like “beach pics with the red umbrella” instead of scrolling like it’s your cardio for the day. 

It also includes Clean Up, which lets you remove distracting objects, like a random photobomber, a trash can, or your friend’s finger that somehow made it into twelve consecutive shots.

iOS 26 also improves how Photos organizes your library with smarter collections and easier discovery, so your best moments don’t get buried under 47 screenshots of parking signs and a single blurry picture of a menu you never revisited.

Enhanced Passwords App Experience

Passwords keeps leveling up into a real home base for logins and passkeys, so you can stop playing “which email did I use for this” every time you sign in. 

Apple’s iPhone guide also includes ways to share passwords and passkeys securely with AirDrop, plus manage your credentials across devices with iCloud Keychain.

Translation: fewer “text me the password” moments that turn into a 14-message saga, and fewer reset emails multiplying in your inbox like they’ve started a family.

Accessibility Upgrades

Apple continues to add accessibility features that help more people use iPhone comfortably, including tools focused on motion, speech, and other everyday needs.

One example: Vehicle Motion Cues is designed to reduce motion discomfort while you’re in a moving car, and it’s configurable in Accessibility settings.

Performance, Battery Life, and Security Enhancements

Apple’s iOS 26 updates include bug fixes and security updates across releases, and these under-the-hood changes are often the difference between “my phone feels snappy” and “why is everything sticky today.”  We can help you with sticky phone software - sticky keys, wallet, or remote is all on you. 

iOS also includes built-in security tools like Background Security Improvements and Stolen Device Protection in its broader security feature set, which matters a lot for anyone keeping sensitive accounts on their iPhone.

Should You Upgrade to iOS 26?

For most people, upgrading to iOS 26 is a solid move. You get the big quality-of-life stuff like more customization, better privacy controls, and a generally smoother daily experience. 

The real question is what iPhone you’re on, and which features you actually want. Apple’s compatibility list for iOS 26 starts at iPhone 11 and newer, plus iPhone SE (2nd gen and later). 

Also worth knowing: some headline features vary by model, region, language, and carrier. Apple calls that out directly in its iOS 26 guides.

Want The Biggest iOS 26 Wins?

The newest iPhones get the full “max settings” experience, especially for Apple Intelligence. Apple says Apple Intelligence needs iPhone 15 Pro models, and iPhone 16 models or later. That means an older compatible iPhone can still run iOS 26, but the fanciest AI tools may not show up.

If you’re on an older supported model, iOS 26 can still be a good upgrade, but it’s normal to be cautious.

Consider updating when you have time to troubleshoot, not five minutes before you need to leave the house. You need that time to find your keys.

Upgrade Makes A Lot Of Sense For These People

• Travelers: app locking and hidden apps can be clutch when you’re moving around and handing your phone to strangers for photos.
• Heavy app users: iOS 26’s productivity upgrades and system improvements add up when you’re on your phone all day (content creators lock in). 
• People switching carriers or plans: iOS upgrades are a great time to double-check your setup, SIM or eSIM, and coverage where you actually use your phone. 

Goji’s plan comparison tools and coverage map can help you match your iPhone to a plan that fits your real life.

Before you hit update, confirm your iPhone model is on Apple’s iOS 26 list. If you’re upgrading mainly for AI features, confirm your iPhone supports Apple Intelligence.

iOS 26 Compatible Devices

Good news: you don’t need a brand-new iPhone to run iOS 26. Apple says iOS 26 is compatible with iPhone 11 and newer, plus iPhone SE (2nd generation and later). Here’s the full supported list, straight from Apple:

Apple notes that features can vary by iPhone model, region, language, and carrier, so two people can both be on iOS 26 and still have slightly different feature sets. 

If you’re rocking an older model like an iPhone 11 or iPhone 12, it might be time to peek at Goji’s iPhone comparison pages to see what a newer model gets you, especially if you want the flashiest iOS 26 features.

Tips to Get the Most Out of iOS 26

iOS 26 is packed with upgrades. A few smart tweaks turn them into real-life wins, not just new buttons you forget exist.

Back up before you upgrade: It’s the least exciting tip on the list, and also the one that saves you from the most pain. Use iCloud or a computer backup, then install iOS 26 on Wi-Fi while your phone is plugged in.

Next, spend two minutes setting up the Control Center as if you actually live on your phone. Create a travel-ready setup with Hotspot, Airplane Mode, and Low Power Mode, and resize or rearrange controls so your top toggles are one swipe away. Your thumb will stop filing formal complaints.

For repeat routines, lean into automation. Use Shortcuts for simple things like turning on a Focus mode at certain times, launching your commute tools, or winding down at night. iOS 26’s smarter suggestions in places like Shortcuts and Reminders can cut down on the manual tapping, especially for habits you do on autopilot.

Your Lock Screen should pull its weight, too. Add widgets you check every day, like calendar, weather, battery, and reminders, then build a travel setup so your essentials are always one glance away. Apple’s widget flow makes it easy to tweak right from Lock Screen customization.

Use the privacy features made for real life. Lock sensitive apps with Face ID or Touch ID, and hide apps in the Hidden folder in the App Library when you’re sharing your phone, traveling, or living with curious humans and tiny chaos agents.

After you install iOS 26, check battery settings for a day or two. It’s normal for battery life to look a little off right after a big update while background tasks finish. If one app is draining fast, trim its background activity, and use Low Power Mode when you need extra time.

Frequently Asked Questions About iOS 26

What devices support iOS 26?

Apple says iOS 26 works on iPhone 11 and newer, plus iPhone SE 2nd gen and later

Should I upgrade immediately or wait?

If you love living on the edge, the earliest release is your time to shine. Most people are happier updating after a couple of follow-up updates land.

As of iOS 26.2, coverage points to better stability and performance than the early days, plus Apple is actively shipping fixes and improvements. 

Before you update, back up your iPhone. Apple walks through iCloud backup steps, and it takes a lot less time than rebuilding your life from scratch. 

After you update, give battery life a little time to calm down. Apple says some work continues in the background after an update, which can temporarily affect battery life and heat.

Does iOS 26 slow down older iPhones?

It depends on your iPhone, your battery health, and what your phone is doing right after the update. Right after installing, it’s normal to see a temporary dip while background tasks finish. Apple specifically calls this out and recommends waiting a few days, then checking again. 

Longer-term, iOS 26 has also received stability improvements over time through updates like 26.1 and 26.2, which is why some reviewers now recommend upgrading if you’ve been holding out.

Is iOS 26 safe to install?

In general, yes. iOS updates include bug fixes and security updates, and Apple publishes detailed security notes for each release.

How do I use the new Control Center features?

Apple’s setup is pretty simple, open Control Center, tap to edit, then:

• Rearrange controls by dragging them
• Resize controls using the handle
• Create a new section and add controls you want in that group 

Pro move: make a travel section with Hotspot, Airplane Mode, and Low Power Mode, so you can toggle what you need without digging through Settings.

Are the AI features available in all regions?

Not always. Apple says some iOS and iPadOS 26 features are not available in every region or language, and it provides a feature availability checker.

Do I need to upgrade my iPhone to enjoy all iOS 26 features?

Maybe. You can get iOS 26 on a lot of iPhones, but the biggest AI features are hardware-dependent. Apple Intelligence support starts with iPhone 15 Pro and newer models.