11 clever things your iPhone will soon be able to do with the next iOS update
In 2025, those updates arrive in the form of a software update called iOS 26. It adds news tools to existing Apple gadgets and brings the biggest change to the way you use your iPhone since iOS 7 launched in 2013.
I've been testing the early developer version of iOS 26, which I predict will be available to download in mid-September, following the next iPhone launch.
Here are 11 clever things your iPhone will be able to do when the update rolls out. Some features even support smartphones as old as the iPhone 11.
1. Screen calls from unknown numbers
With iOS 26, the phone app gets a full redesign. Favourite contacts now appear at the top, with recent calls and voicemails below on the same tab. But the bigger news is two new features.
The first is call screening, which checks calls from unknown numbers for spam. When someone calls, they will be asked to say their name and the reason for calling. You will then receive the transcript of the conversation and can choose to answer or respond with an automated reply.
The second is hold assist. It keeps your place in the queue when you are placed on hold. You can then go about your day and your iPhone will alert you when it's your turn, without having to endure the dreaded hold music.
2. See how long it will take for a full battery charge
Most Android smartphones, including the Pixel 9 and Samsung Galaxy S25 Ultra, will let you know how long you have left to wait until their batteries are fully charged. Now your iPhone will too. You will see time estimates for reaching 80 per cent and a full charge.
3. Start a poll in messages
Apple's Messages app will soon receive a couple of new features, including the option to add customised backgrounds to individual chats. This works much like what's already possible on WhatsApp. Messages from unknown senders will also be filtered out of the main chat list.
You will also be able to create polls. I've found this useful for requesting dietary requirements for a dinner party or choosing the best available weekend for a short break. You can see who has voted, and if you press and hold on the poll, you will get more details, including a running tally for each option.
Anyone in the chat can add a new option to the poll. In some instances, Apple Intelligence might even suggest starting a poll based on the conversation.
4. Adjust your alarm snooze duration
If you use your iPhone as an alarm, the new iOS 26 software will allow you to adjust the snooze duration anywhere between one minute and 15 minutes. On the current version (iOS 18), the snooze duration is set as a default of nine minutes and this can't be changed. This small update gives you a bit more control over how your day starts.
5. Use AirPods to start a video recording or take a photo
Apple's AirPods headphones already support features like conversation awareness mode, which lowers volume when it hears your voice. With iOS 26, the AirPods Pro 2 and AirPods 4 (with and without ANC) will also let you remotely start and stop a video recording on your iPhone, or take a photo.
A new camera control will appear in AirPods settings. You can choose to press and hold the stem or press once on the earbuds to use the AirPods as a camera. Just open the camera app and snap away.
6. Edit PDF documents
MacBooks have long offered a photo-viewing app called Preview, which also allows you to view, edit and sign PDF documents. With iOS 26, it will now be available on iPhone, enabling you to tinker with PDFs directly from your iPhone without the need for a third-party application.
You'll be able to highlight text, add notes, search within a document, or insert a saved signature. The app also lets you scan documents such as a passport directly from your iPhone.
7. Search for anything on your iPhone's screen
All of the latest iPhones that support Apple Intelligence (iPhone 16e, iPhone 16, iPhone 16 Pro and iPhone 15 Pro) have a feature called visual intelligence. It helps you learn more about objects and places by identifying what's in your photos. For example, you could take a picture of a building in London and it would tell you what you're looking at.
Visual intelligence is expanding with iOS 26. You will soon be able to search for something on your iPhone's screen by taking a screenshot (pressing the power button and volume up button simultaneously) and then highlighting the part of the screenshot you want to search for more information. This works similarly to the Circle to Search feature on Android phones.
If the screenshot includes a date and time, a prompt will appear asking if you want to add it to your calendar. This is something Galaxy AI can do on the latest Samsung phones, so it's great to see Apple is finally catching up.
8. Live translation in calls and messages
Apple has added live translations in both calls and messages with iOS 26. In the Messages app, you can turn on 'automatically translate' in a contact's information section. Translations are supported in English, German, Spanish (Spain), French, Italian, Japanese, Korean, Portuguese (Brazil) and Chinese.
When it is switched on, message you send will automatically be translated into the selected language. Replies will be translated back into yours.
For calls, if you tap on the 'more' icon when on a call in the phone app, there will be a 'live translation' option, where you can select between two languages. As you or the person you're talking to speaks, everything will be translated out loud into the requested language and a transcription will appear on each screen.
9. A more dynamic lock screen
Apple tweaked the customisation options for the iPhone's home screen and lock screen with last year's iOS 18, but iOS 26 will offer a more dynamic redesign.
The clock at the top of the photo shuffle wallpaper, which is the setting that cycles through photos of your choice, will now move around in line with the picture being displayed. You can also change the font and colour of the clock, along with the thickness of the typography. These are minor changes in the grand scheme of things, but more personalisation is always welcome.
There's also a spatial scene option you can choose when customising your lock screen. This adds depth to any 2D photo, making it look like a 3D image. You can also do this in the Photos app with iOS 26.
10. Automatically categorise reminders
The reminders app has gradually improved over the years and with iOS 26, you have the option to 'auto categorise' a list. This uses Apple Intelligence, which means you will need a newer iPhone, but you can now select 'auto categorise' from the three dots in the top-right corner of a reminder list and it will automatically sort everything in your list into groups of actions.
11. A new transparent design
Along with all these new features, the user interface of the iPhone has been almost completely redesigned with iOS 26, with what Apple is calling 'Liquid Glass'. Icons such as the mail app, camera app and photos app are now translucent and semi-reflective, while menus, navigation and system bars float on top of content rather than getting in the way.
The edges of app icons mimic the look of glass and actions such as moving the cursor across text look like a magnifying glass would, with a fluid movement that blurs at the edges as you move. There is also a new 'clear' option for apps that makes them look like they're etched onto glass.
Apple iPhone iOS 26 FAQs
When can I get iOS 26 on my iPhone?
At the moment, iOS 26 is only available as a developer beta (an early version for testing), which is what you see in all the photos and videos I've used to help illustrate this article. You need to have an Apple developer account to access the developer beta.
The public beta test of iOS 26 will be available from July, which you can sign up for at beta.apple.com. I recommend caution before downloading the public beta on your main device, however, as early software can often introduce issues.
As for the final public build of iOS 26, a release date hasn't been revealed yet, though it is expected to land sometime in the middle of September 2025.
The below iPhone models are compatible with iOS 26, though some of the features I've outlined above use Apple Intelligence. To enable these features, you will need any of the iPhone 16 models or last year's iPhone 15 Pro or Pro Max
iPhone 16e
iPhone 16
iPhone 16 Plus
iPhone 16 Pro
iPhone 16 Pro Max
iPhone 15
iPhone 15 Plus
iPhone 15 Pro
iPhone 15 Pro Max
iPhone 14
iPhone 14 Plus
iPhone 14 Pro
iPhone 14 Pro Max
iPhone 13
iPhone 13 mini
iPhone 13 Pro
iPhone 13 Pro Max
iPhone 12
iPhone 12 mini
iPhone 12 Pro
iPhone 12 Pro Max
iPhone 11
iPhone 11 Pro
iPhone 11 Pro Max
iPhone SE (2nd generation or later)
If you want to check which iPhone you own, go to 'settings' on your iPhone and then tap on 'general'. Under 'about' at the top, you will see a list of details, including 'model name'.
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