iOS 18 promised the biggest update in history — here's what iOS 26 needs to fix

Tom's Guide

5 hours ago

Apple's WWDC event is slated for next week, and there is a lot to be excited about. However, one of the most important announcements that we're expecting to see is the new iOS 26, which may also be called iOS 19.
Over the last few months, we've seen a lot of rumors and leaks about the upcoming update, with Bloomberg's Mark Gurman calling it one of the biggest overhauls in Apple's history.
However, the same thing was said about the last update.
When it was first announced, there was a lot of talk that iOS 18 was Apple's biggest update in history. Now, it wasn't strictly untrue, as iOS 18 held a lot of promise. However, there's no doubt that the actual release left a fair amount to be desired. So, if iOS 26 wants to be the biggest update ever, it needs to solve a few things.
There's no doubt that Apple Intelligence was the reason for the hype around iOS 18. However, while Apple's new AI promised the world, it left a lot to be desired, thanks to limited device support alongside delayed features. For instance, certain language support, priority notifications and more didn't launch until March of this year.
Now, in the interest of fairness, I will say that the features we have work just fine, but they're heavily limited. For instance, Apple's Image Playground has an irritating UI that's more annoying than revolutionary. Added to this is the simple fact that you can't create anything novel or interesting without a lot of work. If we compare this to the other options, then you see the issue.
This is a problem that runs the gamut of AI features for Apple Intelligence: there are simply better options out there. I would have thought that Apple would have some of the best features available, it's what the company is known for, after all. As such, I would want to see iOS 26 push these features to their limits, but I also want Apple to be realistic, rather than promising the world and not delivering.
When it comes to missing features, there's no greater culprit than the long-awaited"Siri 2.0." Apple has been working on an improved AI assistant for a while now, but has reportedly only managed to get Siri 2.0 to work "two-thirds of the time."
This is an issue because AI Assistants have slowly become an integral part of phones, yet Apple is continuing to fall behind the competition. That isn't to say the current iteration is useless, though, as Siri can manage a lot of your basic tasks. The issue is that it fails in comparison to what assistants like Google Gemini offer.
However, considering all we've heard about Siri 2.0, that could change so long as Apple releases it with iOS 26. While we don't know all the features that are coming with the improved Siri, we do have some idea about the core functions. Reportedly, the new Siri offers more personal context, onscreen awareness and deeper app integration. Hopefully, Apple uses WWDC 2025 to give Apple fans the software they deserve.
Of course, it isn't just Apple intelligence that needs solving, as one thing that I found to be severely lacking with iOS 18 was the (apparently) improved look of the homescreen and menus. Again, in the interest of fairness, I don't want to imply that the update was awful; it just wasn't all that interesting. For instance, the ability to tint app icons was underwhelming at best, ugly at worst.
We do know that Apple is possibly planning a pretty major improvement with the so-called Project Solarium, although what this will contain is up for debate. For instance, we've seen several reports that Apple will completely overhaul the look of the UI with designs similar to Apple's VisionOS. Alternatively, one of the more interesting designs we've seen comes from a series of mock-ups from noted tech leaker Jon Prosser, which were posted on his Front Page Tech YouTube channel.
While this might not be the exact look of iOS 26, it's certainly more notable and striking than what iOS 18 gave us. Making the icons more circular helps them to look cleaner, while the transparent menus make it all seem more futuristic. This has two advantages: the first is that it makes the look of the screen memorable, while the second allows Apple to be more distinct when compared with Android
The video also helps to show off how we could control our phones, and they all look pretty great. For instance, the search bar appearing at the bottom of the screen is a nice touch. Not only that, the menus offering a more distinct swiping animation, as well as highlighting which tab you're on, will be a draw for many. This is the kind of change that we need to see from Apple, and it's one I hope iOS 26 brings.
At the end of the day, we can't know for certain what Apple will announce, and the company is well known for being tight-lipped in the run-up to release. For instance, one of the big questions at the moment is whether Apple will even focus on AI for the presentation. In one recent report, Mark Gurman stated that it was possible Apple would avoid AI entirely, so it isn't impossible.
However, I hope that, even if Apple doesn't directly mention it, iOS 26 will at least solve some of the issues I've discussed. If Apple does try to quietly sweep it under the rug and ignore what it needs to solve, that might be interesting to watch, too.
On that note, what are you hoping to see during WWDC, and what would you like to see from Apple regarding iOS 26?