iOS 26 brings a lot of changes to the iPhone. While the biggest highlight—the Liquid Glass redesign—is available on all iPhones that can run iOS 26, there are several features in the new update that require newer iPhone models and Apple Intelligence. Here are the features and their device requirements.
Visual intelligence with screenshots
Requires: iPhone 15 Pro or newer
Last year, visual intelligence debuted as a special camera feature for the iPhone 16 line. Now, the AI feature has expanded to more places systemwide.
Take a screenshot in iOS 26, for example, and you’ll see an option to use visual intelligence to analyze the contents of what you captured.
This new tool can be great for shopping, adding events to your calendar, and more.
Live translation in Messages, FaceTime, Phone
Requires: iPhone 15 Pro or newer
Apple did a lot of work this year to enable live translation across its various devices.
Live translation works inside Messages, FaceTime, and the Phone app to make language barriers less of a problem than ever before.
Here are the details per Apple:
In Messages, Live Translation can automatically translate messages. If a user is making plans with new friends while traveling abroad, their message can be translated as they type, delivered in the recipient’s preferred language, and when they get a response, each message can be instantly translated. On FaceTime calls, a user can follow along with translated live captions while still hearing the speaker’s voice. And when on a phone call, the translation is spoken aloud throughout the conversation.
Lock Screen 3D effect
Requires: iPhone 12 or newer
iOS 26 will beautify your iPhone’s Lock Screen not only with the new Liquid Glass design, but also a fun 3D effect.
From Apple’s website describing Lock Screen changes:
The time dynamically adapts to your photo and the surrounding space, keeping your subject in view. When you move your iPhone, your photo comes to life with a new 3D effect.
Shortcuts actions with AI powers
Requires: iPhone 15 Pro or newer
Apple’s Shortcuts app has gained new actions in iOS 26 that can tap into existing AI features.
For example, you can use actions to create images, summarize text, or “tap directly into Apple Intelligence models to provide responses that feed into your shortcut.”
If you’re a Shortcuts user, tapping into Apple Intelligence should open up brand new powers not possible before.
Reminders suggestions and organization
Requires: iPhone 15 Pro or newer
In iOS 26, Apple Intelligence powers two new aspects of the Reminders app:
- Suggestions
- Organization
With AI, Reminders will suggest creating new tasks or grocery items based on text discovered on-device in your iMessages, emails, and so on.
On the organization front, Reminders can automatically categorize a task list into different sections using AI as well.
Apple Wallet order tracking
Requires: iPhone 15 Pro or newer
Apple Wallet has offered order tracking for years, but merchants have largely been extremely reluctant to support the feature. As a result, you’ve probably seldom benefited from it on your iPhone.
But in iOS 26, Apple leverages AI to pull in order tracking details from emails in your inbox. That means merchants don’t need to opt in to Apple’s system for their orders to show up in the Wallet app.
Hopefully this should make Apple Wallet’s order tracking feature far more useful than before.
New Genmoji and Image Playground upgrades
Requires: iPhone 15 Pro or newer
Last year, Genmoji and Image Playground launched as new Apple Intelligence image tools.
In iOS 26, these existing features are getting upgraded in several ways.
Genmoji can now be created by mixing together two existing emoji, or writing a description alongside the mix. You can also customize a Genmoji’s hairstyle, clothing, etc. when it’s inspired by a friend or family member.
Image Playground integrates ChatGPT’s image generation powers, unlocking a bunch of new style options for images including:
- Anime
- Oil Painting
- Vector
- Watercolor
There’s also an ‘Any Style’ option where you can just describe any type of image you’d like to make.
Messages background creation and poll suggestion
Requires: iPhone 15 Pro or newer
Apple’s Messages app gets a variety of great new features in iOS 26.
Two such features, Polls and Backgrounds, come with certain AI aspects that are exclusive to newer iPhones.
While you can create a Messages poll on any iPhone model, if your device supports AI you’ll see suggestions for polls that can be easily drafted via Apple Intelligence.
And for Backgrounds, in addition to choosing from Apple’s stock offering of images for everyone, newer iPhones can also create custom backgrounds using the built-in Image Playground integration.
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