iOS 26 vs iOS 18: What’s actually different?

Apple has revealed the next big update coming to iPhones – but it’s not iOS 19. It’s iOS 26.

Apple has overhauled its numbering system across its software platforms to not only make things more consistent, but the number also reflects the year. iOS 26, for example, is expected to be available (mainly) in 2026, following its release in late 2025. 

But despite the new numbering system, iOS 26 is most certainly the next big update to follow on from iOS 18 – but what’s actually different with this year’s update? Apple teased the biggest redesign since iOS 7 ahead of the reveal, after all.

Here are five of the most significant differences between iOS 26 and iOS 18. 

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iOS 26 introduces a new Liquid Glass design

The biggest difference between iOS 26 and iOS 18 is the overall design; while iOS 18 broadly resembles earlier versions of iOS, iOS 26 takes things in a different direction.

It’s inspired by VisionOS’ glassy design, dubbed Liquid Glass by Apple itself, and is present in nearly every aspect of the iOS experience. Toolbars in apps like Photos are now more compact and glassy, with light refraction that changes when you move your phone around. A new glass icon style also gives your home screen a nearly transparent look. 

It’s not just a new material though; the new Liquid Glass design offers a more dynamic look and feel, with elements changing the size of toolbars and other icons depending on what you’re up to. 

This, for example, allows Safari to offer a new full-screen viewing experience with a new glassy toolbar that shape-shifts and disappears when you scroll, while the text magnifier tool ripples and changes shape as you move it around the screen, acting more like a liquid than a solid object. 

That said, it’s not the complete overhaul of the iOS experience that some were expecting; elements like the Home Screen, Control Centre and Notification Centre are largely the same aside from the new material. The changes are more subtle, but combined, it should help things feel new when exploring iOS 26 later this year. 

There’s new Lock Screen functionality in iOS 26

iOS 26 utilises the Liquid Glass design elements on the Lock Screen to provide a refreshed look. 

That means elements like the clock, notifications, and shortcuts are all made from liquid glass with a semi-transparent look that no longer completely hides your wallpaper. Swiping up to go to the Home screen will also reveal a new animation. 

The biggest new addition is the ability for the liquid glass-style clock to dynamically adjust its shape, size and position on screen depending on your wallpaper – particularly noticeable when using wallpaper carousels. 

There’s also new Now Playing bar functionality for the lock screen; tapping the Now Playing bar will now display full-screen animated album artwork from Apple Music. What’s unclear right now is whether this will also happen when playing music from other sources, such as Spotify or YouTube Music. 

iOS 26 offers improved AI capabilities

Apple Intelligence was a major feature of iOS 18, so it makes sense for Apple to build on those strengths with iOS 26. While the company remains tight-lipped about entirely new features, it has outlined several key updates to existing AI functionality coming to iOS 26. 

That starts with Genmoji, Apple’s AI-generated emoji, which will soon be able to create emoji based on photos of your friends, complete with the ability to tweak elements like hairstyle and even facial expressions. You’ll also be able to combine two existing emojis to create something entirely new.

Similarly, Apple’s Image Playgrounds is set to get a boost in capabilities with new filters and access to ChatGPT’s more advanced image generation tech. 

Apple is also pushing improved live translation capabilities in iOS 26, with the software able to automatically translate incoming and outgoing messages in the Messages app, and you’ll also get live transcriptions in FaceTime calls. It also expands to regular phone calls, with a similar implementation to Google, Samsung and others, using text-to-voice to translate and speak on your behalf. 

However, the biggest improvement comes to Visual Intelligence. It’s essentially Apple’s answer to Google’s hugely popular Circle to Search tech, as it allows you to search for anything on your iPhone screen. This means that, like Google’s alternative, you can find, say, a jacket that you like the look of on Instagram. 

Where Apple’s implementation differs is in its execution; rather than using a new gesture to activate the technology, it becomes active when taking screenshots. It also offers access to various resources, allowing you to search on Google or apps like Pinterest, depending on what you’re looking for. 

The new Games app is exclusive to iOS 26

New to iOS 26 is the Games app, which looks to be a hub for all the games you’ve installed on your iPhone – but it’s much more than that. In addition to listing recently played games and all installed games on your phone, it features elements such as new game updates and in-game events that you can participate in.

There’s a renewed focus on multiplayer activities here too; the Play Together tab not only lets you see what your friends have been playing, but with new Challenges, you can compete with them – even in single-player titles like Thronefall. 

It’ll also play nicely with controllers, providing a more console-esque experience when you’re ready for some serious gaming. 

The Camera app is much simpler to use in iOS 26

Plenty of first-party apps have undergone changes in iOS 26 – the Messages app features new wallpaper options and new Poll functionality, the Maps app now learns your preferred routes and actively suggests them, and the Photos app reintroduces split Photos and Collections tabs. However, the biggest visual change comes to the Camera app.

At a glance, it’s both new and familiar. While the overall layout remains the same, the interface has been simplified; where there were previously camera mode options, settings, and other icons scattered around the viewfinder, it’s much simpler this time. 

It instead focuses on the two core tenets of the camera app – photo and video – with other modes becoming available by swiping left and right on the screen. Similarly, swiping up will reveal a host of camera settings and controls for much easier on-the-fly adjustment than what was available in iOS 18. 

Early thoughts

While iOS 26 might not offer an entirely new approach to iOS, the updated Liquid Glass-based design should introduce a swathe of new functionality that makes the experience feel more dynamic and fluid than what’s available in iOS 18.

Other new additions, including an upgrade to the Now Playing bar, improved AI capabilities, redesigned first-party apps and the new Games app, all present a compelling reason to upgrade to iOS 26 when it’s released later this year.

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