Apple Unleashes iOS 26 and Liquid Glass Redesign in Historic Software Update

By Samuel Gibbs, Consumer Technology Editor
Last Updated: September 15, 2025, 2:15 PM BST

Apple has today rolled out its most ambitious software overhaul in years, releasing iOS 26, iPadOS 26, watchOS 26, and macOS 26 Tahoe to the public. Headlined by the divisive yet striking "Liquid Glass" design language, the updates fundamentally reshape the look and feel of every Apple device, bringing a new depth, transparency, and fluidity to the user experience.

Announced at June's WWDC keynote, these updates do more than just change appearances. They introduce powerful new capabilities, from computer-like windowing on the iPad to advanced AI-driven health coaching on the Apple Watch and robust new communication tools across the board.

Availability and Compatibility

The updates are available now for all eligible devices. Unlike the staged rollouts common with other manufacturers, Apple typically makes its updates globally available simultaneously from around 6 PM BST (1 PM ET, 10 AM PT).

iOS 26: Compatible with iPhone 11 and newer.
iPadOS 26: Compatible with 2018 iPad Pro, 2019 iPad Air (3rd gen), iPad mini (5th gen), iPad (8th gen), and newer.
watchOS 26: Requires an iPhone 11 or later running iOS 26. Compatible with Apple Watch Series 6 and newer.
macOS 26 Tahoe: Compatible with MacBook Air (2020+), 16-inch MacBook Pro (2019+), 13-inch MacBook Pro (2020+), Mac mini (2020+), iMac (2020+), Mac Studio (2022+), and Mac Pro (2019+).

To install, navigate to Settings > General > Software Update on your iPhone, iPad, or Mac. For Apple Watch, ensure your iPhone is updated first, then use the Watch app.

The Liquid Glass Revolution: A New Look for Everything

The most immediate change is the comprehensive Liquid Glass visual overhaul. Inspired by the immersive depth of the Vision Pro's interface, this new design replaces flat icons and elements with soft, frosted glass-like bubbles that float above your wallpaper.

Icons, notification banners, and menus are more rounded and semi-transparent, with a dynamic sheen that reacts to device movement. This creates a sense of depth, allowing you to subtly see through UI elements to the content beneath. Users can now choose to make home screen icons fully translucent and apply a uniform color tint for a completely personalized look.

Key Features Across the Ecosystem

iOS 26: Smarter and More Streamlined

Dynamic Interface: Notifications playfully bounce into view, and the lock screen clock intelligently resizes based on how many alerts you have.
Hiding UI: Buttons in Safari and Camera apps elegantly shrink away when not in use, maximizing screen real estate for your content.
Communication Suite Upgrade: The Phone app now features powerful call screening for unknown numbers, hold assist that waits on hold for you, and built-in live translation across calls, FaceTime, and Messages. Spam filtering in Messages is also significantly improved.
New Games App: A new hub replaces Game Center, centralizing your library, friends' activity, and achievements.

iPadOS 26: The Mac-Level Leap
This is arguably the most transformative update, finally blurring the line between iPad and computer.

macOS Menu Bar & Full Windowing: Swipe down from the top of any app to reveal a full Mac-style menu bar. Windows can now be freely resized, overlapped, and minimized using familiar red, yellow, and green traffic light buttons.
Powerful File Management: The revamped Files app lets you set default apps for file types. The Mac's versatile Preview app is now native to iPad, offering robust PDF and image markup with Apple Pencil.
Desktop & Dock: The Home Screen now functions like a Mac desktop, and folders like Downloads can be pinned directly to the Dock.

watchOS 26: Your Smarter Health Companion

Workout Buddy: An AI-powered chatbot that acts as a personal coach during workouts, offering real-time encouragement, pace alerts, and a post-workout recap via Bluetooth headphones.
Health Insights: New sleep scores provide a morning summary of sleep quality. For Series 9 and Ultra 2 owners, the watch can now monitor for signs of hypertension over a 30-day period.
New Gesture: A quick flick of the wrist (away and back) joins double-tap as a touch-free way to dismiss notifications.
New Watch Faces: Including the liquid-inspired 'Flow,' the multi-dial 'Exactograph,' and the Ultra-exclusive 'Waypoint' compass face.

macOS 26 Tahoe: Refined and Connected

Liquid Glass Design: The translucent, rounded design language comes to the Mac, unifying the experience.
Dedicated Phone App: Make and receive calls directly from your Mac with full access to recent calls, contacts, voicemail, and new features like call screening.
Supercharged Spotlight: The search tool now executes actions—like sending an email or creating a reminder—directly from the search bar and offers vastly improved file filtering.

A Note on the New Naming Convention

The jump from iOS 18 to iOS 26 might seem confusing, but it's intentional. Apple has moved to a year-based naming system, aligning its software with the release year. iOS 26 signifies the 2025-2026 software season, much like a sports season or academic year.

These free updates represent a significant step in Apple's ecosystem integration, offering a fresh new look and powerful functionality that makes devices feel more connected, intelligent, and personal than ever before.