Vidita Chandra | 15 Sep 2025 12:49 PM
Apple will begin rolling out the final versions of iOS 26 and iPadOS 26 to eligible iPhones and iPads, following months of previews and developer betas. First revealed at WWDC this year, the update brings smarter widgets, tighter privacy controls, and more customisation options. New AI features are expected to make your iPhone feel sharper, while the Liquid Glass design adds fluid animations and a more polished look. Here’s everything you need to know about the new OS and why it stands out from the rest.
iOS 26 and iPadOS 26 will be available as free updates for all supported devices. In India, the rollout is expected to follow the global schedule, likely going live around 10:30 pm, and can be installed directly from the Settings menu. At the same time, pre-orders for the new iPhone models began on 12 September, with sales starting on 19 September. These new iPhones will come with iOS 26 already installed.
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iOS 26 and iPadOS 26 are a visual and functional overhaul. Apple’s new Liquid Glass design brings a semi-transparent look, making menus, icons, and controls feel more fluid and cohesive. System animations are faster and more responsive, while the Lock Screen adapts dynamically, keeping your photos clear with repositioned notifications and extra customisation options. Redesigned widgets and app icons now offer light, dark, tinted, or see-through styles for a more personal touch.
Apple Intelligence takes centre stage, with Live Translate now built into Messages, FaceTime, and the Phone app. Visual Intelligence helps you turn photos or email lists into calendar events or reminders, while Image Playground and Genmoji let you create custom graphics or personalised emojis using text prompts. New communication features cut the clutter – Call Screening handles unknown numbers automatically, Hold Assist waits in line for customer support, and group chat polls help make decisions easier. Maps now track your habits, offering real-time delay alerts and adapting routes as needed.
iPadOS 26 brings many of the same features as iOS 26, but with extra tools tailored for the iPad’s larger screen and productivity use. Along with the refreshed Liquid Glass design and faster system animations, iPadOS 26 introduces a new windowing system that lets you resize, move, and manage multiple app windows, making multitasking more flexible and desktop-like. The Files app gets a major revamp for easier file management, while the Preview app is now optimised for PDF viewing and annotation. There’s also a tablet-friendly Phone app and AI-powered Live Translation, plus improved widget support and customisation options on the lock screen.
iOS 26 will be supported on all iPhones released in 2019 or later. This includes the iPhone 17 series, iPhone 17 Air, iPhone 16 series, iPhone 15 series, iPhone 14 series, iPhone 13 series, iPhone 12 series, iPhone 11 series, and iPhone SE (2nd generation and later).
iPadOS 26 is compatible with a range of iPad models equipped with A12 chips or newer, including the iPad Air (3rd generation and later), iPad mini (5th generation and later), and iPad (8th generation and later).