iOS 26 Beta Preview: Liquid Glass is Better Than You Think
Apple’s iOS 26 beta introduces the long-awaited Liquid Glass design, bringing the most significant visual overhaul since iOS 4. With new features that enhance user experience, iOS 26 stands out as a remarkable improvement. Although there are fewer AI updates compared to previous releases, the smaller changes in iOS 26 have a significant impact on its usability. Here’s a look at what’s new and how the iOS 26 beta stacks up.
Liquid Glass: A Visually Stunning Overhaul
The Liquid Glass design is the defining feature of iOS 26, and it certainly lives up to its name. The design includes multiple transparent layers that overlap, creating a sense of fluidity in the user interface. Menus and buttons now respond to your touch with animations that “coalesce” around your finger, offering a smoother, more dynamic experience.
The home and lock screens have been redesigned with a skyscraping clock font that blends slightly transparent elements with background photos. Additionally, the update introduces a 3D effect that adds a touch of spatial magic, similar to what Apple’s Vision Pro offers, but on the iPhone.
In the early builds of the iOS 26 beta, transparency was an issue, with icons and notifications sometimes becoming nearly unreadable. Thankfully, Apple has made adjustments in subsequent builds, increasing opacity in floating elements. There’s even an option within Settings under Accessibility to reduce transparency further, though a slider would be an excellent addition to give users full control over the Liquid Glass effect.
New Search Bar Location: A Convenient Update
A small but welcome change in iOS 26 is the relocation of the search bar. Previously located at the top of the screen, the search bar has now moved to the bottom across various apps, including Settings, Music, Photos, and Podcasts. This change improves accessibility, especially for iPhone Pro and iPhone Plus users, making it much easier to reach the search function with one hand.
Visual Intelligence: Smarter Screenshots and Enhanced Interactivity
One of the standout features in iOS 26 is the expanded role of Visual Intelligence. Previously limited to the Camera app, Visual Intelligence is now integrated with screenshots. After taking a screenshot, Visual Intelligence analyzes the content and offers suggested actions based on what it identifies in the image. For example, you can instantly add a calendar event from a ticket screenshot or copy information from a document.
Additionally, Apple Intelligence now offers improvements to voice memos, making the system faster and more accurate, particularly with accents that the system struggled with before. iOS 26 enhances the AI-driven Writing tools, improving the system’s ability to summarize longer voice notes, meetings, and lengthy documents—something that iOS 18 had difficulty with.
Genmoji and Image Playground: AI-Powered Avatars and Art
In iOS 26, Genmoji has received a significant update. Now offering deeper customization options, you can modify your Genmoji’s expression, change accessories like glasses, and alter facial hair. However, some users, including the author, find that these new avatars don’t always resemble them as accurately as before. Despite this, the new features are an improvement, offering more options for personalization.
Image Playground, on the other hand, allows users to generate images using ChatGPT. This feature provides the ability to produce AI-generated artwork in different styles, even allowing for hyper-realistic images. While it’s not perfect, this tool is a fun addition for those interested in creating custom visuals.
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Camera App Simplified: Better for Casual and Advanced Users
Apple’s iOS 26 camera app has undergone changes to make it more user-friendly without sacrificing advanced features. The app now simplifies the interface by showing only basic modes like photo and video at first glance. To access additional options like flash, timer, and exposure controls, you simply swipe up or tap a new six-dot icon. This streamlined design benefits casual photographers while retaining the flexibility that more advanced users need.
For those using AirPods with the H2 chip, iOS 26 now includes a feature that allows you to start video recording by pressing and holding the stem of your AirPods, adding extra convenience to your recording capabilities.
Apple Music: AutoMix Takes the DJ’s Role
Apple Music introduces AutoMix, a feature that tries to seamlessly blend songs by adjusting tempos, adding loops, and fading in instruments between tracks. Although this feature doesn’t always work perfectly, it’s an interesting attempt at making music feel more dynamic and customized to the listener’s preferences. Users can now also pin albums and playlists, which makes managing and discovering music more streamlined.
Messages: Custom Backgrounds and Enhanced Translation
iOS 26 adds more fun and functionality to Messages. Custom backgrounds can now be set in chats, adding a personal touch to your conversations. Additionally, Live Translation is now available across Messages, FaceTime, and voice calls, making it easier to communicate in different languages. However, there are some language limitations, and users may need to download language packs to fully enjoy this feature.
For those battling spam, iOS 26 introduces a spam message filter, which helps categorize unwanted messages. There’s also a new feature that allows you to mute notifications from unknown numbers, while still receiving time-sensitive alerts from services like ridesharing and delivery apps.
