Apple iPhone 17: iOS 26 Features Coming To The Lineup
With Liquid Glass, iPhone 17's Lock Screen, Home Screen, Control Center, navigation, app icons, widgets and other elements will become more dynamic.
Announced at Apple's Worldwide Developers Conference, iOS 26 is set to bring about a whole new appearance and feel for the upcoming iPhone 17 series in September.
While the series may serve as a testing ground for the "Liquid Glass" interface for the future glass-like 20th-anniversary iPhone, the new iOS 26 interface will nonetheless bring new innovations for the iPhone 17.
Here’s a look at the iOS 26 features coming to iPhone 17 devices.
New iOS 26 Features For iPhone 17
Liquid Glass Look: With a translucent material that adapts, transparent icons stacked within apps, and animations, the iPhone 17’s Lock Screen, Home Screen, Control Center, navigation, app icons, widgets, and other elements will become more dynamic.
Floating Bar: With iOS 26, a floating bar at the bottom of the iPhone will put the most used functionality at your fingertips, with Voicemails, Favorites, and Recents together with this new bar.
Phone App: Call Screening will automatically answer calls from unknown numbers in the background while displaying the caller’s ID. Hold Assist will help you when on hold by recognising hold music. The feature will notify you when it hears a live person.
Messages: iPhone 17 users will be able to use Image Playground to add a backdrop image and make polls in group chats. Messages by unknown senders will include additional privacy options and on-device spam screening.
Camera App: The Camera app’s navigation bar is simplified, with Photos and Video as two main options, plus has a 3D effect. Users can swipe left and right to access features such as portrait, panorama, and more, and scroll to get menu options.
Photos: The Photos app will once again have tabs, including ones for Collections and Library, and 3D effects can be applied to photos in the app.
Genmoji: ChatGPT and Image Playground will enable enhancements like Genmoji hairstyles and more realistic images.
Apple Intelligence: More integrated Apple Intelligence will power features like voice mail summaries, FaceTime, Live Translation in Messages, and more. Also, across-device Visual Intelligence will allow users to search screenshots.
Apple Maps: Maps will have new features like Preferred Routes and Visited Places.
Apple Music: iPhone 17 users will get to enjoy Lyrics Translation and Lyrics Pronunciation features with iOS 26.
