Apple's iOS 26 update has reached its fourth developer cycle, which means that the company has released four beta builds so far. More recently, the company has also released the first public beta of iOS 26, which means everyone can now download and install it on their compatible iPhone models. If you are planning to run iOS 26 on your device, check out the best five features to try first.
Apple’s iOS 26 public beta brings major upgrades to core apps and interface - here’s what you should explore first
iOS 26 is a significant update that brings Liquid Glass to the iPhone - a new user experience that is radically different from the current iOS 18 update. It will refresh your device with a new look as well as new features, and we have compiled a list of some of them that you should try first. iOS 26 public beta is pretty stable, but not at all perfect at this stage, which means you will encounter bugs and issues every now and then. Just to be on the safe side, we recommend installing the public beta on a secondary device rather than your daily driver.
New Liquid Glass Interface
The first thing you have to try after installing iOS 26 is the new Liquid Glass redesign - Apple's latest and greatest interface, which is likely to stick around for the next couple of years before the company makes another major shift. The glass-like elements are carefully crafted and designed to reflect and refract light based on the content that falls beneath them. You'll find a plethora of translucent buttons and background blurring across the operating system, including in apps, Control Center, Notifications, and much more.
The Liquid Glass is pretty well executed, and while some might argue against the new design, it’s definitely a step forward for the company. Apple is still tweaking the blurring effects, so expect changes in the upcoming betas.
New Camera App
Apple has finally redesigned the Camera app, making it easier for average users and photographers to quickly access settings. Once you install the update, you’ll see that camera modes are now arranged more neatly, showing only Photo and Video on the main interface. On the surface, the app looks more simplified, with buttons now fully revealing all the extra settings for the selected mode.
Circle to Search via Visual Intelligence
Visual Intelligence was a hit or miss ever since Apple announced it last year, but iOS 26 introduces some nifty upgrades that improve the feature significantly. Visual Intelligence now includes some on-screen tools, including a Circle to Search feature that works pretty similarly to Google’s version. All you have to do is take a screenshot of whatever’s on the screen, then circle to search and get relevant results from the web. There’s also an “Ask” button integrated with ChatGPT, allowing you to ask questions related to the screenshot. The feature works well, but still needs polishing to be perfect.
Call Screen in Phone App
The Phone app has finally been revamped with two features Apple took straight out of Google’s playbook. You now have the option to enable Call Screening on your iPhone, which lets you see who’s calling and transcribes what’s being said in real-time on the screen. Secondly, the Hold For Me feature gives you a button when the call is placed on hold. The app then notifies you when the hold time is over, letting you pick up right where you left off.
Spatial Scene in Photos App
Apple has been working on spatial photos even before the launch of the Vision Pro, taking advantage of depth information to view content in 3D through the headset. With iOS 26, the new Photos app now includes a Spatial Scene feature, which creates a 3D image you can even set as your wallpaper. The feature appears to work quite well, and according to reviewers, it works flawlessly. It highlights the subject and fills the rest of the image with details that create a 3D-like effect. It’s hard to pinpoint how well Apple Intelligence works in the background - but the results speak for themselves.
These are only some of the major features coming with iOS 26, and you can try them out yourself with the recently released public beta. We’ll keep you posted with additional details, so be sure to keep an eye out.
About the author: Ali Salman is a technology reporter for Wccftech mobile section with a specialized focus on Apple and the intellectual property that drives mobile innovation. He has cultivated a unique expertise in analyzing and deconstructing complex technology patents, translating dense legal and technical documents into clear, insightful reports on future products.
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