Kalakshar US

Apple‘s WWDC 2025 keynote is already in the rearview mirror, and, as usual, the event was dominated by the changes coming to the iPhone’s operating system later this year. The reports of a numbering scheme change were true — iOS 18 is skipping to iOS 26 — but there were a laundry list of actual usability changes shown off, as well as the new Liquid Glass design, which looks to be Apple’s largest visual update in years. But the biggest question we’re all wondering: Will my iPhone be able to run iOS 26?

Last year, Apple didn’t nix any iPhones from its eligibility list, but that’s not the case for 2025 — a few models are getting cut this time. All iPhone 8 models and the iPhone X were the last to get the boot in 2023, and this year the 2018 models are getting left behind. If you have an ineligible device, you won’t be able to download iOS 26 when it becomes available this fall.

We’ll get to the bottom of which iPhones will support iOS 26 this year. To see what’s coming with the latest OS and more, here’s everything announced at Apple’s WWDC event today.

These three iPhones won’t be compatible with iOS 26

Unlike last year, several iPhone models won’t be eligible to download the newest iOS when it makes its debut this fall. This trio of models first released in 2018 won’t be coming to the iOS 26 party:

iPhone XR

iPhone XS

iPhone XS Max

iPhones compatible with iOS 26

While we don’t yet know the new iPhones Apple will be dropping this fall — though there are iPhone 17 rumors — we do know, per Apple’s site, that the phones listed below will be compatible with iOS 26. Basically, if you have an iPhone that was announced in 2019 or later, you’re in the clear:

iPhone SE (second generation or later)

iPhone 11

iPhone 11 Pro

iPhone 11 Pro Max

iPhone 12

iPhone 12 mini

iPhone 12 Pro

iPhone 12 Pro Max

iPhone 13

iPhone 13 mini

iPhone 13 Pro

iPhone 13 Pro Max

iPhone 14

iPhone 14 Plus

iPhone 14 Pro

iPhone 14 Pro Max

iPhone 15

iPhone 15 Plus

iPhone 15 Pro

iPhone 15 Pro Max

iPhone 16e

iPhone 16

iPhone 16 Plus

iPhone 16 Pro

iPhone 16 Pro Max

What if I don’t want to buy a new iPhone?

If you want to continue using your older iPhone that isn’t supported by iOS 26, that’s fine. However, you’ll miss out on security updates which could potentially put your phone at risk for malware and other threats. Additionally, some apps may stop working if they require a certain version of iOS or later. And of course, you won’t be able to access the latest features iOS 26 offers.

When will iOS 26 become available?

Apple usually rolls out its latest iOS in mid-September, just a few days before the new iPhones hit store shelves. Last year, it released iOS 18 on Monday, Sept. 16. Expect a confirmation of the release date at that iPhone 17 event, expected in early September. 

iOS 26 features we’re excited about

Liquid Glass design: Your home screen is getting revamped with new app icons, including dark mode and all-clear options. You’ll also notice buttons with a new floating design. Liquid Glass was designed to make all of Apple’s OSes more cohesive.

Phone app redesign: You’ll finally be able to scroll through contacts, recent calls and voicemail messages all on one screen. It also comes with a new feature called Hold Assist that’ll notify you when an agent comes to the phone so you can avoid the elevator music.

Live Translate: iOS 26 is bringing the ability to have a conversation via phone call or text message with someone who speaks another language. Live Translate will translate your conversation in real time. 

Polls feature: Coming to group messages in the Messages app, chat members will be able to create polls. This can help prevent the unwanted 30+ messages when it comes to deciding which restaurant you’re meeting at this weekend.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/mobile/apple-is-releasing-ios-26-this-fall-will-your-iphone-be-compatible-191854628.html?src=rss 

During Apple‘s WWDC keynote event today in Cupertino, company execs announced, among other things, the latest Apple Watch software: watchOS 12, er, watchOS 26. Like iOS, macOS, iPadOS and the rest, the latest generation of watchOS will now be appended with the upcoming year, instead of a sequential number. What would have been watchOS 12, is now watchOS 26. 

Aside from the new name, there’s a new look for watchOS, too. Apple gave its entire suite of software a redesign, one that takes aesthetic cues and the “physicality and richness” of visionOS, the software used in the company’s VR headset, the Vision Pro. It’s the biggest redesign since iOS 7. The look is called “liquid glass” and dynamically reacts to movement and responds to the content on screen. Menus now better fit to the rounded corners of the hardware. Notifications and other information now involve translucent backgrounds, giving the interface a glass-like appearance. 

The watchOS 26 also brings new features including Workout Buddy, an AI that will verbally talk you through your next run while also congratulating you on your accomplishments. The text-to-speech model is built on the voices of Fitness+ trainers and draws on data from your Workout and Health history. This is one of the first significant applications of Apple Intelligence to the Apple Watch. 

Workout Buddy will be available on Apple Watches Series 6 or later, the Apple Watch SE (2nd generation), and Apple Watch Ultra and Ultra 2 and you’ll need an Apple Intelligence-supported iPhone nearby along with Bluetooth headphones connected to your watch.  

Apple Intelligence upgrades will also make the Smart Stack more useful with a predictive algorithm that gathers information such as your location, time of day and routine to better bring up relevant apps in the Stack. The example given was showing you a workout card when you arrive at the gym in the morning. 

Apple’s AI will also make Messages smarter in watchOS 26. Now, an analysis of your incoming messages will generate suggested replies, expanding on the current suite of quick replies — meaning you may actually want to use one of the canned responses. That should make it easier to communicate without puling out your phone. 

A new gesture will also let you dismiss messages — or other notifications — that you’re not ready to deal with by flicking your wrist. A quick twist of your wrist away from you and back will return you to the watch screen. The wrist flick is available on the Series 9, Series 10 and Apple Watch Ultra 2. 

This latest suite of features join those announced during last year’s WWDC, in which Apple previewed watchOS 11. The best of the bunch (for me anyway) was the ability to pause your Rings for a day in the Activity app. Other features included a Training Load metric that rates your efforts during exercise, comparing it with your output over time, and the Vitals app, which tracks overnight health metrics for those who wear their watch to bed. 

This story is developing, refresh for the latest updates…

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/wearables/watchos-26-everything-apple-announced-for-its-wearable-at-wwdc-2025-174915653.html?src=rss 

iPadOS 26 is coming to supercharge your tablet’s productivity. At WWDC 2025, Apple previewed what may be the iPad’s biggest software update yet. You can finally resize app windows dynamically. Meanwhile, the menu bar brings drop-downs for more organized controls. It’s all wrapped in Apple’s new Liquid Glass redesign. All in all, iPad users craving a more Mac-like experience have plenty to chew on here.

The rumors about a Mac-like multitasking overhaul came to fruition. The new windowing system lets you “seamlessly close, minimize, resize, or tile [your] windows.” You can resize them by dragging the window corners. To be clear, your resizing options aren’t limited like in the previous version of Stage Manager. And when you reopen the app, your windows will return to their last position.

Exposé also makes its way over from Apple’s desktop. It shows your open windows in a tiled array, making it easier to jump between them.

The menu bar, a Mac mainstay from the get-go, arrives on the iPad. When using touch controls, you can use it by swiping down. Or, click with your cursor when using a trackpad or mouse. As on the Mac, the active app includes familiar menu entries like File, Edit, View, Window, Format, Arrange and Help.

The Files app gets an update to keep pace with the iPad’s new productivity chops. The app has an updated List view that displays more information about your documents. It includes resizable columns and collapsible folders. The Preview app also arrives in iPadOS 26, allowing you to view and edit PDFs. Using Apple Pencil Markup or touch, you can mark up documents. It also has AutoFill, allowing users fill out PDF forms without using third-party software.

The productivity updates won’t be limited to iPad Pro and Air. The entry-level model and iPad mini get them, too.

iPadOS 26 is wrapped in Liquid Glass redesign coming to all of Apple’s new software at WWDC 2025. You’ll see translucent effects and rounder icons to match device corners. It’s all inspired by the software for Apple’s mixed reality headset.

The big productivity overhaul follows years of subtler nudges in that direction. When it arrived 15 years ago, the iPad worked with physical keyboards, but only for typing. Trackpad support didn’t come until 10 years later. Later, iPadOS 15 added a context menu for window management. And the first Stage Manager brought a more mature multitasking environment. But each of those moves was only incremental. Power users begging Apple something more “Pro” were left wanting. The new iPadOS 19 features look like a giant leap by comparison.

Of course, the software’s naming scheme is also new. Apple unified its upcoming software by giving them all the “26” number. Before, the version ticked up once each year. But since the company’s platforms were on different numbers, it could confuse some. So, from now on, all Apple software will carry the name of the upcoming year. (Although the update arrives this fall, it will be the de facto software for the bulk of 2026.) Pour one out for the “iPadOS 19” that will never be.

Expect the first iPadOS 26 developer beta to arrive soon after the keynote ends. Public betas will follow in July. The software’s final version will land this fall, likely in or around September.

Developing…

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/mobile/tablets/ipados-26-makes-apples-tablets-more-like-macs-174904597.html?src=rss