From CNET: At WWDC 2025, Apple just announced iOS 26, a rebranded, new version of the software powering the iPhone. It is due to ship in the fall (likely with new iPhone 17 models), but Apple developers will have access to the developer beta on Monday; a public beta is expected in July.
Apple has determined that the future of iPhone is brighter and more translucent with the announcement of the next version of iOS, with a new look called Liquid Glass that takes on visual characteristics of glass similar to the VisionOS interface on Vision Pro. And how do we know it's the future? Because the next iPhone system is now iOS 26, renamed to coincide with next year as part of a lineup-wide rebranding to bring symmetry to the system names, such as MacOS Tahoe 26 and WatchOS 26.
After more than a decade of a flat, clean user interface -- a revamp introduced in iOS 7 when former Apple Chief Design Officer Jony Ive took over the design of software as well as hardware -- the iPhone is getting a new look. The new design extends throughout the Apple product lineup, from iOS to WatchOS, TVOS and iPadOS.
The Liquid Glass interface also now enables a third way to view app icons on the iPhone home screen. Not content with Light and Dark modes, iOS 26 now features an All Clear look -- every icon is clear glass with no color. Lock screens can also have an enhanced 3D effect using spatial scenes, which use machine learning to give depth to your background photos.
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