Technologies
iOS 26 Brings a New Liquid Glass Redesign, Sassy Look to iPhone
The newest iPhone system boasts a new design, new name and a host of features to look forward to.
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 today; 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 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.
Translucency is the defining characteristic of Liquid Glass, behaving like glass in the real world in the way it deals with light and color of objects behind and near controls. But it’s not just a glassy look: The «liquid» part of Liquid Glass refers to how controls can merge and adapt — dynamically morphing, in Apple’s words. The dock and widgets are now rounded, glassy panels that float above the background.
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 uses machine learning to give depth to your background photos.
Camera and Photos apps go even more minimal
The Camera app is getting a new, simplified interface. You could argue that the current Camera app is pretty minimal, designed to make it quick to frame a shot and hit the big shutter button. But the moment you get into the periphery, it becomes a weird mix of hidden controls and unintuitive icons.
Now, the Camera app in iOS 26 features a «new more intuitive design» that take minimalism to the extreme. The streamlined design shows just two controls: Video or Camera. Swipe left or right to choose modes. Swipe up for settings such as aspect ratio and timers, and tap for additional preferences.
With the updated Photos app, viewing the pictures you capture should be a better experience — a welcome change that customers have clamored for since iOS 18’s cluttered attempt. Instead of a long, difficult-to-discover scrolling interface, Photos regains a Liquid Glass menu at the bottom of the screen.
The Phone app gets a revamp
The Phone app has kept more closely than others to the look of its source: a spare interface with large buttons as if you’re holding an old-fashioned headset or pre-smartphone cellular phone. iOS 26 finally updates that look not just with the new overall interface but in a unified layout that takes advantage of the larger screen real estate on today’s iPhone models.
It’s not just looks that are different, though. The Phone app is trying to be more useful for dealing with actual calls — the ones you want to take. The Call Screening feature automatically answers calls from unknown numbers, and your phone rings only when the caller shares their name and reason for calling.
Or what about all the time wasted on hold? Hold Assist automatically detects hold music, and can mute the music but keep the call connected. Once a live agent becomes available, the phone rings and lets the agent know you’ll be available shortly.
Messages updates
The Messages app is probably one of the most-used apps on the iPhone, and for iOS 26 Apple is making it a more colorful experience. You can add backgrounds to the chat window, including dynamic backgrounds that show off the new Liquid Glass interface.
In addition to the new look, group texts in Messages can incorporate polls for everyone in the group to reply to — no more scrolling back to find out which restaurant Brett suggested for lunch that you missed. Other members in the chat can also add their own items to a poll.
More useful is a feature to better detect spam texts and screen unknown numbers, so the messages you see in the app are the ones you want to see and not the ones that distract you.
Safari gets out of its own way
In the Safari app, the Liquid Glass design floats the tab bar above the web page (although that looks right where your thumb is going to be, so it will be interesting to see if you can move the bar to the top of the screen). As you scroll, the tab bar shrinks.
FaceTime focuses on calls, not controls
FaceTime also get the minimal look, with controls in the lower-right corner that disappear during the call to get out of the way. On the FaceTime landing page, posters of your contacts, including video clips of previous calls, are designed to make the app more appealing.
New Games app is a reminder that yes, people game on iPhone
The iPhone doesn’t get the same kind of gaming affection as Nintendo’s Switch or Valve’s Steam Deck, but the truth is that the iPhone and Android phones are used extensively for gaming — Apple says half a billion people play games on iPhone.
Trying to capitalize on that, a new Games app acts as a specific portal to Apple Arcade and other games. Yes, you can get to those from the App Store app, but the Games app is designed to remove a layer of friction so you can get right to the gaming action.
Live translation enhances calls and texts
Although not specific to iOS, Apple’s new live translation feature is ideal on the iPhone when you’re communicating with others. It uses Apple Intelligence to dynamically enable you to talk to someone who speaks a different language in near-real time. It’s available in the Messages, FaceTime and Phone apps and shows live translated captions during a conversation.
What about Apple Intelligence?
Although last year’s WWDC featured Apple Intelligence features heavily, improvements to the AI tech were less prominent, folded into the announcements during the WWDC keynote.
As an alternative to creating Genmoji from scratch, you can combine existing emojis — «like a sloth and a light bulb when you’re the last one in the group chat to get the joke,» to use Apple’s example. You can also change expressions in Genmoji of people you know that you’ve used to create the image.
Image Playground adds the ability to tap into ChatGPT’s image generation tools to go beyond the app’s animation or sketch styles.
Visual Intelligence can already use the camera to try to decipher what’s in front of the lens. Now the technology works on the content on the iPhone’s screen, too. It does this by taking a screenshot (press the sleep and volume up buttons) and then including a new Image Search option in that interface to find results across the web or in other apps such as Etsy.
This is also a way to add event details from images you come across, like posters for concerts or large gatherings. (Perhaps this could work for QR codes as well?) In the screenshot interface, Visual Intelligence can parse the text and create an event in the Calendar app.
iOS 26 availability
The finished version of iOS 26 will be released in September or October with new iPhone 17 models. In the meantime, developers will get access to the first developer betas starting today, with an initial public beta arriving within in July. (Don’t forget to go into any beta software with open eyes and clear expectations.)
Follow the WWDC 2025 live blog for details about Apple’s announcements.
This is a developing story.
Technologies
Football Fans Scrambling After ESPN, ABC, Disney Pulled From YouTube TV
Several channels were pulled from the service after the two sides failed to meet a deadline for a deal.
Like a desperate quarterback, millions of college football fans could be scrambling. Disney pulled ESPN and ABC from YouTube TV on Friday after both sides failed to meet a midnight deadline to strike a deal over content distribution.
Unless something changes, millions of fans won’t be able to watch the college football games that ESPN, ESPN2 and ABC will broadcast Friday and Saturday. That includes No. 5-ranked Georgia versus Florida — aka «The World’s Largest Outdoor Cocktail Party» — No. 9 Vanderbilt versus No. 20 Texas, No. 7 Ole Miss versus South Carolina and several other games.
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ESPN, ESPN2 and ABC — all Disney properties — broadcast the most college football games by far. Their schedule is listed here. ESPN and ABC air NFL games on Monday nights and also broadcast NBA games.
A representative for Disney did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
Disney says YouTube TV is not paying enough to stream its channels. YouTube TV, owned by Google, has the most subscribers of all other internet TV providers, more than 9 million. Hulu, owned by Disney, is second with 4.3 million subscribers through its Hulu + Live TV offering. Disney and Google needed to reach an updated contractual agreement by 11:59 p.m. ET on Thursday, Oct. 30, which didn’t happen.
Football fans aren’t the only viewers left sidelined. Here are all the channels that were pulled from YouTube TV:
ABC
ESPN
ESPN2
Freeform
FX
FXX
Disney Junior
SEC Network
Nat Geo
Nat Geo Wild
Disney Channel
ESPNU
FXM
ABC News Live
ACC Network
Disney XD
Localish
ESPNews
ESPN Deportes (Spanish Plan)
Baby TV Español (Spanish Plan)
Nat Geo Mundo (Spanish Plan)
YouTube TV posted on X, «Members, when we renew our contracts with network partners, we advocate for fair pricing to offer you the best TV experience.» The service also said it would offer subscribers a $20 credit «if their content is unavailable for an extended period of time.» You can find updates on the dispute on this YouTube TV page.
«Google’s YouTube TV has chosen to deny its subscribers the content they value most by refusing to pay fair rates for our channels, including ESPN and ABC,» Disney said in a statement to CNBC.
In a memo to employees on Friday that was reported by CNBC, Disney accused YouTube TV of deleting «previously recorded shows and events from their subscribers’ libraries.»
«YouTube TV and its owner, Google, are not interested in achieving a fair deal with us,» Disney Entertainment co-chairs Dana Walden and Alan Bergman and ESPN Chairman Jimmy Pitaro said in the memo. «Instead, they want to use their power and extraordinary resources to eliminate competition and devalue the very content that helped them build their service.»
Consumers have alternatives to YouTube TV to get their favorite streaming channels, including Sling TV, Hulu + Live TV, Fubo and DirecTV Stream. CNET’s top streaming picks ar here.
Technologies
How to Redeem Every Active Borderlands 4 SHiFT Code
If you act quickly, you can use these SHiFT promo codes to snag epic loot and tons of Vault Hunter cosmetics in Borderlands 4.
The biggest looter shooter of the year, Borderlands 4, is out, and players are already taking the fight to the Timekeeper on Kairos. If you want to put the beat down on someone strong enough to control an entire planet, then you’re going to need an arsenal of powerful weapons and equipment.
Luckily, developer Gearbox Software is willing to lend a helping hand. Instead of having to farm every piece of legendary equipment in-game, you can roll the dice on some loot with Golden Keys unlocked by SHiFT promo codes.
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If you’re already swimming in more loot than you know what to do with, some SHiFT codes also unlock special cosmetic looks for your favorite vault hunters. Special in-game challenges have already unlocked promo codes for Amon, Rafa and Vex vault hunter skins, with a Harlowe skin unlocking soon. Here’s how to use the latest SHiFT codes in Borderlands 4.
All active SHiFT codes for Borderlands 4
You can hunt down SHiFT codes on social media, but we’ll keep all of the active promo codes in one place for ease of access.
Below, you’ll find a chart that contains every active SHiFT code for Borderlands 4, what it unlocks and its expiration date:
Active Borderlands 4 SHiFT codes
| Reward | SHiFT code | Expiration date |
|---|---|---|
| Vex Mass Market Appeal Skin | BZ6JJ-CB6CT-WXJJW-3TT3B-56FZ5 | Jan. 1, 2031 |
| Amon Cult Classic Skin | JZ6BJ-SBR5J-WF3BK-BT3BB-TX9HB | Dec. 31, 2030 |
| Rafa Savings Savior Skin | TZXT3-XJXCB-CXBJW-BTTJT-9SK6B | Dec. 31, 2030 |
| Harlowe Maliwannabee Skin | J96JT-BCXKT-C6JJ5-JTJBB-BZTXJ | Dec. 31, 2030 |
| Break Free Cosmetics Pack | JS63J-JSCWJ-CFTBW-3TJ3J-WJS5R | Jan. 1, 2031 |
| Halloween Cosmetics Pack | 3S6BB-ZXT93-KRT3W-BT3T3-JW6TZ | Jan. 1, 2031 |
| Golden Key | J9RTT-KWCK3-CFBB5-BTBT3-FKRB6 | Nov. 1, 2025 |
| Golden Key | BHRB3-XCWCJ-WFJTK-JTJJT-FCWF9 | Nov. 1, 2025 |
| Golden Key | 3SRB3-95CC3-K6TB5-BTJTB-66ZHW | Nov. 1, 2025 |
| Golden Key | T9RJB-BFKRR-3RBTW-B33TB-KCZB9 | No expiration |
How to redeem SHiFT codes for your Borderlands 4 account
While SHiFT codes are totally free rewards for you to accumulate, you must make a SHiFT account to input any active codes in-game.
SHiFT is a service that Gearbox integrates into its biggest games, and making an account unlocks forums and exclusive beta participation. It’s also necessary to create an account to turn in any promo codes, which is what most fans care about.
Once your account is created, you can enter your SHiFT codes in two separate places. Within your SHiFT account settings, you can find a Rewards tab with a field to enter any Borderlands promo codes. Once you enter the codes, any unlocked items will be added to your account the next time you open the game.
However, an easier way to input your SHiFT codes is within Borderlands 4 itself. Within the game’s pause menu, you can access a SHiFT. Select the Rewards tab from the resulting menu, input your codes and the unlocked items will be immediately available on your save.
Where are SHiFT codes normally released?
SHiFT codes are released frequently on Gearbox and Gearbox-affiliated social media channels. For the best chance at catching every new SHiFT code that gets released, you should follow Gearbox on X and on Facebook.
Gearbox CEO Randy Pitchford also releases promos on his X account, so if you’re brave enough to follow him despite his frequent outbursts toward fans you can find SHiFT codes there as well.
What are SHiFT codes?
SHiFT codes are promo codes that Gearbox occasionally releases that reward players with loot and cosmetics in Borderlands games. The main SHiFT code reward is a Golden Key, which opens the Golden Chest in most Borderlands hub areas.
But don’t spend them immediately — it’s worth saving your Golden Keys until you reach the level cap and are playing on the hardest difficulty, as the loot rewards will scale to your character accordingly. This is a great way to begin farming some endgame legendaries quickly and easily.
Technologies
SNAP Benefits Expire Tomorrow. Here Are 3 Easy Ways to Help the Food Insecure
States are scrambling to find ways to offer emergency food relief and aid amid the federal government shutdown.
Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) benefits are expiring tomorrow amid the nearly one-month-long government shutdown. Based on 2024’s fiscal year, nearly 42 million low-income Americans relied on SNAP to afford groceries and receive crucial food assistance.
States are scrambling to find ways to offer emergency food relief and aid after Nov. 1. Over two dozen states have sued the Trump administration for not funding SNAP. And some online companies are stepping in to help, including HelloFresh and DoorDash.
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Why SNAP benefits are expiring and why it matters
The Department of Health and Human Services’ website notes that the federal government shutdown is impacting November SNAP benefits and the Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children (WIC). Starting next month, recipients will only be able to access funds from previous months on their EBT cards.
Since the shutdown began on Oct. 1, federal funding for multiple agencies has come to a halt. Many federal workers, such as TSA employees and air traffic controllers, have either been furloughed or missed paychecks due to the shutdown. Now SNAP — a Depression-era government-funded program that is also commonly referred to as food stamps — is at risk.
According to data from the Center on Budget and Policy Priorities, in 2024’s fiscal year, more than 62% of people who received SNAP benefits were families with children. The average SNAP benefit for one household member was $163 per month.
According to CNN, if the government doesn’t find a solution within the next two days to fund SNAP, the program’s benefits will be cut off for the first time in its history.
«The well has run dry. At this time, there will be no benefits issued on November 1,» a message at the top of the USDA’s website states.
Democratic leaders from 25 states are behind the lawsuit filed Tuesday against the Trump administration for its refusal to use a $6 billion contingency fund to maintain SNAP. Point 5 of the lawsuit, which Politico shared, reads: «USDA suspended SNAP benefits even though, on information and belief, it has funds available to it that are sufficient to fund all, or at least a substantial portion, of November SNAP benefits.»
1. Go online and find a food bank near you
If you aren’t reliant on SNAP, there are ways you can help those who are. To find a food bank near you, visit Feeding America’s website and type in your Zip Code. Some state government websites provide similar information, but not all do. You can donate food or volunteer to work in food banks.
You can also look for ways to help your community. Check charity, nonprofit and service organization websites, as well as mutual aid services, including community fridges, for information on local resources. Facebook groups, online forums, local schools and hospitals and religious entities are also running programs to help families buy groceries or get meals delivered. Before donating food, double-check with the organization on what is most needed.
2. See if your state offers assistance
Some state governments are activating emergency assistance programs for people and food banks, including those in California, New York, West Virginia, New Mexico, Rhode Island, Minnesota, Connecticut, and Washington. There will also be week-to-week state emergency benefits in Delaware, rent and utility payment relief in Hawaii, funding for the Temporary Assistance for Needy Families program in Kentucky and a new Emergency Nutrition Assistance initiative to distribute funds in Virginia.
Some other states have also declared states of emergency or ordered the National Guard to assist in distributing food.
3. Spread the word about meal delivery donations
Donations and charity alone won’t address the food needs of more than 42 million people, but temporary measures can help alleviate some hardship during the benefit suspension for some households.
Food delivery company DoorDash has launched an emergency food response to the expiration of SNAP benefits. According to a press release, the company will deliver 1 million free meals to more than 300 Project Dash food bank partners, waive delivery and service fees for SNAP recipients, and donate food to local food banks from its DashMart stores.
«We know this is a stopgap, not a solution. But doing nothing simply isn’t an option,» said Max Rettig, vice president and global head of public policy at DoorDash.
Food delivery service Gopuff is offering SNAP recipients a $50 credit in November for all SNAP-eligible items, which will be delivered free of charge.
HelloFresh will donate $1 for each fall-themed meal kit purchased from its seasonal menu, up to a total of $50,000, to benefit No Kid Hungry, which helps SNAP and school meal programs. (Available during the weeks of Nov. 8 and Nov. 15, the two HelloFresh meal kits include creamy sun-dried tomato stuffed chicken with mashed potatoes and garlicky green beans; and crispy chicken cutlets and rigatoni in a creamy butternut squash sauce.)
Although it is not related to the SNAP program, another popular meal kit, Home Chef, donates $100,000 each year to Feeding America.
How to get your $50 SNAP credit from Gopuff
If you’re a SNAP recipient, here’s how to get $50 in credit this November:
- Make sure a SNAP EBT card has been added to your Gopuff account.
- Add SNAP-eligible items to your Gopuff shopping cart (those items will be clearly marked if eligible).
- Use code SNAPRELIEF1 at checkout for $25 off and free delivery from Nov. 1 to 15.
- Use code SNAPRELIEF2 at checkout for $25 off and free delivery from Nov. 16 to 30.
How to get SNAP items delivered for free on DoorDash
If you’re a SNAP recipient, here’s how to get free delivery and no service fees on one order during November:
- Make sure a SNAP EBT card has been added to your DoorDash account.
- Place an order at a SNAP-enabled store on DoorDash. They will be clearly marked and include Sprouts, Dollar General, Schnucks, Food Lion, Giant Foods, Hannaford, Stop & Shop, Hy-Vee, Giant Eagle and Wegmans.
- Use promo code SNAPDD at checkout.
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