Technologies

Liquid Glass, Live Translation, and All the Other Important New iOS26 Features Coming to Your iPhone

iOS 26 is changing a ton of iPhone features, from messaging to the photos app. Here’s what to expect when it ships in the fall.

While we still don’t know what new hardware the iPhone 17 models might be packing, we have seen the big changes coming to iPhone software with iOS26. Liquid Glass delivers a significant design refresh, and that’s just where Apple is starting. The Photos app is getting a functional redesign, while Messages and Phone apps are putting power back in your hands by delivering features around hold, and screening calls. Apple Intelligence is still contributing as well, even if Siri has been delayed.

The next version of the operating system is due to ship in September or October (likely with new iPhone 17 models), but developer betas are available now, with a public beta expected this month.

Transparent new Liquid glass design

After more than a decade of a flat, clean user interface — an overhaul 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.

Dynamic and adaptable lock screen

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. In the example Apple showed, the glassy time numerals on an iPhone lock screen stretched to accommodate the image of a dog and even shrunk as the image shifted to accommodate incoming notifications. The dock and widgets are now rounded, glassy panels that float above the background.

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 takes minimalism to the extreme. The streamlined design shows just two modes: Video or Camera. Swipe left or right to choose additional modes, such as Pano or Cinematic. 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 to the look of its source than others: a sparse 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.

A more useful feature is a feature to detect spam texts better 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 gets 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 Music app features

Do you like the sound of that song your friend is playing but don’t understand the language the lyrics are in? The Music app includes a new lyrics translation feature that displays along with the lyrics as the song plays. And for when you want to sing along with one of her favorite K-pop songs, for example, but you don’t speak or read Korean, a lyrics pronunciation feature spells out the right way to form the sounds.

AutoMix blends songs like a DJ, matching the beat and time-stretching for a seamless transition.

And if you find yourself obsessively listening to artists and albums again and again, you can pin them to the top of your music library for quick access.

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.

Maps gets more personal

Updates to the Maps app sometimes involve adding more detail to popular areas or restructuring the way you store locations. Now, the app takes note of routes you travel frequently and can alert you of any delays before you get on the road.

It also includes a welcome feature for those of us who get our favorite restaurants mixed up: visited places. The app notes how many times you’ve been to a place, be that a local business, eatery or tourist destination. It organizes them in categories or other criteria such as by city to make them easier to find the next time.

New CarPlay features

Liquid Glass also makes its way to CarPlay in your vehicle, with a more compact design when a call comes in that doesn’t obscure other items, such as a directional map. In Messages, you can apply tapbacks and pin conversations for easy access.

Widgets are now part of the CarPlay experience, so you can focus on just the data you want, like the current weather conditions. And Live Activities appear on the CarPlay screen, so you’ll know when that coffee you ordered will be done or when a friend’s flight is about to arrive.

Wallet improvements

The Wallet app is already home for using Apple Card, Apple Pay, electronic car keys and for storing tickets and passes. In iOS 26, you can create a new Digital ID that acts like a passport for age and identity verification (though it does not replace a physical passport) for domestic travel for TSA screening at airports.

The app can also let you use rewards and set up installment payments when you purchase items in a store, not just for online orders. And with the help of Apple Intelligence, the Wallet app can help you track product orders, even if you did not use Apple Pay to purchase them. It can pull details such as shipping numbers from emails and texts so that information is all in one place.

New features powered by Apple Intelligence

Although last year’s WWDC featured Apple Intelligence features heavily, improvements to the AI tech were less prominent this year, 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.

Some iOS 26 updates Apple didn’t mention

Not everything fits into a keynote presentation — even, or maybe especially, when it’s all pre-recorded — but some of the more interesting new features in iOS 26 went unremarked during the big reveal. For instance:

If you have AirPods or AirPods Pro with the H2 chip, you can use AirPods Camera Remote to start recording video on your iPhone by pressing and holding one of the AirPods.
You can choose your own snooze duration of between 1 and 15 minutes for alarms.
Audio recording options have expanded, enabling high-quality recording during conference calls and high-definition recording in the Camera app with AirPods and AirPods Pro that contain the H2 chip.
Accessibility features include an «all-new experience designed with Braille users in mind,» more options for the Vehicle Motion Cues feature to avoid motion sickness and «a more customizable reading experience.»
Reminders uses Apple Intelligence to «suggest tasks, grocery items and follow-ups based on emails or other text on your device.»
The Journal app supports multiple journals, inline images and a map view that tracks where journal entries were made.
Parental controls have been updated in unspecified ways, including «enhancements across Communication Limits, Communication Safety and the App Store.»

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 can install the first developer betas now, with an initial public beta arriving this month. (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 other announcements.

iPhone models compatible with iOS 26

iOS 26 will run on the iPhone 11 and later models, including the iPhone SE (2nd generation and later). That includes:

iPhone 16e
iPhone 16
iPhone 16 Plus
iPhone 16 Pro
iPhone 16 Pro Max
iPhone 15
iPhone 15 Plus
iPhone 15 Pro
iPhone 15 Pro Max
iPhone 14
iPhone 14 Plus
iPhone 14 Pro
iPhone 14 Pro Max
iPhone 13
iPhone 13 mini
iPhone 13 Pro
iPhone 13 Pro Max
iPhone 12
iPhone 12 mini
iPhone 12 Pro
iPhone 12 Pro Max
iPhone 11
iPhone 11 Pro
iPhone 11 Pro Max
iPhone SE (2nd generation and later)

Technologies

Today’s NYT Mini Crossword Answers for Saturday, Nov. 15

Here are the answers for The New York Times Mini Crossword for Nov. 15.

Looking for the most recent Mini Crossword answer? Click here for today’s Mini Crossword hints, as well as our daily answers and hints for The New York Times Wordle, Strands, Connections and Connections: Sports Edition puzzles.

Need some help with today’s Mini Crossword? The Saturday puzzle is always the longest of the week, so it’s not quite as easy as the other days. Today’s wasn’t too terrible. Read on for the answers. And if you could use some hints and guidance for daily solving, check out our Mini Crossword tips.

If you’re looking for today’s Wordle, Connections, Connections: Sports Edition and Strands answers, you can visit CNET’s NYT puzzle hints page.

Read more: Tips and Tricks for Solving The New York Times Mini Crossword

Let’s get to those Mini Crossword clues and answers.

Mini across clues and answers

1A clue: Theatrical role
Answer: PART

5A clue: Capital of Vietnam
Answer: HANOI

6A clue: Father of a «fur baby»
Answer: CATDAD

7A clue: Words often accompanied by a ring
Answer: MARRYME

8A clue: Whirling currents
Answer: EDDIES

9A clue: Put up, as a statue
Answer: ERECT

10A clue: Race that’s about half the length of a half-marathon
Answer: TENK

Mini down clues and answers

1D clue: SpongeBob’s starfish friend
Answer: PATRICK

2D clue: Despite it all …»
Answer: ANDYET

3D clue: Wanders here and there
Answer: ROAMS

4D clue: Company with a «To Go» stain remover
Answer: TIDE

5D clue: Become firm
Answer: HARDEN

6D clue: Small group of soldiers
Answer: CADRE

7D clue: What parallel lines never do
Answer: MEET

Technologies

Touchdown! Disney, ESPN and Other Channels Are Back on YouTube TV

YouTube TV subscribers no longer need another streaming service — or to visit a sports bar — to watch the NFL or college football.

YouTube TV subscribers, your channels — and your football — are back. Disney and YouTube said Friday night that the two companies had reached an agreement. YouTube TV subscribers lost all of Disney’s channels, including ESPN and ESPN2, on Oct. 30. Those who wanted to watch NFL or college football on ABC, ESPN or ESPN2 or Disney family-friendly hits such as Bluey, had to find other alternatives.

«We’re happy to share that we’ve reached an agreement with Disney that preserves the value of our service for our subscribers and future flexibility in our offers,» a YouTube spokesperson said. «Subscribers should see channels including ABC, ESPN and FX returning to their service over the course of the day, as well as any recordings that were previously in their Library. We apologize for the disruption and appreciate our subscribers’ patience as we negotiated on their behalf. «

Don’t miss any of our unbiased tech content and lab-based reviews. Add CNET as a preferred Google source.

The companies said in a statement that they reached a multi-year deal and were already restoring the channels to YouTube TV.

According to YouTube, subscribers should see content and saved recordings restored over the next 24 hours. So if you don’t have them back yet, they should show up soon.

I’m a YouTube TV subscriber myself, and as of 5:30 p.m. PT on Friday, Disney, ESPN and other channels have been restored for me. As a die-hard Minnesota Vikings fan (yes, I know), I added Fubo TV temporarily, but I won’t be keeping that subscription.

According to the statement, the deal will include the restoration of the channels, plus other items. The unlimited version of ESPN’s new direct-to-consumer service will now be made available at no additional cost to YouTube TV subscribers. Subscribers will also have access to a selection of live and on-demand programming from ESPN Unlimited inside YouTube TV. Also, select networks will be included in various genre-specific packages, and there will be the ability to include the Disney Plus Hulu Bundle as part of select YouTube offerings.

«This new agreement reflects our continued commitment to delivering exceptional entertainment and evolving with how audiences choose to watch,» Disney Entertainment Co-Chairmen Alan Bergman and Dana Walden and ESPN Chairman Jimmy Pitaro said in the statement. «It recognizes the tremendous value of Disney’s programming and provides YouTube TV subscribers with more flexibility and choice. We are pleased that our networks have been restored in time for fans to enjoy the many great programming options this weekend, including college football.»

Disney-owned channels were pulled on Oct. 30 when the agreement between the two companies expired.

According to The Hollywood Reporter, the resulting 25-day blackout was the longest in recent memory for Disney.

Here’s a full list of the channels that were removed due to the dispute:

ABC
ABC News Live
ACC Network
Baby TV Español (Spanish Plan)
Disney Channel
Disney Junior
Disney XD
ESPN
ESPN Deportes (Spanish Plan)
ESPNews
ESPNU
ESPN2
Freeform
FX
FXM
FXX
Localish
Nat Geo
Nat Geo Mundo (Spanish Plan)
Nat Geo Wild
SEC Network

Technologies

How to Get the Most Out of Apple AirTags: A Comprehensive User Guide

Apple’s tiny trackers have become invaluable additions for travel as well as keeping tabs on everyday items. Here’s how to make them work best for you.

The last thing you want to deal with when traveling is lost luggage. In the past, you were at the mercy of the overburdened airlines to find a missing bag, but that’s all changed now. I consider Apple AirTags essential everyday items — small enough to stash in a bag or purse, battery life you can forget about for months and able to give you peace of mind when something goes missing, even if that’s just your keys inside the house.

Apple’s portable Bluetooth trackers are quickly becoming nearly ubiquitous. They’re so popular that major airports and airlines are now plugged in to Apple’s Find My service and can help you pinpoint a bag that could be wending its way through an airport’s luggage system or was left behind where you started your trip.

I already use Apple’s Find My service to keep tabs on devices, such as the iPad I frequently leave in my living room, as well as where family members are via their iPhones. For other items like my keys and everyday bag, I’ve come to rely on several Apple AirTags that fit into or onto almost anything I want to track. Apple’s tracker depends on the crowdsourced Find My network to help you pinpoint your items, from keys you’ve misplaced at home to a bag you may have left in the office.

Here’s all you want to know about AirTags. For more, learn about why you shouldn’t put an AirTag on a pet and discover five unexpected places to stash an AirTag.

What’s an Apple AirTag?

An AirTag is an individual tracking device that securely broadcasts its location using Bluetooth wireless networking. It’s a small glossy white puck not much larger than a US quarter and about the height of three stacked coins. A CR2032 coin cell battery keeps the AirTag powered for roughly a year.

Once the AirTag is paired with an iPhone or iPad, you can essentially forget about it. Hang it on a keychain or drop it into a bag —anything you want to be able to track or find later.

How much do AirTags cost and where can I buy them?

A single AirTag retails for $29 direct from Apple, and can be bought for around $24 from most outlets that sell electronics.

However, it’s always more economical to buy AirTags in packs of four — once you find a use for a solitary AirTag you’ll soon think of other things you want to track. Apple sells the set for $99 and some retailers, such as Amazon

, Best Buy and Walmart, have them for around $75, bringing the per-item cost down below $20. AirTags are also frequently reduced for big sales such as Black Friday and Prime Day.

If you do order from Apple, you can engrave initials, numbers and emoji for free, which can help you tell the AirTags apart (or just add a personal spin).

Is it difficult to set up a new AirTag?

In typical Apple fashion, activating a new AirTag is easy. Initially, a plastic tab slipped in between the electronics and battery keeps the AirTag inert. Once you pull that tab and the pieces make contact, the AirTag starts broadcasting its presence. When you bring it close to an iPhone or iPad, a dialog box appears, giving you the option to connect the AirTag.

When you tap Connect, choose a description of what the tag will be associated with, such as «Handbag» or «Luggage»; you can also enter a custom name. Choose an emoji to represent the AirTag in the Find My app and tap Continue. The AirTag is linked to your Apple ID.

How do I locate an AirTag?

In the Find My app on your iPhone, iPad or Mac, tap the Items button to view the AirTags you’ve activated. On an Apple Watch, open the Find Items app.

Tap the item you want to locate. If you think it’s close by, the easy option is to tap the Play Sound button, which makes the AirTag emit a high-pitched trill. However, if you have an iPhone 11 or later (not counting the iPhone SE), tapping Find uses the iPhone’s Ultra Wideband (UWB) chip to locate the AirTag with more precision —not just estimating the distance, such as «1.5 ft nearby,» but also point you in the right direction as you move around.

If the item is not in your general vicinity, the Find button becomes a Directions button that will hand off the location to the Maps app for driving, walking, transit or cycling routes.

What if I forget items while I’m heading out?

Being able to find something I’ve lost is invaluable, but it would be better if I didn’t forget it in the first place. For every AirTag, you can enable Notify When Left Behind, an option that sends a notification if you and an AirTag that was with you are no longer together.

That could be as simple as forgetting a bag at a restaurant or — more alarming —if someone swiped the item and is making a getaway.

What’s the secret to how AirTags work?

You know how in many thrillers and spy movies someone plants a tracker on a person and is then able to pinpoint the target’s location no matter where they are? That always seemed far-fetched to me — what sort of range would a tiny piece of electronics have, really? — but an AirTag is essentially that.

The AirTag itself does not have that sort of range, but it has something better: millions of devices carried by Apple customers surrounding it. On a regular interval, the AirTag sends out a low-power Bluetooth signal containing an encrypted ID. Any nearby iPhone, iPad or Mac picks up the signal, adds its location coordinates (if it knows them) and sends that to Apple servers in a secure background transmission.

That’s how, when my luggage chose to spend an extra day in Europe without me, I knew it was still in the airport in France. Likely an iPhone owned by a traveler or employee picked up the ID of the AirTag in my bag and relayed that to Apple. When I opened the Find My app on my iPhone in Seattle, it queried the servers and presented the AirTag’s last known location.

All of this happens in the background — no personal information is sent, and the impact to the relaying device’s performance and battery is negligible.

What about privacy? Can a hidden AirTag track me?

Just as you can use an AirTag to track your personal objects, it is possible that someone could drop an AirTag into your bag or coat pocket to try to track your movements. Apple has put a few safeguards in place to try to prevent that type of situation.

If your iPhone or iPad detects an unknown AirTag in your vicinity that is persistently near you, a notification appears that says «AirTag Found Moving With You.» When you ransack your belongings and find it, open the Find My app on your iPhone or iPad, tap Items and then tap Identify Found Item. Place the AirTag against the back of the device at the top until you see a notification. When you tap that, you’re taken to a web page with the tag’s serial number and, optionally, contact information.

If it turns out a family member’s AirTag fell out of a bag, no worries. If it’s one that’s unfamiliar, you can follow instructions for how to disable the tag.

For more, see how to protect yourself from being tracked.

What if I suspect that my AirTag is stolen?

You’ve looked everywhere, used the Find feature to scan for it, but your item containing an AirTag is nowhere to be found. Now what?

In the AirTag’s details in the Find My app, scroll down to Lost AirTag and tap Show Contact Info. If someone finds the tag and checks it as described just above, you can have a phone number or email displayed, plus an optional message, when they look up its information.

The other option is to choose Share Item Location, which creates a link you can send to someone identifying where the tag is. The link is active for just one week, which is hopefully more than enough time to let someone track it down. For example, suppose your bag is swiped: You could give the shared link to the police so they can track it down. (For safety reasons, don’t confront someone who’s stolen your property.)

When the item and its AirTag are returned, a notification appears that you’ve been reunited. Or, you can make the tag’s whereabouts hidden at any point by tapping Stop Sharing Item Location in the same screen, which invalidates the shared link.

How can I share an AirTag with someone I trust?

An AirTag is linked to your Apple Account, but for years that presented a problem: AirTags assigned to other people in my household would trigger the «AirTag Found Moving With You» warning — not great on family trips when we’d take my wife’s car.

Now, fortunately, it’s possible to share an AirTag’s location with up to five people. Tap a tag in the Find My app and under Share AirTag tap Add Person. Tap Continue on the screen explaining what will happen, then select a contact and tap Share.

In that person’s Find My app, they can accept the shared item. Note that all people you add can track the location.

How long does the battery last and how do I replace it?

In my experience, the CR2032 coin battery in each AirTag lasts about a year. When the level dips below about 10% remaining, you’re alerted that the battery is low and a red indicator appears in the Find My app.

To replace the battery, turn the silver back counter-clockwise to release its latches. Lift the existing battery out and replace it with a new one, making sure the battery’s identifying markings are facing you. Then align the tabs of the metal portion with the slots in the plastic piece, press lightly and turn clockwise. The AirTag will chirp when the electronics and battery are securely in contact.

Can I use AirTags with an Android phone?

AirTags are not directly compatible with Android phones — there’s no app that ties into Apple’s Find My network. To get the same tracking functionality, look into the Chipolo One Point tracker that uses Google’s Find My Device network.

Apple once offered an Android app called Tracker Detect that would let you identify a found AirTag, but that’s not available for newer Android devices — an app with that name in the Google Play store is from a separate developer. However, for phones with NFC chips installed, you can place a found AirTag against the back of the device to view information about it.

For more, learn about this year’s best AirTag accessories and everything about Apple Intelligence.