iOS 26 introduces Liquid Glass redesign with Live Translation

Apple this month rolled out iOS 26, a free update that brings a sweeping visual redesign called Liquid Glass to iPhone interfaces and a set of new features including AI-powered Live Translation, call screening, and 3D Spatial Scenes for wallpapers. The update, timed with the iPhone 17 launch and available for iPhone 11 and later models as well as second generation iPhone SE and newer, remakes system elements from icons and widgets to the Lock Screen with a translucent, glasslike material Apple says is inspired by mixed reality devices.

Liquid Glass permeates menus, Control Center, app toolbars and the Home Screen, and introduces broad customization options: icons can be set to light, dark, tinted, clear or matched to a device or official MagSafe case, widgets and app graphics gain glassy treatments, and Lock Screen photos can be converted into depth-altering Spatial Scenes. Reviewers and Apple engineers describe practical refinements as well, such as menu bars that shrink while scrolling, easier camera format controls and a reworked Phone app that adds Call Screening and a Hold Assist feature that mutes on-hold music and notifies you when an agent answers.