Apple is ushering in a brand new era for its artificial intelligence platform, Apple Intelligence, with the highly anticipated iOS 26 update. While the promised comprehensive Siri improvements aren’t yet included in this update, iPhone users are treated to over 20 new and improved AI features. These innovations cover a wide range of purposes, from streamlining communication to automating daily tasks.
Apple Intelligence expands usage with iOS 26
The most notable innovations in the update are reflected in communication apps. The Messages app now offers instant two-way translation between supported languages. Similarly, voice translation is also available for FaceTime and phone calls. Furthermore, the AI offers suggestions for creating automatic polls based on the conversation flow in Messages. Automatic summaries are also generated for incoming voicemails, aiming to save users time. AirPods users will also be able to experience live translation through their headphones with this update.
Apple Intelligence’s capabilities are now expanding to more apps and languages. This update adds support for many new languages, including Turkish, Danish, Dutch, Norwegian, and Swedish. Apple Maps gains a more powerful AI-powered search engine, and the Reminders app can automatically categorize your lists. Furthermore, the Shortcuts app lets you create new actions using AI models. The Wallet app will automatically pull order tracking information from your emails and display it for you.
There are also significant improvements in image creation and visual intelligence. It’s now possible to create entirely new Genmojis by combining two different emojis. The Image Playground feature is now more capable thanks to ChatGPT integration, allowing you to customize personal attributes like facial expressions or glasses in the created images. When you take a screenshot, AI takes over, offering intelligent actions like adding events to your calendar or searching the web using text or objects in the image.
In addition to these new features, Adaptive Power Mode, which extends battery life thanks to AI-powered optimizations, was introduced in iOS 26. However, taking advantage of these advanced AI features requires specific hardware. iPhone models that supported Apple Intelligence last year will also be able to run all of these new features. Unfortunately, Apple hasn’t expanded support to older devices. Therefore, to take advantage of these new features, you’ll need an iPhone 15 Pro, iPhone 15 Pro Max, or a newer iPhone.
So, what are your thoughts on these new Apple Intelligence features coming with iOS 26? Which one excites you the most? Share them with us in the comments.
