iOS 26.0.1 has since been released and is now the latest update as of this post - this small patch can be found at the bottom of the page, following the main content.
Apple Intelligence is Apple’s artificial intelligence feature supported by iPhone 15 Pro and later. This feature is available from iOS 18.1 and on.
As with any update, users may experience warmer devices and/or quicker battery drain - this is typical and usually resolves itself within 72 hours, if not the first day.
Now, onto the good stuff - Happy reading!
To check the model name, go to: Settings > General > About
11 and later | SE (2nd gen and later)
Note: iPhone X models do not support this update.
By the way... the 'X' is actually '10'. You know, Roman stuff.
12 minutes | 12.39 GB
Please note, the time above is relative to the moment your device is unusable. Initially, your device will give you an estimated time. Apple's estimation is for downloading the update, not installing. Time & download size may slightly vary.
“iOS 26 brings a new design, intelligent experiences, and improvements to the apps you rely on every day. The new design with Liquid Glass brings a more expressive and seamless experience to your Lock Screen and Home Screen, as well as apps, navigation, and controls. Apple Intelligence is integrated into even more places, giving you the ability to learn more about the content on your screen, powering Live Translation features to help you communicate across languages, and unlocking new actions in Shortcuts so you can get more done fast. Updates to Phone and Messages help you stay connected while eliminating distractions like unwanted calls. iOS 26 also brings meaningful enhancements to Camera, Photos, Wallet, CarPlay, and so much more.”
Update: 26.0.1 resolves an issue related to VoiceOver - iOS 26.0.1 notes can be found at bottom of page.
Accessibility Nutrition Labels in App Store product pages tell you if accessibility features like VoiceOver, Voice Control, and Captions are available within apps and games before you download them
Accessibility Reader makes text in any app easier to read by giving you new ways to customize text with extensive options for font, color, and spacing, as well as support for Spoken Content
Braille Access helps you take notes, read documents, access Live Captions, launch apps, and perform various other tasks effortlessly with your connected braille display
New app is the all-in-one destination for gaming on your iPhone, helping you jump back into the games you love, discover new favorites, and play with friends in new ways
Challenge friends, track scores in real time, and see what else your friends are playing
Access your entire game library, including new and past downloads from the App Store and Apple Arcade, and launch when you are ready to play
Recommendations for new games are based on the games you love to play
Adaptive Temperature automatically adjusts your thermostat to your preferred temperature when you’re on your way home, and adjusts to save energy when you leave for the day or go on vacation
Note: Requires a Matter-enabled, Apple Home-compatible, smart thermostat.
Learn more about the content in any app by pressing the same buttons you use to take a screenshot
Highlight to search for something specific on your screen
Jump into Google search results based on the content on your screen, find related items from your most-used third-party apps, or ask ChatGPT about what you're looking at
Tip: Miss the old screenshot preview that would disappear after a few seconds?
Settings > General > Screen Capture > Full Screen Preview = OFF
Personally, I'm giving it a chance.
Streamlined design makes it even easier to access the Photo and Video capture modes, with other modes still just a swipe away
Lens cleaning hints alert you when your lens is smudged so you can capture the clearest possible photo (iPhone 15 and later)
New AirPods gesture lets you take a photo or start recording video just by pressing the stem on AirPods 4 and AirPods Pro 2 and later
A new design with Liquid Glass helps make each interaction area of the Dashboard distinct, and provides a new tab bar design for easy navigation in apps
Compact design for incoming calls makes it easy to keep your eyes on the upcoming turn in your favorite navigation app
Tapbacks in Messages gives you a simple way to react to messages while driving, like with a thumbs up or a heart
Pinned conversations appear at the top of Messages, making it easy to get to your most frequent conversations
Widgets stacks can be found to the left of the Dashboard, so you can stay on top of your favorite apps at a glance
Live Activities appear automatically on the Dashboard, making it easy to keep track of real time events on the go
Estimated time to charge lets you know how long it will take for your iPhone to charge
Adaptive Power learns your typical battery usage and, on higher usage days, makes automatic adjustments to help you extend your battery life throughout the day (iPhone 15 Pro and later)
Blood pressure logging experience in the Health app can send you reminders to measure your blood pressure using a third-party cuff and create a PDF report for your healthcare provider
New Workout tab in the Fitness app brings workout tracking, so you can track metrics like pace and distance, and even more if you have a compatible heart rate monitor like AirPods Pro 3. If you have an Apple Watch, you can take advantage of the larger screen while using features like building a Custom Workout
Custom snooze options let you adjust how long you can snooze when your alarm goes off, with options between 1 and 15 minutes
Visited Places gives you the option to allow your iPhone to detect the places you visit, like a restaurant or shop, so you can easily find them again in the Maps library and share them easily
Preferred routes improve your frequent drives by learning the routes you take between places you regularly visit, like your commute from home to work
Screening for unknown senders helps you to stay in control of who can reach you, and puts screened messages in a new area of your conversation list so they’re out of your way
Backgrounds can be added to conversations to make them more personal, with the option to use built-in backgrounds, your own photos, or images made with Image Playground
Polls can help you find out everyone’s availability for an upcoming dinner plan or decide on a group gift
Typing indicators in groups make it easy to know exactly who is about to chime in
Lyrics Translation and Pronunciation help you understand the meaning behind your favorite songs and makes it easy to sing along, even if you don’t know the language
AutoMix transitions one song into the next like a DJ does, time stretching and beatmatching to deliver a continuous playback experience
Pin songs, albums, playlists, and more at the top of Library for quick, easy playback
Password History provides a timeline of changes you’ve made to an account in Passwords, including a history of past passwords and generated strong passwords
New unified layout option brings together your Favorites, Recents, and Voicemails
Call Screening lets you screen incoming calls from unknown numbers, getting you the caller’s name and reason for the call before the phone rings
Screened calls from unknown numbers can be placed in a new area of your call list so they’re out of your way
Hold Assist keeps your spot in line while you wait to speak to a live agent, and rings you to return to the call when the live agent is there
Separate tabs for Library and Collections offers easier navigation, and you can access Search in every view
Collections view can be customized with three different layout options, and it’s easy to collapse and reorder the collections
Recognition for events like concerts and sports lets you see the details of an event and access related content
Preview is a new app on iPhone dedicated to viewing and editing PDFs, with powerful features like AutoFill, a document scanner, and export options
Familiarity Check: If you're a Mac user, you may already be familiar with Preview, as it's the default when opening PDFs, image files, etc.FaceTime has a reimagined landing page that features personalized Contact Posters for your recent callers and video messages that play as you scroll
Reminder Suggestions use Apple Intelligence to identify relevant tasks when you share an email, website, note, or other text to the Reminders app
Communication Requests give kids the ability to send requests to their parents when there are new phone numbers they want to be able to communicate with
Convert existing accounts to Child Accounts easily to take full advantage of all available child safety protections
Age-appropriate experiences in apps gives parents the option to enable kids to share their age range with third-party apps, so they can access content and features suited to their age group
Communication Safety expands to intervene when nudity is detected on live FaceTime calls, and to blur out nudity in Shared Albums in Photos
Local capture records the high-quality audio and video from your iPhone while on any video conferencing call, letting you produce an interview or podcast with the clearest recordings
Audio input picker in Control Center makes it easy to choose the right microphone for each app, including on the web
Updated boarding passes give you more access to timely and relevant information about your flights and airports, as well as quick access to airline app features
Order tracking (beta) uses Apple Intelligence to find emails sent by either merchants or delivery carriers and brings your full order details, progress notifications, and more into one place in the Wallet app
Installment financing options from your bank or card provider for your credit and debit card purchases are accessible when you pay with Apple Pay in-store on iPhone
iOS 26.0.1 has since released, resolving the following issues: