At WWDC25 this year, Apple announced a pair of new features to vastly improve the phone calling experience for iPhone users. Hold Assist does exactly what it says on the tin, and manages calls for you while you’re placed on hold – getting rid of the need to listen to dreaded hold music.

While Apple preps for the first iOS 26 public beta, they are working on another update in tandem. iOS 18.6 will be out before iOS 26, but it won't contain many (if any) new features.

The built-in Music app doesn't get lost in the shuffle in Apple's iOS 26 update. Indeed, amid the Liquid Glass overhaul to the iPhone's interface — including the look of the Music app — a trio of new features will appear aimed at getting more out of your favorite tunes.

It was announced at WWDC, but Apple rolled it out ahead of iOS 26’s fall release date. When iOS 26 is released this fall, it will introduce two new default apps to your iPhone’s Home Screen. First, there will be a new Preview app that works very similarly to Mac’s Preview app,

Apple’s next phone operating system arriving this fall, iOS 26, includes a transparent aesthetic mimicking the look of glass and making apps and buttons blend in with content on the screen. Google is doing the opposite with its newly released operating system, Android 16, which emphasizes brighter, punchier colors.

After a month of beta testing, Apple is expected to release iOS 26 public beta on Monday. Here's how to download it.

When Apple announced iOS 26 at WWDC in June, developers (or anyone with a developer account) were able to dive right in and try out all the new features. The rest of the iPhone population had two options: wait until September for the full release or download the public beta in July.