With its Liquid Glass design stealing the show, Apple Intelligence wasn't the main focus of WWDC 2025, but it did come with amazing features that will change the way you use your iPhone. In this article, we'll take you on a detailed tour of the most prominent Apple Intelligence features in iOS 26, with a clear and simplified explanation of how they work and their benefits.
What's new in Apple's intelligence with iOS 26?
The iOS 26 update brings a host of features powered by Apple's intelligence. Whether you're communicating with friends, shopping online, or organizing your daily tasks, here are the most notable features:
Simultaneous translation
With Live Translation, language barriers are a thing of the past! This feature works in apps like Messages, FaceTime, and Phone, automatically translating text and voice conversations. Here's how it works:
◉ In the Messages app, tap the person's name in the conversation and enable the "Automatic Translation" option. Then, select the desired language, such as English, French, or Arabic. The translated text will appear on your device, while the other party will see the text in their original language.
◉ In the phone app, the voice is translated using an AI-powered smart voice, with the translated text of the conversation displayed on the screen.
◉ In FaceTime, real-time text translations of what the other person is saying will appear, while you hear their voice in their native language.
◉ Languages supported for instant translation are English (US and UK), Simplified Mandarin Chinese, French, German, Italian, Japanese, Korean, Brazilian Portuguese, and Spanish (Spain). Apple will add more languages, such as Arabic, later in 2025.
◉ This feature requires a device that supports Apple's AI, and both parties must enable real-time translation in some cases. However, in Messages, if the other party is using an older device, you will still see translation on your device.
Visual intelligence on screen
Visual Intelligence takes interaction with your device to a new level. Instead of relying solely on the camera, you can now use this feature to analyze the content on your iPhone screen directly. Here's how it works:
◉ Take a screenshot, and new buttons like “Ask” and “Image Search” will appear.
◉ The "Ask" button allows you to ask questions about the content using ChatGPT. For example, if you take a photo of an event announcement, you can ask ChatGPT for details.
◉ The "Search Image" button lets you search for specific items in an image. You can select a part of the image, such as a bag or a pair of shoes, with your finger and search for it via Google or apps like Etsy.
◉ If there's an event in your screenshot, an "Add to Calendar" option will appear to add it directly to the Calendar app. It will also automatically suggest identities for animals, plants, sculptures, landmarks, art, and books.
Track orders in the Wallet app
With Wallet Order Tracking, Apple's intelligence scans your emails to extract order information and automatically adds it to the Orders section of the Wallet app. To enable it:
◉ Go to the Wallet app settings and enable the automatic order tracking option.
◉ When you open the Orders section in your wallet, you'll find the merchant's name, order number, and tracking number, if available. You can also click to view the email associated with the order.
Image Playground improvements
The Image Playground app has received a major upgrade in iOS 26, making image creation more realistic and creative. Whether you want a cartoon or a realistic portrait, this feature will meet your needs. Among the new features added are:
◉ Improve the quality of generated images, especially in designing faces, hair, and landscapes.
◉ Added ChatGPT support to create images in new styles such as anime, oil painting, and watercolor.
◉ “Any Style” option allows you to describe any style you want for the image.
◉ If you want to create a cartoon image of a friend, you can upload their photo and choose a specific style or describe the desired style. You can also combine an image with text to create something unique.
NoteUsing ChatGPT requires a paid subscription, but Apple's built-in models are free.
Genmoji: Create your own emoji
The Genmoji feature takes emoji to a new level! Now you can combine two or more emoji to create a new emoji, or add it to Image Playground to customize facial expressions. Here's how it works:
You can combine emojis like 😺+🚀 to create a cat on a rocket, or add a text description like “cat wearing a hat.” In Image Playground, you can customize facial expressions like “happy” or “surprised” when creating Genmoji inspired by photos of friends.
Smart reminders with apps
The Reminders app has gotten smarter thanks to Apple's intelligence. It can now suggest tasks based on content in emails, notes, or websites. Here's how it works:
◉ The Siri Suggestions section appears in the Reminders app, where you can add a task with a single tap. For example, if you find an email with an appointment, you'll see a suggestion to add it as a reminder.
This feature saves you time and helps you stay organized without having to manually enter tasks.
Smart Shortcuts in iOS 26
With the iOS 26 update, Apple added Smart Shortcuts powered by Apple's intelligence, allowing you to create automated tasks more intelligently. You can now use Writing tools to summarize text, create images via Image Playground, or even generate new text.
Shortcuts allow you to integrate Apple's intelligence models, whether directly on the device, via ChatGPT, or using private cloud computing. When creating a shortcut, you can type instructions that open in the Apple Intelligence section, such as pulling data from the Weather, Calendar, or Reminders apps to create a daily summary, or checking text for spelling and grammar errors and providing a short summary. This feature makes your daily life more organized and productive with the touch of a button!
Apple Watch Workout Companion
The feature analyzes current workout data such as heart rate, speed, distance, Activity Rings, and personal achievements, and turns it into helpful advice using an intelligent voice trained on the voices of Fitness+ trainers.
For example, you might hear: “Wow, you ran 4.3 miles in 8 minutes and 58 seconds!” or “I’ve run over 200 miles this year!”
The feature is available for workouts like outdoor and indoor running, walking, cycling, and strength training, but requires Bluetooth headphones like AirPods and a compatible iPhone.
Advantage operating requirements
To take advantage of these features, you'll need an Apple-enabled device, such as the iPhone 15 Pro or Pro Max, all iPhone 16 models, iPhone 17 models coming in Fall 2025, and an iPad and Mac with an M1 chip or later. These features are also available on iPadOS 26 and macOS Tahoe 26.
What about Siri?
Siri updates weren't a focus at WWDC 2025, but Apple confirmed that major improvements are coming in spring 2026 with iOS 26.4. These improvements include:
◉ Personal context, where Siri will remember your messages, files, and photos to help you complete tasks.
◉ Screen awareness, where Siri will interact with the content displayed on the screen, such as adding an address to Contacts.
◉ Deeper integration with apps: Siri will be able to perform complex tasks across apps.
iOS 26 combines stunning design with intelligent features that make iPhone more than just a smartphone. From real-time translation that brings the world closer to you, to visual intelligence that transforms your screen into a powerful search tool, this update sets a new standard for a personalized experience. Whether you're traveling, shopping, or organizing your daily life, Apple's intelligence in iOS 26 will make every moment easier and more enjoyable.
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