Apple Expands Intelligence Features with iOS 26 Update
Apple today released iOS 26, adding over 20 new features and improvements to its Apple Intelligence platform, building upon the initial rollout in iOS 18.
The update significantly expands the capabilities of Apple Intelligence across several core apps, including Messages, FaceTime, and Phone. New features include upgraded search functionality within Apple Maps, AI-powered actions for Shortcuts, and automatic categorization of reminders. Users will also see AI-driven order tracking integrated directly into Apple Wallet, pulling information from email inboxes, even for purchases made on Amazon. This expansion aims to streamline daily tasks and provide a more integrated user experience.
Image creation tools like Genmoji and Image Playground have also received upgrades, and Apple has broadened language support to include Danish, Dutch, Norwegian, Portuguese (Portugal), Swedish, Turkish, Chinese (traditional), and Vietnamese. Importantly, the company is also allowing third-party apps to tap into Apple’s Foundation Models, potentially unlocking a wave of new AI-powered applications. For those interested in learning more about the underlying technology, resources from Apple’s Machine Learning framework are available.
Compatibility remains limited to recent iPhone models; the update will function on any iPhone 15 Pro or Pro Max, as well as the iPhone 16, 17, and Air series, meaning older devices will not receive the new features. This tiered access to AI features is becoming a common trend among tech companies. Apple officials stated that further device compatibility will be evaluated in future releases, and encouraged users to explore the new features within the Apple Support documentation.
Apple Intelligence may not yet include the major Siri upgrades that were promised, but there are a ton of other new features that just arrived in iOS 26. Here’s everything new.
New Apple Intelligence features available in iOS 26
In iOS 18, Apple Intelligence offers just over 20 features. But iOS 26 adds another 20+ new features and improvements—all in a single software release.
Here’s the full list of new AI features across four categories:
Communication
Communication is a big focus with Apple Intelligence in iOS 26, bringing upgrades to the Messages, FaceTime, and Phone apps.
Expanding into more apps and languages
Apple has expanded the reach of Apple Intelligence to new system and third-party apps in iOS 26, plus added new supported languages.
- Apple Maps upgraded search: More powerful, effective search in Maps thanks to AI.
- Shortcuts AI actions: Employ actions that tap into Apple’s AI models, or Writing Tools or image creation features.
- Auto-categorizing reminders: Instantly transform a disorganized list into one that’s well organized and categorized.
- Reminders suggestions: Create new reminders based on content from an email, website, or note.
- Apple Wallet order tracking: AI will pull order tracking info directly from your email inbox, including for Amazon purchases.
- AI models for third-party apps: Apps can tap into Apple’s Foundation Models for implementing new AI features.
- New supported languages: Danish, Dutch, Norwegian, Portuguese (Portugal), Swedish, Turkish, Chinese (traditional), and Vietnamese.
Image creation upgrades
Apple’s Genmoji and Image Playground features received several upgrades in iOS 26.
Miscellaneous
Rounding out Apple Intelligence’s iOS 26 update, there’s a new battery mode, powerful visual intelligence changes, and expanded notification summaries.
Apple also has several watchOS 26 Apple Intelligence features that require iOS 26 to run the AI models, so those could be considered iOS features too.
iPhone compatibility for Apple Intelligence in iOS 26
Last year when Apple Intelligence launched, it supported a small number of very recent iPhone models.
There’s good news and bad news with iOS 26:
- the good news is, if your iPhone supported last year’s AI features, all of Apple Intelligence’s new capabilities will work too
- the bad news is, Apple hasn’t expanded AI support to any older devices
That means you’ll need an iPhone 15 Pro or Pro Max, or any iPhone 16, iPhone 17, or iPhone Air model to get the new features.
Which new Apple Intelligence features in iOS 26 are your favorites? Let us know in the comments.
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