Seven IOS 26 Features to try on your iPhone.

<h3>1. Call Screening</h3>What it does: Your iPhone now automatically answers calls from unknown numbers and prompts the caller to state their name and reason for calling. You’ll see this info on your screen in real-time, and you can choose to answer or ignore.Why it's great: No more jumping for your phone just to hear a spammer. It’s like having a smart assistant screen your calls without you lifting a finger.

<h3>2. Polls in Messages</h3>What it does: You can create polls directly in iMessage conversations, including group chats and one-on-one chats.Why it's great: Perfect for quickly deciding on dinner plans, movie times, or travel coordination — without endless back-and-forth messages.

3. Pinned musicNot every change to an operating system needs to be dramatic to be useful. Sometimes, it's just a little tweak that makes all the difference. In iOS 26, you'll be able to pin playlists, albums or artists, and they'll appear at the top of the Music app's library.It's such a simple feature that Apple doesn't even allude to it on its <a target="_blank" rel="sponsored noopener" class="hawk-link-parsed" href="https://go.redirectingat.com/?id=92X1584493&xcust=tomsguide_row_7882271170786009759&xs=1&url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.apple.com%2Fos%2Fios%2F%23footnote-10&sref=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.tomsguide.com%2Fphones%2Fiphones%2Five-been-using-the-iphone-since-the-start-and-these-are-the-7-ios-26-features-i-cant-wait-to-try">IOS 26 preview page, </a>only mentioning the addition in passing during the WWDC keynote.

<h3>4. Visual Intelligence for Screenshots (Requires Apple Intelligence – iPhone 15 Pro or newer)</h3>What it does: Tap on a screenshot and your iPhone will recognize useful content (e.g. dates, names, addresses, or events) and suggest actions like adding to your calendar or searching.Why it's great: It turns your screenshots into interactive, actionable content. Imagine taking a snap of a concert flyer and instantly setting a reminder or booking a ticket.

<h3>5. Hold Assist</h3>What it does: When you’re placed on hold during a call, Hold Assist will wait on your behalf and alert you the moment a real person comes on the line.Why it's great: You can use your time more productively instead of listening to elevator music or repetitive “your call is important” messages.

<h3>6. Live Voicemail Upgrades + Unknown Messages Filtering</h3>What it does: Live Voicemail still transcribes voicemail in real time, but it’s now smarter and better integrated with filtering. Text messages from unknown senders are automatically routed into a separate “Unknown” tab, and you won’t be bothered with notifications unless Apple thinks it's important.Why it's great: You stay in control and keep your notifications clean while letting AI sort out what’s probably junk.

<h3>7. Apple Music AutoMix + Lyrics Translation</h3>What it does:<ul><li>AutoMix blends songs together like a DJ set, creating smooth transitions in playlists.</li><li>Lyrics Translation translates song lyrics in real time and even provides pronunciation guides for certain languages.</li></ul>Why it's great: Great for parties, workouts, or just vibing — and a fun way to understand songs in other languages.

4 likes