Take Control of iOS 26 and iPadOS 26

Enhance your iPhone or iPad with Apple’s latest operating system
Version 1.0, published August 26, 2025
Discover all the changes in iOS 26 and iPadOS 26, which breathe new life into your iPhone and iPad with major new features and interface changes. In this book, renowned technology author Glenn Fleishman shows you what's new and how to upgrade.
Apple has switched to year-based numbering for all their operating systems, so iOS and iPadOS have jumped from version 18 to version 26. These new versions sport a futuristic Liquid Glass interface and a wide range of new features, including a brand-new multitasking system for iPads. This book covers all the changes, enabling you to get more out of your iPhone or iPad. (It doesn't cover everything iOS 26 and iPadOS 26 can do, however. For an in-depth overview of using an iPhone or iPad, read iPhone and iPad Basics, which will be updated to cover version 26 in September 2025.
This book was written during the public beta testing period for iOS 26 and iPadOS 26. If you're using the beta versions, you'll be able to try out the new features; if you plan to wait until the public release of version 26, this book will show you what to expect. We plan to release a free update to the book as soon as iOS 26 and iPadOS 26 officially ship, covering any changes between the beta versions and the final release.
This book helps you understand:
• The new features (both large and small) in iOS 26 and iPadOS 26
• How to determine whether the version 26 operating system will run on your device, and the steps to follow to install the upgrade
• What Liquid Glass is all about, how to use it, and how to turn off some of its features if you don't like them.
• How to work with the new iPad multitasking system, including sizing, modifying, and arranging windows (and how to switch back to Stage Manager if you prefer)
• Other iPad-specific changes, including new features for the Dock
• Helpful new features in the Phone app, including Hold Assist, Call Filtering, and Call Screening
• New spam-reduction features in FaceTime and Messages
• Live Translation, which provides real-time translation in FaceTime, Messages, and Phone
• Smaller changes to apps including CarPlay, Files, Passwords, and Wallet
• What you can do with the new Preview app, previously available only for Mac