As September approaches, Apple enthusiasts are eagerly anticipating the release of iOS 26, which promises a significant overhaul to the Messages app. With a fresh design dubbed the Liquid Glass design, iOS 26’s Messages app is not just a visual update but a feature-packed enhancement aimed at revolutionizing how we communicate.
One of the standout features is the ability to set custom backgrounds for each conversation. Users can choose from a variety of themes, solid colors, or even images from their own gallery. Moreover, Apple’s generative AI ‘Image Playground’ app enables the creation of unique backgrounds tailored to individual preferences. This personalization touch is exclusive to iMessage conversations and requires iOS 26, iPad OS 26, or Mac OS Tahoe.
Polls in chats are another exciting addition, allowing users to create polls with up to twelve response options directly within conversations. For added convenience, Messages can intelligently suggest creating a poll based on the ongoing conversation, streamlining decision-making processes within group chats.
The introduction of real-time translation using Apple Intelligence is a game-changer for multilingual conversations. With support for various languages including English, French, German, Italian, Korean, Portuguese, Spanish, and Simplified Chinese, Messages now facilitates seamless communication across linguistic barriers.
In group chats, two new features enhance the overall experience. Users can now see indicators of who is typing, a feature akin to what’s available on popular platforms like WhatsApp. Additionally, the ability to swiftly add unknown participants to contacts simplifies group chat management, ensuring a seamless and inclusive communication environment.
Enhancements to copying functionality make extracting specific information from messages a breeze. By long-pressing and selecting “Select,” users can copy individual elements like addresses or tracking numbers with ease, streamlining information sharing within conversations.
Message organization receives a boost with new filters categorizing messages from unknown senders, suspected spam, transactions, advertising, spam, and recently deleted messages. This categorization helps users prioritize messages and manage their inbox more efficiently, with the option to hide notifications from specific categories.
The search function in Messages now supports natural language queries, enabling users to search using everyday language instead of rigid keywords. This intuitive feature enhances the user experience, making information retrieval more seamless and user-friendly.
For users concerned about data usage, a new setting sends low-quality image previews when using limited data, ensuring efficient data management while preserving image quality. Full-resolution images are automatically sent when connected to Wi-Fi, striking a balance between data conservation and image clarity.
Genmoji, an Apple Intelligence feature reminiscent of the viral stacked emojis trend from 2024, allows users to combine multiple emoji symbols into custom creations. With the option to add text descriptions, Genmoji offers a fun and expressive way to personalize messages, adding a touch of creativity to conversations.
CarPlay integration sees improvements with Messages now supporting Tapbacks and the ability to pin conversations for quick access, enhancing the messaging experience while on the go. These enhancements make staying connected easier and more convenient for CarPlay users.
Looking ahead, Apple’s alignment with EU regulations includes introducing a new API enabling third-party apps to send and receive SMS, MMS, and RCS messages. Additionally, plans for end-to-end encryption for RCS conversations between iPhone and Android users in future updates highlight Apple’s commitment to privacy and security in cross-platform communications.
With these exciting new features and enhancements on the horizon, iOS 26 is poised to transform the messaging experience for Apple users, offering a blend of creativity, convenience, and security in every conversation. Stay tuned for the official release in September, and get ready to explore a whole new world of messaging possibilities with iOS 26.