Apple has expanded Apple Intelligence in iOS 26 with nine practical additions that land directly in the apps people use most. The update focuses on live translation, visual intelligence, creative tools, and Shortcuts that plug into everyday workflows without adding complexity.
Even though Apple Intelligence was marketed as the core of iOS 18, it seemed that Apple has given up on it with iOS 26. That could not be further from the truth as Apple has added thoughtful features and improvements to the operating system that built on top of what was introduced last year. Here’s a look at everything new:
The nine new intelligence features in iOS 26 are:
- Live Translation in Messages, FaceTime, and Phone
- On-screen visual intelligence for search and actions
- Enhanced Genmoji creation
- New Image Playground styles and “Any Style” option that works with ChatGPT
- Workout Buddy on iPhone with spoken coaching
- Intelligent actions in Shortcuts
- Reminders auto-categorization from content
- Wallet order-tracking summaries
- Messages polls with AI suggestions plus customizable Backgrounds.
Availability varies by language and region, but these are built to work on device whenever possible with Private Cloud Compute handling heavier tasks.
Live Translation is the headline because it removes friction where people already communicate. In Messages, your reply can be translated as you type so the recipient reads it in their language automatically. On FaceTime, you see live captions while hearing the original voice, and regular phone calls can play a translation out loud in real time. With AirPods, a new both-stems press or a Siri command starts an in-person translation quickly, and noise control helps you hear the translated voice clearly.
Visual intelligence now understands what is on your screen and lets you act on it. Capture a screenshot, highlight a product like shoes, and search the web for exact or similar matches across integrated services. The same system can summarize or translate visible text and add details like a date from a flyer straight to Calendar with a tap. You can also trigger these on-screen actions via Camera Control, the Action button, or Control Center for quick access while multitasking. Even third-party apps like Etsy and Pinterest can plugin into this and show in the new Visual intelligence and screenshot user interface.
Genmoji and Image Playground get meaningful creative upgrades. You can blend multiple emoji with short descriptions to create brand-new Genmoji, tweak expressions, and update personal attributes like hairstyle to match a contact’s latest look. In Image Playground, new style options such as Watercolor, Oil Painting, and an open-ended “Any Style” mode give you more control over the final image while keeping generation steps inside the native iOS experience.
Workout Buddy comes to iPhone with spoken, context-aware motivation. Using your fitness history and live signals like heart rate, pace, distance, Activity rings, and milestones, it delivers timely nudges that sound like a trainer and adapt as your session progresses. It is designed to run privately, turning insights into a dynamic voice without exposing your workout data. This feature also works on Apple Watch with watchOS 26.
Shortcuts adds intelligent actions that call Apple Intelligence models on device or via Private Cloud Compute. Practical examples include comparing an audio transcription to your typed notes, summarizing a long document by content, or extracting fields from a PDF and sending key details to a spreadsheet. This marries familiar Shortcuts blocks with generative steps so you can automate knowledge work inside iOS without juggling extra apps.
Reminders can detect the most relevant actions from an email, website, or note and categorize them automatically, reducing manual sorting. Wallet can identify order-tracking emails from merchants and carriers, then surface unified order status and delivery progress in one place. In group chats, Messages lets you create polls instantly, suggests a poll when it detects one might help, and supports expressive Backgrounds that you can tailor with Image Playground.
For developers, the on-device foundation model is now accessible to build private, offline features that feel native to iOS. That shift is already visible in third-party apps adopting local AI features, as we covered in our overview of local AI apps in iOS 26. The net effect is a wider pool of intelligent features that respect data boundaries while keeping latency low.
If you are updating today, start by trying Live Translation in a quick Messages exchange, then test visual intelligence on a screenshot to find a product match. Build a Shortcuts flow that summarizes a PDF into Notes, set up a Workout Buddy session for your usual route, and turn a group decision into a poll in Messages. The iOS 26 additions are less about flash and more about making everyday tasks faster, clearer, and more private.
