iOS 26 is infused with a suite of AI-powered features under the umbrella of Apple Intelligence. One of the standout additions is Live Translation, which provides real time translation of both text and audio within Messages, FaceTime and the Phone app. Because translations happen on device, your conversations remain private.
Key features
- Live Translation – Translate conversations as you speak or type across multiple apps. The system can show both languages side by side, making it easy to follow along.
- Visual Intelligence – Point your camera at text on screen or copy content from an app, and iOS will recognize it and suggest actions like adding events to your calendar
- Genmoji and Image Playground – Create custom emojis and images using AI, injecting personality into your messages
Why it matters
By bringing translation and other AI features on?device, Apple reduces reliance on the cloud and protects user privacy. These tools could make traveling or working with international partners much smoother. Together, they represent Apple’s answer to rival AI platforms, blending language, vision and creativity into the core OS.