iOS is Apple’s operating system for the iPhone and iPad. It’s also the basis for tvOS for the Apple TV and watchOS for the Apple Watch. It’s even beginning to infiltrate the Mac in some ways. Apple has worked hard to keep iOS private and secure, and it has a huge ecosystem of apps via its official App Store. Some have argued that it is too locked down, but the trade-off is that it’s fast and stable for most users.
As 9to5Mac reports, the release notes for the latest iOS 26.6 beta say it “optimizes the Spotlight index to prepare for iOS 27.” This is likely aimed at speeding up the indexing process so it doesn’t take days when iOS 27 officially launches, like some users on the developer beta have reported.
The AI-powered feature is designed to adjust the angle of a photo you’ve taken… but maybe not reconstruct your entire head.
We knew this was coming thanks to a settlement Apple made with Brazil’s competition watchdog last year, but now it’s official.
[Apple Newsroom]
Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman also said more third-party chatbots in Siri and modular Apple Watch faces are coming later this year, despite not making an appearance at WWDC.
Gurman also points out a few hints at WWDC about Apple’s rumored foldable iPhone, which could launch as soon as September, as well as a touchscreen Mac.
The update-filled keynote showed an AI-upgraded Siri along with new features across Apple’s operating systems.
An on-the-record chat about Apple Intelligence.
AI Siri, take two? Definitely everything coming to iOS 27, macOS 27, and more.
According to Mark Gurman, the next version of iOS will have native support for third-party casting services to satisfy the requirements of the European Union’s Digital Markets Act. Users will be able to set AirPlay, Google, or something else as the default for beaming audio and video from their iPhones.
Apple’s dedicated sports app (where betting odds may be on by default until you turn them off) has expanded to 90 new markets. Apple also says that new features include a tournament bracket view for the World Cup stages, visual formations of each starting lineup, and one-tap links to Apple News coverage.
iPhone and iPad users in the European Union, Japan, and other countries can now download Fortnite directly from the App Store, Epic Games announced on Tuesday:
Fortnite is returning to the App Store now because we are confident that once Apple is forced to show its costs, governments around the world will not allow Apple junk fees to stand.
Epic Games brought Fortnite back to the US App Store last year following a legal win against Apple. It’s still not available in Australia, however.
At Bloomberg, Mark Gurman has more AI-related rumors ahead of WWDC, saying that, along with a reworked version of Siri, Apple plans to build Grammarly-like grammar checking and suggestions into the next iPhone and iPad updates (hopefully, without using our AI slopplegangers for an “expert review”).
Other changes include a Shortcuts upgrade that builds automations based on whatever requests you describe, and an AI wallpaper generator similar to what Samsung and Google already offer.
With the “Create a Pass” feature, you’ll be able to import the QR code from your membership cards, tickets, and other passes to your Wallet, where you can create a custom design around it, according to Bloomberg.
This capability is rumored to arrive with iOS 27, and sounds a bit like Google Wallet’s custom pass option.
But it won’t have apps from other developers at launch. Right now, only Epic’s own Fortnite and Rocket League Sideswipe are available due to the Core Technology Commission.
Epic is also pushing for Apple to reduce the number of scare screens when installing the store. Currently, there are 9.
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[Epic Games Newsroom]
The feature, launched in 2024, will also get Siri branding, according to Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman. The changes could be part of a big camera-related push from Apple this year, as Gurman reported Tuesday that the Photos app will also be getting more AI photo editing features.
Apple is adding an “Apple Intelligence Tools” section to the Photos app editor, which will include four AI features: Extend, Enhance, Reframe, and Clean Up, reports Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman.
Clean Up is the only AI editing tool already available in the Photos app, but it fell short of Google’s Magic Editor in our testing after its debut last year.
Earlier this month, 404 Media reported that the FBI obtained deleted Signal messages saved inside an iPhone’s notification database. It looks like the iOS 26.4.2 security update addresses this, as Apple says it has fixed an issue where “notifications marked for deletion could be unexpectedly retained on the device.”
[Apple Support]
The update adds protections against DarkSword, a security vulnerability that can steal information from your phone if you visit an infected link. Apple previously released iOS 18.7.7 to the iPhone XS and XR, but if you have a newer phone and don’t want to download iOS 26, now you can install the patch without worrying about getting Liquid Glass.
Apple is currently testing the feature, according to Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman. I hope it makes the cut; I think I’d use it way more than any of Siri’s long-delayed features we’re still waiting on.
Apple started testing the feature with its iOS 26.4 betas, but at the time, the company said the feature would actually arrive in a “future update.” Encrypted RCS messages are back with the first iOS 26.5 developer beta, 9to5Mac reports, so perhaps they will launch publicly on iOS soon.
After users in China reported seeing Apple Intelligence on their iPhones, Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman said these AI-powered features launched in “error” and that Apple has since taken them offline. The Chinese government currently requires Apple to partner with local companies, like Alibaba, to power AI features in the country.
A newer version of the DarkSword exploit that targets devices running iOS 18.4 to 18.6.2 has appeared on GitHub. About 34 percent of iPhone and 43 percent of iPad users are still running iOS 18 or earlier, according to Apple, which issued an emergency patch on March 11th. Update your devices, folks!
