Skip to main content

Here’s everything new in the Messages app with iOS 26

iOS 26 was unveiled by Apple today, and it includes several new features for the Messages app. Here’s what’s coming to the iPhone later this year.

iOS 26 upgrades Messages with new design, group chat features, and more

Apple’s Messages app is getting a handful of solid upgrades in iOS 26.

Messages gains the new ‘Liquid Glass’ redesign that impacts the app, of course. Buttons have been updated, UI elements have a fresh look, and overall the app reflects iOS 26’s aesthetic well—familiar, yet new.

Group chats are another big area of focus for Apple this year.

In iOS 26, there are several changes specifically meant to improve the group chat experience, including:

  • Typing indicators: Now you’ll be able to see live indicators of who’s typing, not just in one-on-one threads but also group chats.
  • Polls: Use polls to get input from a group with ease.
  • Apple Cash: Now you can use Apple Cash in groups to send and receive payments.

Background images can be set for different conversations, and you can even generate AI-created backgrounds with a simple Image Playground request.

Live translation is an Apple Intelligence-powered feature for communicating with friends or family members who speak a different language.

Spam prevention via message screening to hopefully reduce spam texts:

In Messages, users can now screen messages from unknown senders, giving them more control over who appears in their conversation list. Messages from unknown senders will appear in a dedicated folder where users can then mark the number as known, ask for more information, or delete. These messages will remain silenced until a user accepts them.

Though not announced today, Apple is also expected to ship RCS enhancements in iOS 26, such as support for end-to-end encryption.

iOS 26’s new Messages features are also coming to Apple’s other platforms, including the Mac, iPad, and more, via companion software updates like macOS Tahoe and iPadOS 26.

What do you think of the new Messages features in iOS 26? Let us know in the comments.

Best iPhone accessories

FTC: We use income earning auto affiliate links. More.

You’re reading 9to5Mac — experts who break news about Apple and its surrounding ecosystem, day after day. Be sure to check out our homepage for all the latest news, and follow 9to5Mac on Twitter, Facebook, and LinkedIn to stay in the loop. Don’t know where to start? Check out our exclusive stories, reviews, how-tos, and subscribe to our YouTube channel

Comments

Author

Avatar for Ryan Christoffel Ryan Christoffel

Ryan got his start in journalism as an Editor at MacStories, where he worked for four years covering Apple news, writing app reviews, and more. For two years he co-hosted the Adapt podcast on Relay FM, which focused entirely on the iPad. As a result, it should come as no surprise that his favorite Apple device is the iPad Pro.