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iOS 26: new Liquid Glass design, Apple Intelligence, more

Coming to core iPhone apps

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iOS 26

Apple has officially introduced iOS 26. It brings a revamped design, advanced AI capabilities, and more new features. These are coming to |core apps like Phone, Messages, CarPlay, Apple Music, Maps, and Wallet.

A Fresh Look with Liquid Glass

iOS 26 introduces Liquid Glass. It’s a new translucent material that enhances app icons, widgets, and navigation elements. The Lock Screen and Home Screen now offer dynamic customization, with adaptive time placement and spatial effects that respond to movement.

Apple Intelligence Gets Smarter

Apple Intelligence expands with Live Translation. It enables real-time multilingual communication in Messages, FaceTime, and Phone. Visual Intelligence allows users to search for products, recognize events, and integrate details into their calendars seamlessly.

Additionally, Genmoji and Image Playground let users create custom emoji and AI-generated images. There’s also an optional ChatGPT integration for more advanced styles.

Enhanced Connectivity and Privacy

The Phone app now combines Favorites, Recents, and Voicemails into a unified layout. Meanwhile, Call Screening helps users filter unwanted calls. Hold Assist notifies users when a live agent is available, reducing time spent on hold.

In Messages, users can screen texts from unknown senders. They can also create polls and set custom backgrounds. Group chats now display typing indicators and support Apple Cash transactions.

Upgrades to CarPlay, Apple Music, and Maps

CarPlay receives a compact call view, pinned conversations, and Live Activities for real-time updates. Apple Music introduces Lyrics Translation and AutoMix. The latter seamlessly transitions between songs like a DJ. Apple Maps now tracks Visited Places, helping users recall locations while maintaining privacy with end-to-end encryption.

Availability

iOS 26 is available for developer testing today. Like the rest of the WWDC 2025 things, public beta launches in July 2025. The full release is expected this fall. It supports iPhone 11 and later models.

For more details, visit [Apple’s official iOS 26 announcement.

Apps

Disney+ launches a TikTok-coded vertical feed called Verts

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TikTok has changed how we consume media. Everything is now vertical. Even the most established streaming services, often a bastion for traditionally horizontal content, is adopting the different format. Now, Disney+ is getting a vertical feed called Verts.

Like its contemporaries, Verts presents a continuous feed of content but tailored to show the plethora of titles from the Disney+ library. This might include the first scenes of shows or notable highlights. The hope, of course, is to direct users to the longform content.

Directly from the Verts feed, users can easily add the respective title to their watchlist or go straight to the title’s page. In turn, the feed is accessible from the homepage since it has its own tab.

According to Disney, early experiments with the feature have driven engagement to available content. Right now, the feed is mostly for clipping enticing content from shows. However, the platform will experiment further with the format for new ways to tell stories.

Though Verts surely stands for “verticals” in this case, “adverts” might fit better as its full government name. Still, it might be a useful tool if you’re figuring out what to watch for the night.

Currently, Verts is available for Disney+ subscribers in the United States. Disney also has plans to expand the feature to ESPN for sports-related content.

SEE ALSO: Live NBA action on Disney Plus now available in the Philippines

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Apps

Google Maps is finally getting a 3D mode

The app will also have a Gemini chatbot baked inside.

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Some of today’s navigation apps are living in the future. Instead of a two-dimensional map, these apps render the user’s surroundings in 3D. It’s a nifty upgrade that helps drivers more accurately visualize directions on the fly. Finally, Google Maps is getting a much-needed upgrade and will take navigation to the third dimension.

In a new update rolling out today, the new Immersive Navigation feature will bring your surroundings to life. The 3D view creates a render of the surrounding buildings, overpasses, and terrain around the car. It takes the guesswork out of navigation by showing precisely where to turn and what landmarks to look out for.

In the same vein, you can now use Street View to preview your destination before you arrive. Google Maps will also highlight your destination’s entrance, side of the street, and nearby parking.

Outside of how the map is visualized, Google Maps is also infusing its service with Gemini. The new Ask Maps feature will let you engage with the app in a conversational manner. For example, if you’re in the middle of a long drive, you can now ask Maps where the best place is to stop over and have a coffee break. Ask Maps will provide directions, a potential itinerary, and even helpful links to book a reservation ahead of time.

Now, availability for both of these features is still a bit limited. Immersive View is rolling out today to compatible devices and vehicles in the United States. Further, availability will expand over the coming months.

Meanwhile, Ask Maps is available now in the United States and India for Android and iOS. A desktop version is coming soon.

SEE ALSO: Google Maps is finally getting a power saving mode

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Entertainment

KPop Demon Hunters is officially getting a sequel

Maggie Kang and Chris Applehans will return to write and direct.

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This feels like a formality at this point. Netflix and Sony have officially confirmed that KPop Demon Hunters is getting a sequel.

If you feel like you’ve read this exact title before, then you’re not alone. Since its massive success last year, the hit animated film constantly spawned talks of a potential franchise. It probably helped that the title quickly became Netflix’s most-watched film of all time. From the last we’ve heard of the rumors, Netflix was reportedly eyeing a 2029 premiere for the sequel.

Now, it’s official. As posted by Netflix itself, KPop Demon Hunters will get a sequel soon. Even better, the follow-up will be written and directed by the same duo, Maggie Kang and Chris Applehans.

Kang, who celebrated the first movie’s ability to tell a Korean story, says that there’s a lot more to explore in the film’s universe. “There’s so much more to this world we have built and I’m excited to show you. This is only the beginning,” she said.

Right now, the plot’s sequel is still unknown, especially since the Saja Boys were defeated in the first film.

Given how big the original movie got, the sequel is no surprise. Besides bagging the top spot on Netflix’s charts, the film also got an eventual release in theaters. KPop Demon Hunters is up for a potential Oscars win after it was nominated for Best Animated Feature. Its hit song, “Golden,” is also nominated for Best Original Song.

SEE ALSO: KPop Demon Hunters is now Netflix’s most-watched movie

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