The new iOS 26 update has brought a lot of changes, some good, some bad. The update has new looks for apps, like messages and camera. It also added glass effect settings, so iPhone users can change their apps and notifications into clear glass squares. The camera app icon has also changed to a more realistic camera with a bigger lens. Besides that, the other apps seem to have an added 3D effect to their icons too.

“The liquid glass effect is really cool, because it just makes texting a lot more fun and it’s just cooler to look at,” Sophomore Phoebe Schmidt said. “I think that a lot of the features are really cool, especially the Apple Music one where the music transitions between songs.”

However, there were also some negative aspects that the new update came with because of how much it changed the iPhone.

Freshman Miranda Park said, “It got rid of a lot of my apps for no reason, even though I didn’t have them blocked before; [also] there are a lot of glitches.”  

Schmidt also said, “My phone used to last all day until the night, but now I have to charge it midday because it dies due to the battery going away too quickly.”

There have also been mixed opinions about the new home screen effects, especially on messages.

Park said, “[I don’t like the new update] because it looks like an Android, especially the texting and the style looks really weird.”

In contrast, Schmidt said, “I think that it did make the phone better because there’s more customization options and there’s different settings you can do.”

While people like Park discourage people from getting the new update, other people like Schmidt disagree. 

“I’ve already recommended it to many people. I think it’s a cool update,” said Schmidt.