7 iOS 26 features are only available for newer iPhones

Apple announced a number of new features for iOS 26 at WWDC 2025 earlier this week, including its beautiful new liquid glass design, live translation, and updates to Carplay and messages.

The latest iOS will work for most users who own iPhone, but according to Engadget, if you own iPhone XR, iPhone XS or iPhone XS Max, all three of them will be released in 2018, you won’t be able to download iOS 26. If you released your iPhone in 2019 or later, you won’t download new iOS, but you will be able to download all iOS, which means you’ll be able to use all the features announced.

9TO5MAC reports that you need an iPhone 12 or an update to access the new Lockscreen 3D effects. As for the features listed below, you need an iPhone 15 Pro or newer feature:

• Visual intelligence of screenshots

• Real-time translation in emails, faces and phone calls

• Shortcuts to take action on AI power

• Reminders, advice and organizations powered by Apple Intelligence

• Apple wallet order tracking

• New Genmoji and image playground upgrades

• Message background creation and poll recommendations

“The Apple Intelligence features detailed require supported devices, which include all iPhone 16 models, iPhone 15 Pro, iPhone 15 Pro Max, iPad mini (A17 Pro), and iPad and Mac models with M1 and later that have Apple Intelligence enabled and Siri and device language set to the same supported language: English, French, German, Italian, Portuguese (Brazil), Spanish, Japanese, Korean, or Chinese (simplified). More languages ​​will be coming by the end of this year: Danish, Dutch, Norwegian, Portuguese (Portugal), Swedish, Turkish, Chinese (traditional) and Vietnamese,” reads on the Apple website.

While these new features may make you want to buy a new phone, or at least update it to get your features, users may want to make sure their iPhone runs in the latest iOS: Security Update.