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iOS 26: What’s Changed With the iPhone’s Home Screen

Apple’s new Liquid Glass design is noticeable on the Home Screen right when you unlock your iPhone, though the degree of change is customizable. We’ve rounded up everything that’s changed with the ‌iPhone‌’s main interface.

Liquid Glass Design

By default, app icons have a layered look with subtle depth, essentially appearing as multiple sheets of glass stacked on one another to create a glass-like translucent look.

Apple created Liquid Glass app icons for apps like Safari, Maps, Photos, the App Store, Mail and more. Third-party app icons are adopting the same aesthetic, and for apps with a simple design on a solid background, no update is needed. Icons like this already have a Liquid Glass look.

The dock is transparent and blends into the background behind it, and the same goes for the search button. App folders have a frosted glass design that also changes tint based on your wallpaper. When you edit your ‌Home Screen‌, the buttons that you interact with are also transparent.

Interface elements like the dock, folders, and the search button have a lighting effect that changes when you move your ‌iPhone‌, making them look like real glass.

Light, Dark and Tinted Modes

The Liquid Glass effect is apparent in both Light Mode and Dark Mode, with icons continuing to feature the same stacked glass look, just with a lighter or darker background.

Apple technically changed Light Mode to “Default Mode” in the customization settings where you can adjust color (long press on the display and tap on customize).

There are new “Always” and “Auto” toggles for enabling permanent Light or Dark styles or adjusting them based on time, and the Small and Large buttons for changing icon size have been relocated to the upper right of the customization interface.

Tinted mode looks different in iOS 26 than it did in iOS 18. Rather than icons featuring a black background with colored graphics, icons adopt the full color that you select with white graphics in Light Mode. In ‌Dark Mode‌, backgrounds are a much darker shade of the color you choose, but aren’t entirely black.

With Tinted icons, the layered glass look isn’t as obvious, but it’s still present.

Clear Icons

Apple added a “Clear” icon option in ‌iOS 26‌ that’s available alongside Default, Dark, and Tinted. As the name suggests, Clear has a dramatic Liquid Glass look with icons that are entirely transparent. The icons adopt the color of your wallpaper, with white text and designs.

There are Light and Dark options for the Clear setting. Light looks like frosted glass, while Dark looks like tinted glass. If you want to go all-in on Liquid Glass and have your ‌iPhone‌ look notably different, Clear is the option to choose.

Widgets

Widgets have some of the same aesthetic as icons, but on the whole, they don’t look too much different from how they looked in ‌iOS 18‌ in the Default mode.

With the Clear option turned on, widgets are transparent and have a more cohesive design that matches with your wallpaper.

Wallpaper

You can edit your wallpaper directly from the ‌Home Screen‌ in ‌iOS 26‌. Long press on the display and then tap on the new “Edit Wallpaper” option.

The wallpaper interface lets you change the image that you’re using on the ‌Home Screen‌, but it doesn’t affect the Lock Screen. If you have a photo set as a wallpaper, for example, you can change the color, select a gradient, or choose a photo, plus you can turn blurring for images off or on.

Wallpaper takes a starring role in ‌iOS 26‌ because it affects the color of the dock, folders, and icons, depending on your settings.

Control Center

Control Center adopts Liquid Glass, so while the functionality is the same, the general look is different. Compared to the ‌iOS 18‌ Control Center, the ‌iOS 26‌ version has depth for the icons with the Liquid Glass shifting light effect.

The icons are tinted to look like frosted glass, and some of the underlying buttons for adjusting Control Center have been tweaked with the updated look. Icons are a little larger, and some of the bar-shaped icons for volume, brightness, and other settings are rounder.

Other Home Screen Elements

The Dynamic Island, Notification Center, long press gestures, and App Library have not changed beyond aesthetics. App Library folders are translucent and the search bar is rounded, and for widgets, there is a glass look of varying intensity depending on your icon color choice.

App Library icons are also slightly larger, with less padding between them.

Web Apps

When you add a website to your ‌Home Screen‌ in ‌iOS 26‌, it always opens as a web app. Web apps were available on the ‌Home Screen‌ in ‌iOS 18‌, but web developers needed to configure them to operate as web apps.

If websites weren’t configured properly, they would open in Safari when added to the ‌Home Screen‌. Now a website will open as a dedicated web app, even if it hasn’t been explicitly set up to work that way.

There is an Open as Web App option that can be toggled off when adding a website to a ‌Home Screen‌ if you prefer that websites open up in Safari.

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We have a dedicated iOS 26 roundup that goes into detail on all of the new features that are available in the update.

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July 4, 2025
Govt holds deportation of Afghan refugees with POR cards

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The federal government on Friday directed authorities not to take any action against Afghan refugees holding Proof of Registration (PoR) cards, while considering extending the validity of the document, according to an official notification.

“The matter regarding the extension in validity of Proof of Registration (PoR) is under consideration by the federal government,” the notification said, instructing all departments and agencies to refrain from “harassment or adverse action” against registered Afghan refugees until a final decision is made.

Pakistan is home to over 2.8 million Afghan refugees who fled decades of conflict in Afghanistan. Of these, around 1.3 million possess PoR cards while some 813,000 hold Afghan Citizen Cards (ACC), issued in 2017 to grant temporary legal status.

Earlier this year, the interior ministry ordered all “illegal foreigners” and ACC holders to leave the country by March 31, warning of deportations starting from April 1. Authorities have since repatriated approximately 1.3 million Afghans under the ongoing deportation drive launched in November 2023.

However, the new government directive offers temporary reprieve to PoR cardholders, amid growing international concern over the treatment of Afghan refugees.

“Of the nearly three million Afghan nationals in Pakistan, only a fraction have valid documentation,” Parliamentary Secretary Mukhtar Ahmad Malik told the parliamentary session. He said the government was reviewing documentation policies as part of a broader reassessment of refugee management.

Pakistan has hosted Afghan refugees for over four decades, but recent security and economic pressures have prompted tighter border and immigration controls.

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July 4, 2025
The way you drink coffee could determine how long you live, study finds

If your daily routine involves an energizing cup of coffee, you may want to rethink what you choose to put in it.

Drinking coffee has been linked to a lower risk of death. The catch is, mortality risk based on coffee consumption changes with the amount of sweeteners and saturated fat added, according to a study from the Gerald J. and Dorothy R. Friedman School of Nutrition Science and Policy at Tufts University.

“Coffee is among the most-consumed beverages in the world, and with nearly half of American adults reporting drinking at least one cup per day, it’s important for us to know what it might mean for health,” Fang Fang Zhang, senior author of the study, said.

“The health benefits of coffee might be attributable to its bioactive compounds, but our results suggest that the addition of sugar and saturated fat may reduce the mortality benefits.”

The study found that drinking black coffee and coffee with low levels of added sugar and saturated fat were associated with a 14% lower risk of all-cause mortality as compared to no coffee consumption.

But for coffee with high amounts of added sugar and saturated fat, results varied.

The study analyzed data from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey from 1999 to 2018 and National Death Index Mortality Data.

Among the studied 46,332 U.S. adults aged 20 or over, 7,074 people have died. Those deaths were then cross-referenced against coffee consumption, according to reports.

The researchers found that people who drink coffee showed a lower risk of all-cause mortality, but when more than a little sugar and saturated fat was added, the risks were heightened.

While limited in scope, the study suggests that drinking caffeinated coffee could help you live longer, while decaffeinated coffee drinkers saw no difference in mortality rates. And taking sugar, milk and cream in your coffee could increase mortality.

“Few studies have examined how coffee additives could impact the link between coffee consumption and mortality risk, and our study is among the first to quantify how much sweetener and saturated fat are being added,” researcher Bingjie Zhou said.

“Our results align with the Dietary Guidelines for Americans which recommend limiting added sugar and saturated fat.”

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July 4, 2025
Pure joy: the Australian pub choirmaster who flipped the script on America’s Got Talent | Brisbane

Viewed from the outside, at least, far from united, the states of America appear irreconcilably divided.

Which may explain why Astrid Jorgensen, a 35-year-old choir director from Brisbane who honed her skills at the pub, has just toured the States to sold out shows and seen her US reality TV appearance go viral.

“When I stand on the stage, I would like to prove to you that, in 90 minutes, we can agree on something,” Jorgensen says.

“And I think that that’s a really important message anywhere but, for sure, I’m drawing the conclusion [that] in America … it feels like an antidote to whatever’s happening in their own communities.”

While it might take an hour and a half in her travelling Pub Choir shows – in which she coaches the audience to sing along to pop and rock classics in harmony – Jorgensen made her point in a matter of minutes when she flipped the script of America’s Got Talent in her televised appearance last month.

Instead of seeking their adulation for her own vocal prowess, the former high school music teacher got her audience to stand up and sing themselves. Yes, the cameras follow Jorgensen’s dynamic conduction on stage. But, for the two-minute rendition of Toto’s Africa, they mainly focus on the faces of the crowd. People of all ages, genders and colours, singing their little hearts out. Bemused, at first, before exuding the kind of pure and silly joy one only experiences belting out an 80s yacht rock anthem with a bunch of mates.

“If you bring some, like, cerebral, I dunno, indie thing, people are going to feel afraid and that they’re going to do a bad job,” Jorgensen says of her song selection. “I just want people to feel like they’re winning – because it’s just singing. It’s not that big a deal. We’ve been overthinking it. Just give them a win and let them feel good.”

The people must have done. Cajoled by judge Simon Cowell and by an adoring crowd, Jorgensen was voted through to the show’s next round. Tens of millions of people have watched, shared and commented on the clip online.

Astrid Jorgensen: ‘I tell people to put their phones away.’ Photograph: Kristina Wild

Jorgensen is Zooming in from her bedroom in Brisbane, trying to keep an angry chihuahua called Penny quiet. Penny is never angry with Jorgensen – only with those who seek to steal Jorgensen away from her dog. Penny is frequently angry.

Jorgensen’s not long back from a hectic tour of the US. Yesterday, the ABC’s Australian Story team was filming hers. Pub Choir will tour Singapore, Tokyo, the UK and Ireland in August. Jorgensen is launching her memoir, Average At Best, in September. She will tour Australia and News Zealand in October and November. Her computer pings with Slack messages from her media team.

Unsure how to mute the notifications, Jorgensen takes a moment to message her handlers and kindly asks them to shush. The quiet brings oxygen back into the conversation.

Jorgensen takes a similar approach to her Pub Choir shows.

“I try to play into, and really appeal to, an analogue experience,” she says. “I tell people to put their phones away. And that is really hard for a lot of people.”

But choir, she says, is a unique act of communion in which the audience is transformed into artists. It is a sensation she experienced growing up Catholic, something that almost convinced Jorgensen to become a nun – until she realised that the “beautiful, hopeful, optimistic, spiritual feeling” that its services gave her came not from the word of God, but from the music of the church.

Running Up That Hill: Watch Brisbane choir’s rendition of Kate Bush classic – video

This is an experience Jorgensen wants for her audience, but she wants them to decide for themselves how they feel about it, with their own brain, ears and eyes – not through a screen. Even after the show she asks that they keep phones in pockets.

“And I think that’s really freeing for people,” Jorgensen says. “It’s really a lovely invitation for people to just experience, just to feel anything, to feel something at the show with others and to look around, to look eyes up, look at the board, look at each other, hold someone’s hand.

“I feel like it’s such a nice, rare opportunity to agree with other people just in such a low-key way.”

Jorgensen describes singing together as a “beautiful fast track to community” – something that, ironically, she alone is not part of at her own shows, standing as she does on stage. So after the final show of her US tour, at a nightclub in Honolulu, Jorgensen invited everyone in the audience to come and say hello.

“People were relaying to me that this felt like the opposite of the way they’d been feeling for … years even. And that it felt important for them to remind that humanity and, like, connecting on a level outside of politics is possible,” she says.

“That’s a special thing to be able to facilitate.”

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July 4, 2025
FIBA U19 Basketball World Cup 2025 Semi-Finals pairings, schedule set

LAUSANNE (Switzerland) – The pairings and schedule for the FIBA U19 Basketball World Cup 2025 Semi-Finals have been confirmed following the Quarter-Finals games in Lausanne, Switzerland.

Let us know what you think and vote:

Who will be crowned U19 World Cup 2025 champions?

Semi-Finals

The Semi-Finals will take place on Saturday July 5 at Lausanne Arena.

July 5

This all-European showdown is even more fascinating considering Slovenia and Germany faced off a week ago when the Germans rallied from 13 points down to win 75-68. Germany defeated Slovenia in the Semi-Finals of the FIBA U18 EuroBasket 2024 as well.

Neither team has reached the FIBA U19 World Cup Final.

Who will play the U19 World Cup Final?

You may also want to read this:

Smart Power Rankings Vol 2: Massive shake-up

New Zealand’s magic ride keeps going as the Junior Tall Blacks will play in the Semi-Finals of the U19 World Cup for the first time. But the task will be very difficult as they face record eight-time champions United States.

Curiously, these two countries played in the Semi-Finals of the FIBA U17 Basketball World Cup 2024 as well – with USA winning 145-65.

Who will play the U19 World Cup Final?

The complete FIBA U19 Basketball World Cup 2025 Final Phrase bracket can be found here.

Let us know what you think and vote:

Who will be named FIBA U19 Basketball World Cup 2025 TISSOT MVP?

FIBA

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July 4, 2025
Round 8 post-Qualifying press conference – fiaformula2.com
1. Round 8 post-Qualifying press conference fiaformula2.com
2. PRACTICE: Martins leads Browning in opening Silverstone session fiaformula2.com
3. Alex Dunne Finishes Second In British F2 Qualifying Midlands 103
4. Front row start for Alex Dunne at British F2 Feature Race at Silverstone Offaly Express
5. QUALIFYING: Martins rockets to pole in close Silverstone affair fiaformula2.com
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July 4, 2025
In iOS 26 a new feature will stop spam texts and those from unknown senders from reaching you
Tired of receiving those spam texts asking you to pay for a toll you supposedly owe? Other spam texts can be just as annoying. How many messages have you received supposedly sent from the U.S. Postal Service about a package that couldn’t be delivered because there wasn’t enough postage paid? One of the hallmarks of a successful spam campaign is a message that forces you to react emotionally instead of logically.

One example would be a text claiming to be from your bank that says it is processing a withdrawal for a large amount of money. Right away, you worry that someone was able to infiltrate your bank account so you respond to the text by revealing personal information, and find that you’ve put yourself in even more financial jeopardy.

The Apple Messages app is the recipient of a new feature in iOS 26 that will help you avoid becoming the victim of unwanted spam and scam texts. On iOS 26 (and right now with the iOS 26 Developer Beta), tap the blue button in the upper right corner of the Messages app and press the Manage Filtering option to open a new menu. When that menu opens you probably should toggle on “Screen Unknown Senders” and “Filter Spam.”

Toggling on “Screen Unknown Senders” hides notifications about texts sent from a sender you don’t know and moves such messages to the Unknown Senders list. In a little bit, I will tell you how to access that list. The Filter Spam hides notifications related to texts considered to be spam and moves such messages to the Spam list.

Apple Messages will filter spam and texts from unknown senders in iOS 26. | Image credit-PhoneArena

Even though you won’t see notifications about texts received from unknown senders and texts considered to be spam in your main conversations page, these texts can be accessed from individual Unknown Senders and Spam lists. To see those lists, open the Messages app and tap the blue button in the top right-corner. You will see a small menu pop up. To view messages from “Unknown Senders,” press on that listing. You will see all of the texts you received from unknown senders that were hidden by the system. Do the same for “Spam” to see a list of texts considered spam that were placed in the individual Spam list.

Tapping the blue button in the upper-right corner will allow you to access four different and individual lists containing:
- Messages
- Unknown Senders
- Spam
- Recently Deleted messages
Again, this is a feature that most of you will receive with the iOS 26 release in September. Those of us who have installed the iOS 26 Developer beta have this feature now.

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Read the latest from Alan Friedman

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July 4, 2025
Neanderthal "Fat Factories" Reveal Smart Calorie Strategies 125,000 Years Ago – Ancient Origins
1. Neanderthal “Fat Factories” Reveal Smart Calorie Strategies 125,000 Years Ago Ancient Origins
2. Neanderthals had a ‘fat factory’ where they processed bones for grease New Scientist
3. The clever ways Neanderthals got their fat long before modern humans News-Medical
4. Neanderthals Ran “Fat Factories” 125,000 Years Ago Universiteit Leiden
5. New evidence suggests Neanderthals were rendering fat nearly 100,000 years before other early humans Phys.org
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July 4, 2025
Davis Bryant delivers dream round and ace on Friday – Seven Germans make the cut.

+++ 9 under par and a hole-in-one: Davis Bryant (USA, -12) is the
standout performer of round two +++ Kristoffer Reitan (NOR) two shots
back in second +++ Marcel Siem (-7, T10), Marcel Schneider, Matti
Schmid, and impressive amateur Tim Wiedemeyer (all -6, T15) in
promising positions +++

Munich. Davis Bryant had a sensational day at the BMW
International Open. The American, who is playing his first season on
the DP World Tour, started on the 10th hole, made a birdie on the
11^th, and then aced the 12th hole (Par 3, 166 yards). He
would go on to make eight more birdies, finishing the second round at
12 under par to take the lead. On an otherwise perfect day, the
25-year-old might only regret making his ace on the “wrong” hole. This
year’s hole-in-one prize – a BMW M5 Touring – is awarded for an ace on
the 17^th hole, which remains in play over the weekend.

Closest behind Bryant are Kristoffer Reitan (NOR, -10), along with
Yuto Katsuragawa (JPN), Daniel Brown (ENG), and Jordan Smith (ENG),
all at -9. “I honestly don’t know what happened today. The hole-in-one
really got things going – that’s always incredibly cool,” said Bryant.
“I’m just very proud of how I executed everything, stuck to my
process, and holed some key putts. That was a big factor. The spark
really lit today – and then you just ride that momentum.”

Bryant’s ace – contributing to making him the first American since
John Daly (2001) who could potentially win the BMW International Open
– was one of 28 eagles recorded on Friday. For every eagle made during
the tournament rounds, the BMW Group is donating €1,000 to the Philipp
Lahm Foundation for Sport and Education. The joint initiative aims to
equip children and youth with key life skills in movement, nutrition,
and personal development. Heading into the weekend, the donation total
already stands at €44,000.

While Bryant and Reitan have created a slight gap, the leaderboard
remains tightly packed, promising an exciting weekend of golf. A total
of 68 players made the cut – including seven Germans. Among the most
promising are Marcel Siem (-7, T10), Marcel Schneider, Matti Schmid,
and the sensationally performing amateur Tim Wiedemeyer (all -6, T15).

Siem said: “I’m very happy. Apart from the 9th hole, I took advantage
of all the chances I had. All in all, I’m really satisfied with my
6-under round today. I don’t think much more was possible – I really
got the maximum out of it. My goal is to start the weekend confidently
and go at the flags more aggressively when I’m in the fairway. That’s
my game plan.”

Schneider was also pleased with his performance: “Today went better
than yesterday. The putter got really hot at times. Overall, the
ball-striking was better. It wasn’t perfect yet, but overall, I’m
satisfied. The four early birdies definitely gave me a push. My plan
is to keep playing well, attack the course, and hit a lot of greens.
I’ll take it shot by shot and see where that gets me.”

Amateur Tim Wiedemeyer has been playing impressive golf this week. In
his hometown, the 20-year-old followed up his even-par opening round
with a 66 today and said: “I’m very happy. Six under par is pretty
good. I tried to hit a lot of fairways and greens. And when the putter
gets hot, you shoot a good score. The support – especially on the back
nine – was really cool. It felt more like an evening round with
friends. That definitely helped my game today. Now, I just want to
have fun. The cut is made – let’s see what happens and enjoy it.”

For Martin Kaymer (-4, T37), the dream of a second win in Munich
after 2008 is still alive – albeit with a steep task ahead, sitting
seven shots behind the leader. The two-time Major champion said:
“Overall, I was satisfied with my game and hit a lot of good shots,
but I didn’t take advantage of the par-5s. Those are the real birdie
chances this week, and I missed out there. On this course – especially
if the weather is good – you can really go low. Marcel proved that
today. I know what I need to do tomorrow and hope to shoot a good
round to still be in contention on Sunday.”

Completing the group of Germans playing on the weekend are Yannik
Paul (-4, T37) and Hurly Long (-3, T53). Missing the cut (-3) were
defending champion Ewen Ferguson (SCO), Masters champion Patrick Reed
(USA), and Europe’s Ryder Cup captain Luke Donald (ENG).

Full tee times for round three are attached.

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July 4, 2025
Deal struck over fuel deliveries at UK’s Lindsey Oil Refinery

BBC

The Department for Energy Security and Net Zero said an agreement had now been reached to resume deliveries in and out of the refinery

A deal has been reached to ensure supplies of crude oil to a refinery after its owner went into administration.

Prax Lindsey Oil Refinery Limited, which owns the plant in Immingham, North East Lincolnshire, filed for insolvency on Sunday, putting hundreds of jobs at risk.

The Department for Energy Security and Net Zero (DESNZ) said an agreement had now been reached to resume deliveries in and out of the refinery.

The BBC understands crude oil stocks already held at the site have been bought with taxpayers’ money to allow the refinery to keep operating.

Earlier this week, the Reuters news agency reported the government was in talks with commodities trader Glencore over the status of its supply and offtake contract with the refinery.

In a statement on Friday, a spokesperson for DESNZ said: “An agreement has been reached to resume deliveries in and out of the Prax Lindsey Oil Refinery. The official receiver is ensuring continued safe operations at the site.

“The UK is well supplied with fuel – the site is right next door to one of the biggest and most efficient refineries in the country, and stock levels are normal across the UK.”

Prax Group, which is led by chairman and chief executive Sanjeev Kumar Soosaipillai, purchased Lindsey Oil Refinery from French company Total in 2021. The company’s financial reports indicated the plant recorded losses of about £75m between the takeover and February 2024.

There are 420 employees at the refinery, though Unite the Union said 1,000 jobs could be affected when taking into account contractors and the supply chain.

Getty Images

Prax Group bought the refinery from Total in 2021

Speaking in the Commons on Monday, Michael Shanks, the energy minister, said workers had been “badly let down” and the government was demanding “an immediate investigation into the conduct of the directors and the circumstances surrounding this insolvency”.

Shanks also said the government was actively looking for a buyer for the business and, if that failed, other potential uses for the site.

According to the government, Lindsey is the smallest of the UK’s oil refineries producing fuel. It is located next to the Phillips 66 Humber refinery, which is the dominant fuel supplier in the region and continues to operate at profit.

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July 4, 2025