Manchester United sank to a new low under Ruben Amorim by getting eliminated by fourth-tier Grimsby Town after a marathon penalty shootout in the second round of the English League Cup on Wednesday.
Grimsby won a dramatic shootout 12-11 at the 9,000-capacity Blundell Park, with Bryan Mbeumo missing the decisive penalty. United needed late goals by Mbeumo and Harry Maguire just to salvage a 2-2 draw in regulation, having trailed 2-0 at halftime.
It will go down as one of the most embarrassing results in United’s history and leaves the team winless in three games so far this campaign, after a woeful 15th-place finish in the Premier League last season.
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It is the first time Man United have ever been eliminated from a cup competition by a team from England’s fourth tier. While United have been knocked out by nonleague teams when there were just two divisions in England, the most recent of those was in 1914 in the FA Cup against Swindon Town.
“It’s an amazing feeling, one that will live on forever,” said Grimsby’s Charles Vernam.
Vernam scored to put Grimsby into a shock lead before United youth product Tyrell Warren capitalized on goalkeeper André Onana’s latest error to double the home side’s lead before halftime.
Bryan Mbeumo reacts after missing the decisive penalty in Manchester United’s Carabao Cup loss to Grimsby Town.
Grimsby had chances to pull further ahead in the second half, only for Amorim’s side to seemingly snatch a late reprieve and force a penalty shootout.
Onana saved new signing Clarke Oduor’s spot kick and Matheus Cunha blew the chance to win it for the visitors, with the goals continuing until Mbeumo thumped his effort off the crossbar as fans poured onto the pitch.
“Going into the penalty shootout, the gaffer (manager) said to us, ‘Lads, all the pressure is on them,’ and it was really,” Grimsby midfielder Kieran Green said.
The home team is currently fourth in League Two, and finished the match with a lineup containing several academy graduates and a Faroe Islands international.
United, meanwhile, had £200 million ($270 million) worth of new signings just in its attack in Mbeumo, Cunha and Benjamin Sesko. Cunha also failed in the shootout by having his weak attempt saved.
The result piles more pressure on Amorim, who came into the game with 16 wins from his 44 matches in charge of United after being hired last November.
United were only playing in the second round — for the first time since 2014 — after failing to qualify for European competition last season. That year, the team lost 4-0 at third-tier MK Dons in the second round.
Information from The Associated Press, PA and ESPN Research was used in this report.
For decades, scientists believed that DNA strands under stress would form knots, tangling into chaotic shapes.
But new research led by the University of Cambridge shows otherwise: when put under pressure, DNA coils into organized, spring-like structures called plectonemes.
The discovery reshapes long-standing assumptions about the mechanics of genetic material.
The breakthrough came from experiments using nanopores, tiny holes only wide enough to fit a single DNA strand.
Researchers placed DNA in a salty, alkaline solution and applied both voltage and fluid flow to drive it through the nanopore. These forces caused the DNA to rotate, generating a torque strong enough to twist the molecule.
From knots to coils
In past experiments, the irregular current signals observed as DNA passed through nanopores were interpreted as knots forming in the strand.
But closer analysis revealed the structures were not tangles at all. Instead, DNA twisted into plectonemes: tight, orderly coils that loop repeatedly around themselves.
This structural distinction is significant. Knots are irregular and difficult to undo, whereas coils can be wound and unwound in a predictable fashion.
Recognizing that DNA prefers coiling over knotting provides a clearer picture of how it behaves under torsion.
The finding has broad implications for biology and technology. DNA often experiences torsional stress inside living cells, whether through the packing of chromosomes in the nucleus or the action of enzymes that cut, twist, and rejoin strands.
If DNA coils into plectonemes in these situations, the structures could influence how genes are accessed, replicated, or regulated.
Rethinking DNA under stress
The results also matter for nanopore sequencing, a fast-growing method for decoding genomes. Electrical current disruptions produced by DNA coils look different from those caused by knots.
Understanding the distinction could help improve the accuracy of sequencing technologies, which are increasingly important in medical diagnostics and research.
The study also reframes how scientists think about the mechanical resilience of DNA. Rather than becoming unstable when twisted, DNA appears to adopt ordered structures that may allow it to absorb and release energy in a controlled way.
This challenges the long-held rope analogy, where DNA was seen as a thread prone to tangling, and instead presents it as a spring capable of storing torsional stress.
Looking ahead, researchers are interested in whether similar coiling behavior occurs naturally inside cells and what role it might play in critical processes such as transcription, replication, and chromosome organization.
Understanding these dynamics could reveal new insights into genome regulation and how cells manage mechanical stress.
The work underscores an essential principle in molecular biology: structure and function are deeply intertwined.
By uncovering that DNA coils under pressure rather than tying itself into knots, scientists have gained a more accurate view of one of life’s most fundamental molecules, showing that when stressed, DNA favors order over chaos.
The new findings have been published in Physical Review X.
Sting has reportedly been sued by his former Police bandmates over alleged lost royalties from their hit song Every Breath You Take.
In the suit, filed in the high court in London, guitarist Andy Summers and drummer Stewart Copeland claim they never received songwriting credits on the 1983 single. The pair also allege they have never been paid for their writing contributions.
The case is said to have been listed under “general commercial contracts and arrangements”. Sting appears as a defendant under his real name, Gordon Matthew Sumner, along with his company, Magnetic Publishing Ltd.
The Police formed in 1977 and achieved a US No 1 single with Every Breath You Take, which appears on the band’s fifth and final album, Synchronicity.
It was the bestselling US single of 1983, the fifth bestselling of the decade and was sampled on P Diddy and Faith Evans’ 1997 song I’ll Be Missing You.
The band also had chart success with Roxanne, Every Little Thing She Does is Magic and Don’t Stand So Close to Me before splitting in 1984.
A spokesperson for Sting, 73, denied the legal action was related to Every Breath You Take but did not elaborate on the case, the Sun reported.
The Police have reunited on numerous occasions and, in 2023, launched an official TikTok account to mark the 40th anniversary of Synchronicity.
Andy Summers, Stewart Copeland and Sting in 1983. Photograph: Everett Collection Inc/Alamy
Sting in 2021 said he regretted reforming the trio in 2007, calling the tour that followed “an exercise in nostalgia”.
The musician explained at the time that he preferred being a solo artist due to the “total freedom” it offered.
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“It’s not a power thing at all; it’s just about producing exactly the brand and style of music that feels right for you,” he said.
In June, Sting performed his greatest hits at the Isle of Wight festival including Message in a Bottle, An Englishman in New York, Walking on the Moon and Fragile. He also performed at the FireAid benefit in Inglewood, California in January.
Sting in 2022 sold his entire songwriting catalogue to Universal for an estimated $300m (£222m).
He is the latest eminent musician to cash in on a long and successful career. Bruce Springsteen sold his entire song catalogue to Sony Music in a deal worth $500m, while David Bowie’s estate struck a $250m deal with Warner Music.
In 2020, Bob Dylan sold his entire catalogue of 600 songs, including Blowin’ in the Wind and Knockin’ on Heaven’s Door, to Universal for almost $400m, setting an industry benchmark for future deals.
Travis Kelce’s dad offers inside glimpse into his planned Taylor Swift proposal
Travis Kelce’s dad, Ed Kelce, is offering a behind-the-scenes glimpse into the power couple’s engagement.
The 74-year-old revealed that his son got down on one knee to propose to the love of his life about two weeks ago.
It wasn’t until August 27 that the couple decided to go public with the big news.
During an exclusive interview on The Jimmy & Nath Show with Emma, Ed shared that Travis had initially invited Taylor to join him in the garden for a glass of wine, where the proposal naturally unfolded.
Further adding that the Anti-Hero hitmaker seemed to sense something was coming, he noted, “I think she knew something was up because as they approached—as they walked out there—she could see suddenly there’s a lot more flowers out there.”
He also revealed that while Travis had been planning the proposal for quite some time, he held off due to a tough few months and wanted to wait for the perfect moment.
Travis fulfilled that promise on Tuesday, August 27, when he finally got down on one knee and asked for Taylor’s hand in marriage.
Mariah Carey revealed all the songs that will be featured on her upcoming 16th studio album Here for It All on Wednesday (Aug. 27).
The 11-track project includes two collaborations: “Play This Song” with Anderson .Paak and “Jesus I Do” with The Clark Sisters. .Paak also co-wrote the LP’s first single, “Type Dangerous,” and performed it alongside the elusive chanteuse and Rakim at the 2025 BET Awards in June, when MC won her first BET Award: the Ultimate Icon Award.
“It was awesome to be able to work on her project. She’s amazing to work with, a great writer, great producer. So much fun. We had a lot of fun,” .Paak told Billboard‘s Tetris Kelly. “That was one of the last records we did in the studio, and it came together like so quick. She’s a big hip-hop head, so I wanted to try to find something that we could continue the lineage of her mixing the old with the new. And I think we got it with this one.”
Carey is set to receive the Video Vanguard Award at the 2025 MTV Video Music Awards on Sept. 7, when she’ll also perform a career-spanning medley of hits on the show.
Here for It All is due Sept. 26 via gamma. Following “Type Dangerous,” Carey released “Sugar Sweet,” featuring Shenseea and Kehlani, as the second single. It reached the top 20 of Hot R&B Songs. Both singles have gained traction on radio, with Mimi earning her first No. 1 on Adult R&B Airplay in almost 19 years with “Type Dangerous” and “Sugar Sweet” hitting No. 31 on R&B/Hip-Hop Airplay.
WASHINGTON — The head of the U.N.’s nuclear watchdog warned Wednesday that the agency is not yet satisfied with Iran’s cooperation with international inspectors, just as European leaders appeared poised to reimpose sanctions on Tehran after a series of last-minute meetings failed to reach a diplomatic resolution on its nuclear program.
Despite Iran allowing inspectors back in for the first time since the 12-day Iran-Israel war in June, regaining access to crucial nuclear facilities is still “a work in progress,” Rafael Grossi, director general of the International Atomic Energy Agency, told The Associated Press.
“I can say that it is important that the inspectors are back,” Grossi said in an interview. “At the same time, we still need to clarify a number of things, and we still need to address all the issues that are important in terms of the inspections that we have to carry out in Iran.”
Grossi, who has been receiving special police protection following a threat he said was “from the direction” of Iran, spoke with AP after meeting with high-level officials in Washington this week, including Secretary of State Marco Rubio, who also spoke Wednesday with his counterparts from Germany, France and the United Kingdom.
Rubio and Grossi discussed global nuclear safety and “IAEA efforts to conduct monitoring and verification activities, including in Iran,” the State Department said in a brief readout of the meeting.
Leaders from the three European countries — known as the E3 — have spent the past several weeks meeting with Iranian officials, seeking a solution ahead of a deadline this week on a threat to reimpose U.N. sanctions. They have warned that they would invoke the so-called “snapback mechanism” of the 2015 Iran nuclear deal over what the countries have deemed Iran’s lack of compliance.
Inspectors are back in Iran, but not with full access
The Europeans’ concern over the Iranian nuclear program, which had been enriching uranium to near weapons-grade levels before its atomic sites were bombed in the war, had only grown since Tehran cut off all cooperation with the IAEA following the conflict.
The U.S. and the E3 agreed to set an Aug. 31 deadline for invoking the snapback mechanism if Iran fails to meet several conditions, including resuming negotiations with the U.S. over its nuclear program, allowing U.N. inspectors access to its nuclear sites and accounting for over 400 kilograms of highly enriched uranium.
Grossi said it was a breakthrough that IAEA inspectors have been allowed to return to Iran for the first time since Israel and the U.S. attacked Iranian nuclear sites, including with bunker-buster bombs.
“This is important given that the attacks began in the aftermath” of the Israeli and U.S. strikes, he told AP before a briefing Wednesday with reporters. “There were many voices in Iran advocating the end of any cooperation with the agency, and there were voices in the world arguing that perhaps the IAEA would never go back and that we would lose this indispensable work that we carry out on behalf of the international community.”
So far, Grossi said IAEA inspectors have returned to Iran’s Bushehr nuclear power plant but not yet the other sites, including those targeted by the U.S. strikes. He said he had no immediate plans to return to Iran — he last visited the country early this year — but remains in contact with Iranian officials to go over the logistics of IAEA access to all the sites.
Iran’s Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi on Wednesday confirmed inspectors were at the facility to watch a fuel replacement, according to a report by the state-run IRNA news agency. But he reportedly cautioned that it didn’t represent a breakthrough on the IAEA visiting other sites.
Iran has long insisted its program is peaceful, though it is the only non-nuclear-armed nation enriching uranium at such a high level. The United States, the IAEA and others say Iran had a nuclear weapons program up until 2003.
U.S. and European leaders hold call as sanctions deadline looms
Rubio had a phone call Wednesday with the foreign ministers of Germany, France and the U.K. after the three European countries held meetings with the Iranians over the past week.
“All reiterated their commitment to ensuring that Iran never develops or obtains a nuclear weapon,” Tommy Pigott, deputy State Department spokesperson, said in a statement.
The call follows talks Tuesday in Switzerland between representatives of the E3 and Iran that “ended without a final outcome,” said a diplomat with knowledge of the meeting. The diplomat spoke on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to speak publicly about the sensitive discussions.
Kazem Gharibabadi, Iran’s deputy foreign minister for legal and international affairs, said on X after the meeting that Tehran “remains committed to diplomacy″ and that it was “high time” for the European countries “to make the right choice, and give diplomacy time and space.”
Elite police unit guards Grossi
Grossi, who plans to run for United Nations secretary-general, is being protected by an Austrian police Cobra unit following a threat he said is from “the direction” of Iran.
“It’s very regrettable that some people threaten the lives of international civil servants, the head of an international organization,” Grossi told AP, adding that “we will continue our work.”
The elite unit under the Austrian Federal Ministry of Interior mainly handles counterterrorism operations, hostage rescues and responses to mass shootings. It also engages in personal protection and the protection of Austrian foreign representations abroad. In Austria, Cobra operatives are known for protecting the president and chancellor as well as the U.S. and Israeli ambassadors.
The Wall Street Journal first reported on the additional security for Grossi, an Argentine diplomat who has raised the profile of the IAEA with his trips into Ukraine after Russia’s 2022 full-scale invasion and the agency’s work on Iran.
Israel attacked Iran in June after the IAEA’s Board of Governors voted to censure Iran over its noncooperation with the agency, the first such censure in 20 years. Iran accused the IAEA, without providing evidence, of aiding Israel and, later, the United States in its airstrikes targeting its nuclear sites.
Top Iranian officials and Iranian media called for Grossi to be arrested and put on trial if he returned to the country.
The software company’s second-quarter results exceed revenue and earnings predictions
Snowflake raised its full-year revenue outlook late Wednesday.
Snowflake Inc. solidified its reputation as a leading artificial-intelligence data platform late Wednesday after solidly beating Wall Street’s expectations for its fiscal second-quarter earnings.
Snowflake (SNOW) reported revenue of $1.1 billion for the quarter, exceeding FactSet consensus estimates of $1.09 billion and representing a 32% year-over-year increase.
Product revenue made up $1.09 billion of total sales, also up 32% year over year and beating analysts’ estimates of $1.04 billion.
Snowflake posted a $297.9 million GAAP net loss, but achieved $129.3 million of net income on an adjusted basis. That brought the company’s adjusted earnings to 35 cents a share, topping the consensus view of 27 cents a share.
Snowflake guided for $1.125 billion to $1.130 billion in revenue for the fiscal third quarter, higher than the $1.17 billion that analysts are modeling. Accelerating product revenue growth led the company to raise its full-year revenue forecast to $4.395 billion from the $4.325 billion estimate last quarter.
After the results, shares of Snowflake jumped 12% in after-hours trading.
While Snowflake initially rose to prominence as a destination for companies migrating data to the cloud, its growth is now increasingly fueled by the enterprise adoption of AI, which is driving a surge in demand for modern data infrastructure.
Snowflake reached a total of 12,062 customers in the quarter, with 654 of those generating trailing 12-month product revenue exceeding $1 million, the company said.
“Thousands of customers are betting their business on Snowflake and more than 6,100 accounts are using Snowflake’s AI every week,” Chief Executive Sridhar Ramaswamy said in a statement. “We have an enormous opportunity ahead as we continue to empower every enterprise to achieve its full potential through data and AI.”
On the earnings call, Ramaswamy added that 25% of all deployed use cases on the platform involved AI. Recent AI offerings have been met with enthusiasm, and Snowflake is planning to increase the number of AI products it offers. The company’s Snowflake Intelligence agentic AI platform, which launched publicly in June, allows customers to create intelligence agents directly on enterprise data.
Wall Street has been bullish on Snowflake’s growth trajectory leading into the earnings report. Last week, Bank of America upgraded its rating on Snowflake shares to buy, from neutral, with a price target of $240.
Surveys from Bank of America and Jefferies ahead of earnings showed positive trends for Snowflake, with customers increasing their spending and partners raising their growth expectations.
Before the earnings call, Jefferies analyst Brent Thill called Snowflake “one of our top picks as an AI breakout play and trusted data foundation for AI.”
-Christine Ji
This content was created by MarketWatch, which is operated by Dow Jones & Co. MarketWatch is published independently from Dow Jones Newswires and The Wall Street Journal.
The former British prime minister Tony Blair has attended a White House meeting with Donald Trump to discuss plans for postwar Gaza, the Guardian understands.
After stepping down as prime minister in 2007, Blair took on the role of Middle East envoy until 2015 and spent time in Jerusalem trying to formulate a plan for a two-state solution.
The former Labour leader, 72, was in Washington DC on Wednesday for the meeting with Trump. The Axios website reported that Trump’s son-in-law and former senior adviser, Jared Kushner, was also in attendance.
Trump’s Middle East envoy, Steve Witkoff, said the US was putting together a “very comprehensive” plan for “the next day” after the war.
In an interview with Fox News on Tuesday, Witkoff said he believed the war in Gaza could be ended in the next four months. “We’re going to settle this one way or another, certainly before the end of this year,” he said.
Asked about a plan for governing postwar Gaza, Witkoff said: “It’s a very comprehensive plan we’re putting together on the next day that I think many people are going to … see how robust it is and how well meaning it is, and it reflects President Trump’s humanitarian motives here.”
No details have been disclosed about the proposals under discussion.
The White House said: “President Trump has been clear that he wants the war to end, and he wants peace and prosperity for everyone in the region.”
Marco Rubio, the US secretary of state, also met his Israeli counterpart, Gideon Sa’ar, in Washington.
The meetings came after Pope Leo XIV demanded that Israel stop its “collective punishment” of the population in the besieged territory.
Ten Palestinians, including two children, have died from starvation in the last 24 hours, health authorities in Gaza said on Wednesday.
At least 313 people have died from hunger, including 119 children, since the war in Gaza began and Israel intensified its siege on the Palestinian territory.
The pope said: “I beg for a permanent ceasefire to be reached, the safe entry of humanitarian aid to be facilitated and humanitarian law to be fully respected.”
He referred to international law and its “prohibition of collective punishment, indiscriminate use of force and the forced displacement of the population”.
The pope was interrupted twice by applause as he called for a ceasefire in front of thousands of people in the Vatican auditorium.
Israeli tanks rolled into the outskirts of Gaza City overnight, destroying houses and displacing residents. Tanks shelled the Ebad al-Rahman neighbourhood on the northern outskirts of the city, causing injuries, as Israeli forces sought to clear a path into Gaza City before an expected offensive.
Israeli strikes and fire killed at least 76 people throughout Gaza in the previous 24 hours, the Gaza health authorities said.
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Apple on Tuesday finally announced that its iPhone 17 event will take place on Tuesday, September 9. So in just under two weeks, we’ll get to take a first look at the new iPhone 17 lineup. If Apple keeps with tradition, expect to see iOS 26 available for download about one week after the event. If you can’t wait any longer, you can download and install the newly released public beta 5 (or iOS 26 developer beta 8 for developers). I’ve been playing around with it for the past couple of weeks, and have found that taking screenshots is way better in the new operating system, as well as getting to choose how long you snooze. You can see a more complete view of the new features in our preview of the iOS 26 public beta release, which shows off the fresh home and lock screen redesign. Called Liquid Glass, the translucent look will extend across all of Apple’s upcoming operating systems. The overhaul is one of several big changes coming to iOS, macOS, iPadOS and the rest of Apple’s software suite, all of which were showcased during the company’s WWDC keynote on June 9.
After overpromising on AI plans last year, Apple kept its iOS roadmap focused more on basic quality of life improvements this year. There are multiple useful additions coming to the Phone and Messages apps on your iPhone, for instance: Apple execs outlined the ability to weed out spam texts or other unknown senders and an option to hold your spot on a phone call when you’ve been waiting for a representative to pick up. Plus, a treasured feature that we took for granted is coming back (hint: it’s in the Photos app).
Siri, meanwhile, is in a holding pattern. Apple has previously specified that its smarter voice assistant — first promised at WWDC 2024 — is delayed until some point “in the coming year,” so you shouldn’t expect any major changes in the current betas. But there are reports that Apple is aiming to give Siri a bigger brain transplant by basing it on third-party artificial intelligence models like OpenAI’s ChatGPT or Anthropic’s Claude, which could make 2026 a pivotal year. The company is also reportedly working on a ‘stripped-down’ AI chatbot to rival ChatGPT.
With each beta, it seems like additional new improvements are popping up, like this new AirPods gesture we’re all curious about, and this FaceTime feature that’ll freeze your video if it detects nudity. With the release of the iOS 26 developer beta 5, we saw more added features, like a new bouncy animation on the passcode screen and in the Control Center, MacRumors reports. Some or all of those changes will likely soon migrate into the separate public beta (see below). Most newer iPhone models are eligible to download iOS 26 (both the betas and final version). Want to see the full list of new features coming this fall? Read on.
What is iOS 26?
The current iPhone operating system is iOS 18, and Apple is still actively updating it — version 18.6.1 was released to restore Apple Watch blood oxygen monitoring functionality for certain users in the US. More recently, Apple released 18.6.2 to address a vulnerability related to image processing. Apple has officially stopped signing iOS 18.6, MacRumors reports, which means it can no longer be installed on your iPhone due to a “server-side software verification check.” That’s pretty normal when newer versions are available to download.
But don’t expect to see iOS 19 soon — or ever. Instead, Apple is skipping the numbering ahead to iOS 26 next month. The company has decided to line up its iOS version numbers with a year-based system, similar to car model years. So while iOS and its sibling operating systems will be released in late 2025, they’re all designated “26” to reflect the year ahead.
It’s official, we’re moving to iOS 26. (Apple)
What is Liquid Glass design?
Let’s be honest. Out of everything announced at WWDC this year, the new Liquid Glass design was the star of the show. The iPhone’s home and lock screens have looked pretty much the same year after year — the last exciting thing (in my opinion) was the option to add your own aesthetic to your home screen by customizing your apps and widgets. So seeing the home and lock screens’ new facelift is refreshing.
So what exactly is Liquid Glass? Apple calls it a “new translucent material” since, well, the apps and widgets are clear. However, the screen can still adapt to dark and light modes, depending on surroundings. You’ll also notice buttons with a new floating design in several apps, like Phone and Maps. They’re designed to be less distracting than the current buttons, but are still easy to see. While the design overhaul has proven to be controversial since its announcement, some — including Engadget’s own Devindra Hardawar — like the new direction, even if it’s somewhat reminiscent of Microsoft’s translucent Windows Vista Aero designs from nearly twenty years ago.
That said, as of the release of the iOS 26 beta 2, Apple has already incorporated some user feedback into the design, dialing back the transparency in at least some places. And while it will continue to evolve, Apple users won’t be able to escape it: Liquid Glass was designed to make all of Apple’s OSes more cohesive. Here’s a look at how the translucent aesthetic will look with the new macOS Tahoe 26 on your desktop.
What are the new and notable features of iOS 26?
iOS 26 has a laundry list of new features. Among the most worthwhile:
Phone app redesign: You’ll finally be able to scroll through contacts, recent calls and voicemail messages all on one screen. It also comes with a new feature called Hold Assist that’ll notify you when an agent comes to the phone so you can avoid the elevator music and continue on with other tasks.
Live Translation in Phone, FaceTime and Messages: iOS 26 is bringing the ability to have a conversation via phone call or text message with someone who speaks another language. Live Translation will translate your conversation in real time, which results in some stop-and-go interactions in the examples Apple shared during its presentation.
Polls in group chats: Tired of sorting through what seems like hundreds of messages in your group chat? You and your friends will soon be able to create polls in group messages for deciding things like which brunch spot you’re eating at or whose car you’re taking on a road trip.
Filtering unknown senders in Messages: If you haven’t received spam texts about unpaid tolls or other citations, you’re lucky. For those of us who have, those annoying messages will soon be filtered away in a separate folder.
Visual Intelligence: Similar to a reverse Google image search, this new feature will allow you to search for anything that’s on your iPhone screen. For instance, if you spot a pair of shoes someone is wearing in an Instagram photo, you can screenshot it and use Visual Intelligence to find those shoes (or similar ones) online.
Photos tabs are back: For anyone who’s still frustrated with the Photos changes made last year, you’ll be happy to know that your tabs are coming back. Library and Collections will have their own separate spaces so you don’t have to scroll to infinity to find what you’re looking for.
FaceTime “Communication Safety” feature: A newer addition to iOS 26 appears to be the FaceTime “Communication Safety” feature that pauses communications if and when nudity is detected. The feature appears to be a child safety feature that uses on-device detection, thus obviating any cloud-based privacy issues.
New lock screen options: The iPhone lock screen gets more customizable in iOS 26, with a cooler clock, 3D wallpaper effects, more widgets and better focus mode options.
Apple’s Hold Assist will be nifty for those pesky services that put you on hold for 10 or more minutes. (Apple)
New changes coming to iPadOS 26
Your iPad isn’t getting left behind when it comes to big updates. Here’s what’s coming this fall.
Multitasking and real windowing: When you download the newest update, you’ll be able to have multiple apps running on your screen at the same time. Once you open an app, it’ll appear on your screen as normal but you’ll be able to resize and move it across your screen to make room for other apps. This feature is optional so you can turn it off if you don’t like it.
Visual update: Along with the other new OSes, iPadOS 26 is coming with the Liquid Glass aesthetic. This new look will appear on the lock and home screens, as well as the drop-down menus.
New menu bar: When you swipe down on your screen, the new menu bar will appear with options like File, Edit, Windows and more. There’s also a search option if you’re looking for something specific.
Check out our first impressions of iPadOS 26.
What about AirPods?
AirPods are also getting updated with iOS 26. Here are some of the more notable functions.
Enhanced audio recording: Apple calls this “studio-quality” audio recording, and with it, you’ll notice more clarity while in noisy environments.
Camera remote control: Using this, you can take a photo or start and stop video recording with just one press on your AirPods. When taking photos, you’ll get a three-second countdown before your iPhone or iPad snaps the picture.
Live translation feature: While not officially announced or confirmed, it appears that the long-rumored live translation for AirPods could be coming with iOS 26. The evidence comes from a system asset spotted in the in iOS 26 beta showing a gesture that’s triggered by pressing both earbud stems at the same time. The photo also shows words in several different languages.
Heart rate monitoring (rumored for now):Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman believes Apple will introduce new AirPods Pro earbuds this year, which could have heart rate monitoring. It would work with Apple’s Health app and other fitness apps that track heart rates.
Which iPhones will be able to upgrade to iOS 26?
A few iPhone models that run the current version of iOS — iPhone XR, XS and XS Max — won’t be compatible with the latest upgrade. But any iPhones released in 2019 or later will be eligible for the iOS 26 update.
iPhone SE (second generation or later)
Not listed here are the presumed new iPhone 17 models (or maybe iPhone 26?) that are all but certain to be announced and released in September.
How to install iOS 26 beta
The iOS 26 public beta is now available to download via the Apple Beta Software Program. If you’re not already a member, you’ll need to sign up to try out all the latest features. Just visit beta.apple.com and sign up with your phone number or email address. It’s free.
Once you’re in, you can install it by going to Settings > General > Software Update and selecting iOS 26 public beta.
A word of caution: Don’t sign up with your main iPhone unless you’re OK with any risks that occur with using an OS that isn’t finalized.
When will the final version of iOS 26 be released?
iOS 26 will be released to the public this fall. It usually comes in September, within a week of the Apple iPhone event. Last year, it rolled out to iPhone users on September 16 — exactly one week after the iPhone 16 lineup was announced. Since the iPhone 17 event falls on September 9 this year, it’s possible the downloads will hit our phones on September 16.
If you’re more interested in the Apple Intelligence features coming, here’s everything Apple revealed for iOS, macOS and more during WWDC. Also, check out how iOS 26 screenshots could be an intriguing preview of Apple’s delayed Siri rework.
Update, August 27: Added the official iPhone 17 event date, as well as the potential iOS 26 release.
Update, August 25: Added a rumor about new AirPods Pro having heart rate monitoring.
Update, August 22: Noted that Apple has officially stopped signing iOS 18.6.
Update, August 20: Noted that iOS 26 public beta 4 and iOS 18.6.2 are now available to download.
Update, August 18: Added details about a potential iOS 18.6 update.
Update, August 15: Added to link to what to expect at the Apple iPhone event and details about what’s available in the iOS 26 screenshots editor.
Update, August 13: Added new AirPods detail spotted in the iOS 26 beta.
Update, August 11: Noted that iOS 26 developer beta has hit beta 6.
Update, August 8: Added new features coming with iPadOS 26 and AirPods.
Update, August 6: Noted the release of iOS 26 beta 5 and the new bouncy feature on passcode screen and Control Center.
Update, August 4: Noted that Apple is reportedly working on a ChatGPT rival.
Update, August 1: Added quote from Tim Cook about iOS 26.
Update, July 31: Noted that iOS 18.6 is now available.
Update, July 24: Noted the iOS 26 public beta is now available.
Update, July 3: Noted new FaceTime feature found in the developer beta.
Update, June 30: Noted ongoing iOS 18 releases, and reports that Apple is considering additional external LLMs for Siri.
Update, June 25: Noted changes added in iOS 26 beta 2.
