- An internal build of iOS 26 has leaked
- Code in this build references all sorts of features and improvements that could be coming soon
- These include Health+, Siri’s AI overhaul, and lots more
Right now, Apple is working on iOS 26.3, which is currently in beta, but the company is also working on some features and improvements that are much further out. And thanks to a leaked internal build of iOS 26, we now have a good idea of what some of those improvements are.
Both MacRumors and Macworld have gone through this build (which can be thought of as a roadmap for iOS 26 in its entirety), and in this article, we’ve detailed the features they uncovered. It’s worth noting, though, that Apple’s plans could change, so just because some things are seemingly in development now, that doesn’t mean they’ll definitely launch.
With that said, here are seven software upgrades that your iPhone is likely to get next year.
1. Health+
Health+ is something we’ve been hearing about for a while, but it’s mentioned again here. Previous leaks suggested this will be an AI-powered subscription service, providing deeper insights into your health, along with the likes of “nutrition planning and medical suggestions”.
Based on this latest leak, it’s seemingly set to launch in March, April, or May, and will likely land alongside a redesigned version of the Health app, complete with a new layout and simplified logging of health data.
Code in the build also mentions a ‘Gumdrop’ feature, which is seemingly health-related, but it’s unclear what this is exactly.
2. Smarter Siri
Another feature we already know about is Siri’s long-awaited AI overhaul, with Apple itself having previously confirmed it.
Previous leaks suggested this upgrade might land around March or April 2026, and this iOS 26 build suggests the same.
There isn’t much in the way of new details here, but previous leaks point to this smarter Siri being powered by a custom version of Google’s Gemini assistant.
3. Live Captions in more languages
Live Captions – which provide real-time transcriptions of in-person conversations and audio from apps – already exist on iOS, but this iOS 26 build suggests more languages are in the works for them.
It doesn’t specify which languages, but it does mention WWDC 2026, so we’ll probably learn more there. That’s Apple’s annual developer conference, and it’s likely to take place in June next year.
4. Credit card autofill
Entering your credit card details into third-party apps could soon get easier, with this iOS build suggesting you’ll be able to autofill them using card details saved in iCloud Keychain. Right now, most third-party apps don’t have this capability.
It seems iCloud Keychain might also offer to save credit card details for you when it detects that you’ve entered them into a third-party app.
These features could arrive in ‘fall’ (so between September and November) according to MacRumors, while Macworld suggests these changes might land as part of iOS 26.4, which, based on past form, could arrive a bit earlier in the year.
5. Better security
The security of iOS could be improved next year too, with this build suggesting that iOS 26.4 will include a new validation system that will check the validity of your iPhone before letting you log in to your Apple ID or iCloud.
Macworld speculates that this might mean potentially compromised devices – such as those that have been jailbroken or undergone any other unauthorized modifications – might be blocked from logging in to Apple’s online services.
That could be bad news for anyone who’s intentionally jailbroken their device, but it should help ensure your data stays safe and secure.
6. App improvements
This iOS 26 build mentions improvements to a handful of apps as well, which we’ll bundle together here, as most of them are small things.
The Freeform app will seemingly be getting folders sometime between March and May, the Journal app will reportedly get follow-up prompts at around the same time, and Apple Wallet could gain upcoming payment notifications at WWDC 2026.
There’s also mention of ‘Connections’ and ‘Shared Collections’ coming to the Photos app sometime between September and November, and the Apple TV app might be getting a ‘Sports Tier’, which could mean a new subscription level with sports content. This would apparently land sometime between March and May.
Plus, the Podcasts app may at some point be getting a handful of new features, including the ability to translate a transcript, and to tap a translated paragraph to hear it spoken out loud.
7. Accessibility updates
As well as improvements to Live Captions, several other accessibility improvements have been spotted, including the addition of a Tilt to Scroll feature, and a new version of Background Sounds (which can play ambient sounds).
There’s also mention of Apple Watch controls and a ‘rewind 30 seconds’ feature for Live Listen (a tool that lets your iPhone act like a microphone that sends sound to your AirPods).
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