Joe Mark / Android Authority
Well, Apple did it. After the release of iOS 18 in 2024, this year’s iPhone update increased by eight to IOS 26. Not only is this new name important, but thanks to the new design of Apple’s new liquid glass, it is one of the most stringent refreshments of iOS that we have seen in years.
Although I hope that the whole liquid glass object is far from Android, there are some elements of iOS 26 that I really like Like. They are not strict features, but they are the things I like to come to Android – as much as it can sound.
Which iOS 26 features do you want to add in Android?
55 votes
Inclusive Lockscreen Clock
35 %
The phone app was re -designed
18 %
Additional control for boarding pass
11 %
Dynamic album artwork on the lock screen
18 %
Use of points for personal mobile payments
4 %
Other (tell us in the comments)
15 %
Inclusive Lockscreen Clock
One of my favorite updates in iOS 26 is incredibly unimportant, but I can’t help it but love it. The lock screen clock is now automatically automatically converted to the size of your lock screen photo top/surrounding space, and it turns into a picture without interruption.
What I love especially is that as soon as the notifications appear, the clock shrinks slightly with each new notification card that pops up, and then when you swipe them then spread. It’s more reacting to anything on Android, and when it is purely a aesthetic touch, I think it looks incredible – and I would love to keep it on my Android phone.
The phone app was re -designed
For all the features of the AI call, Google has added pixel phones in the past years, the Google phone app itself looks very ancient. It is not difficult to design or use poorly, but it just feels old and needs fresh coat of paint.
If/when the Google phone app refreshes the app, I would like to see what Apple is doing with its phone app at iOS 26. Instead of the isolated pages of your recent calls, voice mails, etc., the new call page has really done everything together.
Your favorite contacts are easy to access in the upper part of the app, while the rental timeline not only shows recent calls you have made or received, but you also have any voicemail. It has a lot of information on the screen at the same time, and it’s much better than the Google phone app.
Additional control for boarding pass
As someone who was on the plane more often than the last year, I know the importance of a good digital boarding pass. The boarding passes in the Apple wallet and Google Purse are both solid these days, but the iOS 26 is further improving the Apple version.
Now, Apple Purse contains some additional controls in boarding passes that were not available before. My favorite option is the “Share Flight Tracker” button, which allows you to distribute your flight immediately with contact, and if they have an iPhone, it will appear as a direct activity for them. Whenever my mother travels, I ask me to share my flight information with her, and something like this in Google’s walletboarding passes makes my life easier ten times.
I also appreciate new options for viewing the airport terminal map or tracking my luggage directly from your boarding pass. They are the things you can do in other applications already, but it is just understood to bring them to you through your boarding pass.
Dynamic album artwork on the lock screen
Returning to the lock screen for a moment, I like iOS 26 now let you watch an dynamic album artwork from Apple Music on the lock screen. Apple music is full of beautiful dynamic images for many albums, and it’s a shame to be able to see them with just the Apple Music app Open.
Although there is no essential feature in any way, it will be happy to see me following Android here, though I imagine it will be more difficult to implement. Apple music, spots, and maritime all have dynamic album cores, and they all have Android apps, so it will have any sources from this time if Android ever included the album artwork directly to the lock screen. And hey, it will probably encourage YouTube music to go to the dynamic album artwork train.
Use of points for personal mobile payments
I am a huge credit card person, with cash back and points scattered in various different cards and accounts. But more often, I never think to release my credit card rewards, so they often sit for months (if not) at a time (if not).
The iOS 26 has introduced the ability to immediately release its cash/points when using Apple Pay personally, which I think is terrific. Although I save my chase and amx points to save the travel save, it would be great to pay enough or lunch using your discovery or US bank cashback. This is a relatively small feature and I acknowledged that I didn’t use it all the time, but it would be great to see the Google Wallet on Android.
Copy of good artists …
Robert Triggs / Android Authority
As Picasso once said in a quote that Steve Jobs famously impressed, “copy of good artists; great artists steal.” Every mobile tech copies everyone in the world, and this is something we have seen again and again – whether it is copying something from Apple Google or vice versa.
Although what we have seen about iOS 26 is so far compared to Google’s Android 16 updates (especially, Android 16 QPR1), it is necessary to give Apple credit to this year with iPhone software. I am certainly not a fan of everything that Apple did with iOS 26 (seriously, what’s happening with liquid glass), but I am very impressed with the features mentioned here – and I hope to make them all the way to Android instead.
