Apple’s latest iOS 26 beta update delivers crucial adjustments to Liquid Glass, but you don’t need to install the beta to take advantage of a plethora of new features. The stable iOS 26 release brings a refreshed design, improved Apple Intelligence tools, and more.
As a freelancer who needs to manage time proactively, Calendar and Phone are two of my most-used built-in apps. And with iOS 26, Apple has made it easier to handle some tedious tasks. The update might not include the major Siri overhaul yet, but these two thoughtful additions already make my life noticeably easier.
Call Screening
Dealing with spam calls can be stressful and a waste of time. That’s why I love the new Call Screening feature. With iOS 26, my iPhone can automatically handle unknown calls with iOS 26. Just go to Settings > Apps > Phone > Screen Unknown Callers, and you’ll see three options: Never, Ask Reason for Calling, and Silence.
I’ve selected Ask Reason for Calling, so telemarketers hang up in frustration before I even have to answer. And if it’s a real person who genuinely wants to reach me, I still receive the message they leave.
However, Never is the default setting, which lets calls from unsaved numbers come through and ring normally, while still recording them under Recents in the Phone app. The third option, Silence, sends calls from unsaved numbers directly to voicemail without ringing your phone.
Thankfully, Call Screening isn’t tied to Apple Intelligence, so it works on every iPhone that supports iOS 26.
Visual Intelligence For Screenshots
Screenshots are now actionable with iOS 26. I use Visual Intelligence for screenshots to save Calendar invites right from my email app.
After taking a screenshot of an event invite, Visual Intelligence suggests an “Add to Calendar” prompt. Tap on it, and an event is automatically created. You can either edit or save it as is. The timing and location are usually accurate, though the event name sometimes needs a quick tweak.
As someone whose work life depends on his schedule, this small change saves me from manually adding every event or embargo detail in the Calendar – something that can get tedious over time. Plus, these screenshots are automatically discarded once you’re done adding the event, keeping my gallery clutter-free.
Unfortunately, this feature only works on Apple Intelligence–compatible iPhones.
iOS 26 might not reinvent productivity, but it definitely refines it. Between smarter call handling and screenshot-based event creation, I’m spending less time on repetitive tasks and more on things that actually matter. Sure, Liquid Glass is the headline feature but these are the two functionalities that actually help make my life easier.