The next iPhone software is just around the corner, but the first beta is out already and has significant changes.

In order to send and receive iMessages to your iPhone, iMessage must be enabled. By doing this, you will associate your phone number with the email address used for your Apple ID or iCloud account.

If your iPhone is running iOS 26 — which it should be, given that it’s been several weeks since Apple rolled the software update — then you have access to (most of) the new iMessage features. And ...

It’s been a feature that, admittedly, should’ve been available years ago. When iOS 26 rolls out this fall, it will deliver several highly anticipated new features to your iPhone’s Messages app. At ...