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After it stamped its foot on the AI scene last year with Apple Intelligence, Apple promised loads of AI features in its next OS upgrade.
However, at this year’s developer conference, the iPhone maker appears to be leaning more on strengthening its security and aesthetic bits than rolling out flashy new intelligence tools.
Out of all the announcements at this year’s WWDC 25, many would agree that the liquid glass design stole the spotlight. But on top of those sleek UI iterations came deeper security and privacy features that are worth mentioning.
This article breaks down Apple privacy features coming to iOS 26 as we move closer to a public release later this year.
Key Takeaways
- Apple is expanding Safari’s Link Tracking Protection with advanced fingerprinting protection across all browsing sessions.
- New communication features include Call Screening and Hold Assist to help users manage calls more effectively and privately.
- Apple will give developers direct access to its on-device foundation model for building private, offline-capable app features.
- Enhanced parental controls will offer simplified setup with default age-based restrictions and more granular App Store filtering.
- The update prioritizes practical privacy refinements over introducing entirely new security architectures.
What’s in Apple’s iOS 26 Security Updates?
At this year’s WWDC, Apple came with targeted privacy enhancements that quietly strengthen existing protections rather than announcing sweeping new security initiatives.
The company took a conservative approach, fine-tuning current privacy tools and closing small but important gaps that users encounter in everyday use. Below are four key privacy updates that stand out from this year’s announcement.
1. Enhanced Link Tracking Protection in Safari
Safari’s built-in privacy features are expected to get a quiet but meaningful upgrade in iOS 26. The browser will now expand Link Tracking Protection, a feature that helps users browse privately without fear of cross-site tracking or data being passed to third parties.
In a press release, Apple said Safari will now get advanced fingerprinting protection. It wrote:
“Browsing in Safari gets even more private with advanced fingerprinting protection extending to all browsing by default.”
This means the Safari browser will now work to prevent advertisers and websites from using some unique characteristics of your phone to create fingerprints that can track you.
For users who value anonymity and control, this latest Apple security feature will help make browsing on iOS 26 feel more like a secure sandbox than a surveillance playground.
2. Phone & Messages Privacy Features
Apple is also turning up the dial on call and message privacy. A new set of communication features will ensure that conversations stay between the people involved, with zero detours through the cloud.
The upcoming iOS 26 update will now feature a Live Translation capability. According to Apple, the feature will work in real time for phone calls, FaceTime, and Messages – all processed directly on-device. This “on-device” processing means that neither Apple nor anyone else has access to the audio or text being translated.
Tied with this update is Call Screening. Apple said this feature is built on Live Voicemail and can assist users in getting information or details from the caller before deciding to answer the call or not.
This way, users can screen for scams and spam calls, all without giving up control or inviting cloud-based surveillance.
To save iPhone users time during call holds, Apple also revealed they are introducing Hold Assist. This new feature can listen to changes in hold music and then alert users when an agent finally joins the line. This will help spare users the frustration of waiting in silence or missing the start of an important conversation with an agent.
3. More On-Device AI Processing
Apple first touted its preference for localized AI processing when it announced Apple Intelligence last year.
The company continues to present this approach as a major differentiator from competitors, with Apple stating that keeping AI requests local is central to protecting user privacy.
With Apple’s proprietary A-series and M-series chips at its core, on-device AI processing will enable local large language models (LLMs) to perform real-time summarization, translation, call screening, and image analysis, offering these features entirely offline.
While at it, the company has taken further steps by announcing that it will allow developers access to Apple’s on-device foundation model to enable them to build private, intelligent features into their apps.
Craig Federighi, Apple’s senior vice president of Software Engineering, said:
“We’re also taking the huge step of giving developers direct access to the on-device foundation model powering Apple Intelligence, allowing them to tap into intelligence that is powerful, fast, built with privacy, and available even when users are offline.”
4. Expanded Parental Controls & Sensitive‑Content Filters
Parents will find more tools than ever in iOS 26 to help guide and protect kids online. Apple’s next iOS update will offer greater transparency, more customizable guardrails, and smarter defaults.
Child Account setup will be simplified with iOS 26. According to Apple, even if the setup isn’t fully completed, default age-based restrictions will be applied right away to give families instant coverage.
Parents can also verify or edit the child’s age at any time to ensure controls stay accurate as the child grows.
The iOS update will also allow families to see more granular age ratings in the App Store. Apps above the allowed age threshold won’t even appear in search results. However, parents can still approve specific exceptions. This precision will help eliminate surprise downloads and give guardians more say over what appears on their child’s home screen.
According to Apple, when developers adopt this new PermissionKit framework, it will allow kids to send permission requests to their parents before they can chat, follow, or friend users in third-party apps.
The Bottom Line
iOS 26 represents Apple’s subtle acknowledgment that privacy has become less about grand gestures and more about daily friction points. These updates tackle mundane but important situations – unwanted tracking, spam calls, parental oversight, etc., – that users encounter daily but rarely see addressed comprehensively.
What’s notable is how these improvements focus on reducing the small compromises people make with their privacy rather than introducing sweeping new protections.
However, the real test will be whether these incremental improvements can keep pace with increasingly sophisticated tracking methods and data collection practices across the broader digital ecosystem.
