IOS 26 - Introduction
With iOS 26, Apple has taken a major step forward. Not only does the interface adopt a new design called Liquid GlassBut the management of SMS and RCS messages is also undergoing a profound transformation thanks to artificial intelligence. These developments are changing the way users interact with their iPhones, and forcing mobile marketing professionals to adapt quickly to continue reaching their audiences effectively.
Liquid Glass: an unprecedentedly fluid interface
The great aesthetic novelty of iOS 26, Liquid Glasstransforms the visual experience. Menus and buttons appear to float behind a veil of liquid glass, with transparency and depth effects that evolve with the user's gestures.
Tim Cook summed it up this way at the September 2025 presentation: "We've redefined touch interaction to deliver a user experience that surpasses anything that's existed before."
In concrete terms, Liquid Glass brings an intuitive visual hierarchy: sub-menus emerge from different depths, colors adapt to the screen background, and transitions are made with spectacular fluidity.
Messaging: AI, filtering and new rules of the game
Automatic sorting by AI
The messaging system benefits from intelligent sorting system able to automatically classify incoming SMS and messages into categories :
Personal messages
Commercial notifications
Service messages (banks, transport...)
Emergency alerts
Probable spam
This sorting provides a clearer experience for the user. For brands, this means that a message that is misidentified or perceived as too generic risks being relegated to a secondary folder.
Impact on Sender ID
The iOS 26 system gives new importance to thesender authentication. The following are taken into account :
identity verification via certificates or recognized numbers,
reputation and lack of reporting,
user interaction history.
A Sender ID uncertified may find their messages classified as "promotional" or "suspicious", and therefore less visible. To avoid this scenario, brands need to implement strong authentication practices and encourage their customers to add the sender as a contact.
Reinforced anti-spam
Apple is also introducing a personalized anti-spam :
proactive detection of suspicious patterns,
filtering based on the meaning of the message,
automatic blocking of suspicious numbers,
collaborative reporting by users.
The stated aim is to drastically reduce spam and improve user confidence in their messaging system.
For professionals, this doesn't mean the end of SMS - quite the contrary. SMS remains a powerful channel, but it is becoming more selective. Unauthenticated or poorly-targeted messages run the risk of being listed as spam. Those that respect best practices (authenticity, usefulness, personalization) will benefit from enhanced visibility.
The arrival of the RCS
Another major announcement is the native integration of RCS (Rich Communication Services) at Apple in iOS 26. In practical terms, this means:
send high-resolution multimedia messages,
acknowledgements and keystroke indicators,
end-to-end encryption,
seamless compatibility with Android.
This enriches the experience, but does not replace SMS. From now on, the two channels will coexist: the SMS for universal reliabilitythe RCS for its advanced features.
What marketers need to do
Faced with these changes, brands must :
Authenticate their shipments to stay in the main box.
Personalize messages to avoid being classified as promotional.
Anticipating the adoption of the RCS to offer enriched experiences.
Companies such as Netflix and Amazon have already adapted their practices, switching to certified and personalized messages, which has enabled them to significantly improve their open and engagement rates.
Conclusion
iOS 26 does not signal the end of SMS, but rather its evolution towards a more flexible use. more quality. Users will receive fewer unwanted messages, and brands able to build a relationship of trust will see their communications better valued.
For mobile marketing professionals, it's an opportunity to authenticate, personalize and diversify (SMS + RCS). Those who know how to adapt will be one step ahead in this new era of mobile communication.
