iPhones to get two new apps from Apple with iOS 26 update

Apple iOS 26

Apple’s upcoming iOS 26 update will add two new built-in applications to the iPhone’s Home Screen — Apple Games and Preview — expanding the company’s default app lineup.

Apple Games will serve as a central hub for gaming on Apple devices, joining other media-focused apps such as Apple TV, Apple Music, Apple Podcasts, and Apple Books. It features a Home tab for personalised recommendations, game event updates, and quick access to favourites. Additional sections include Arcade, replicating the App Store’s Arcade tab; Play Together, which shows multiplayer options, challenges, and Game Center data; and Library, listing all installed games along with achievements. Apple Games will be available on iPhone, iPad, and Mac later this year.

Preview, long available on macOS, is being introduced to iOS and iPadOS for the first time. The app will handle PDFs and images stored locally or in iCloud, and will include editing tools such as resize, rotate, and document scanning. It will also support PDF AutoFill and the creation of new images from scratch or the clipboard. Files opened in the iOS or iPadOS Files app will now launch in Preview by default. The app adopts the document browser interface first introduced in iPadOS 18 in productivity apps such as Pages and Keynote.

The addition of these apps reflects Apple’s continued strategy of enhancing core iOS functionality. Apple Games consolidates gaming features under a single interface, while Preview provides dedicated tools for handling documents and images, a capability previously scattered across different apps.