How to Try the New App in iOS 26
▼ Summary
– Apple has launched iOS 26, introducing a significant shift in the operating system’s design and a new app called Preview.
– The Preview app allows users to perform basic image editing, such as drawing, cropping, and removing backgrounds from photos.
– It also enables PDF editing, including filling in text boxes, adding signatures, and annotating documents.
– The app includes a scanning feature that quickly converts physical pages into digital documents using the iPhone’s camera.
– Preview consolidates previously available editing tools into one convenient, preinstalled app for on-the-go document and image management.
Apple’s latest mobile operating system, iOS 26, introduces a significant visual overhaul alongside a powerful new built-in application called Preview. This addition brings familiar Mac functionality directly to the iPhone, offering a suite of tools for handling images and documents without needing extra software. For anyone who has updated their device and spotted the unfamiliar icon, understanding what this app does unlocks a new level of productivity.
The name Preview might cause some confusion for those not acquainted with Apple’s desktop ecosystem. It doesn’t offer a sneak peek at future Apple products or software updates. Instead, its purpose is more practical: it serves as a versatile tool for viewing, editing, and managing both images and PDF files. The app handles tasks ranging from basic photo adjustments to filling out forms and scanning physical documents, all from a single, integrated interface.
Working with images in the Preview app is a straightforward process. The moment you open the application, which installs automatically with the iOS 26 update, you are greeted with a clean layout. Your main options include creating a New Document, using the Scan Document feature, or browsing your device’s storage through a simplified Files panel. The editing environment will feel instantly familiar to anyone who has used the markup tool that appears after taking a screenshot. You can effortlessly draw on photos, add text, and crop images with just a couple of taps. A three-dot menu unveils more advanced capabilities, such as removing an image’s background, rotating the canvas, or flipping it, eliminating the need for many third-party editing applications.
When it comes to PDFs, the Preview app proves equally capable. Opening a PDF file automatically triggers the detection of fillable text fields. You can also manually add signature boxes or text areas to make more substantial changes to the document. The workflow is remarkably smooth, offering a experience similar to Adobe Acrobat but in a more streamlined package. A toolbar along the bottom provides quick access to annotation tools, text insertion, signature placement, cropping, and document sharing. The same three-dot menu at the top allows for navigation between pages and other document-specific actions.
A standout feature is the integrated document scanner. This tool makes digitizing physical pages incredibly simple. You just point your iPhone’s camera at a page, hold steady, and the app instantly converts it into a clean, digital document. While scanning technology is not new, having it as a pre-installed, system-level function is a major convenience for quickly archiving paperwork.
The initial impression of Apple’s Preview app is overwhelmingly positive. It consolidates several useful functions that were previously scattered across different tools into one easily accessible location. This app is poised to become the default choice for on-the-go document editing and scanning. The built-in image editing tools are now more organized, and by making this a core application, Apple has created a platform it can enhance over time. This strategic move has the potential to gradually transform the iPhone into a formidable tool for comprehensive document management.
(Source: Tom’s Guide)
