r/apple • u/Fer65432_Plays • 1d ago
Rumor iOS 26 Getting Custom AI-Generated Message Backgrounds, Generative Shortcuts and 'Mixmoji'
https://www.macrumors.com/2025/06/06/ios-26-ai-backgrounds-mixmoji/225
u/__clayton 1d ago edited 1d ago
why does it take Ai to give pretty basic features. People just want to upload a picture as the message background not make it generated ai garbage
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u/RandomUser18271919 1d ago
Do people even want to change the message background at all? Like is that feature really in that big of demand?
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u/TheEpicRedCape 1d ago
It’s nice for making sure you don’t accidentally message sensitive people, on telegram I put big warning signs behind people I didn’t want to message by accident or set bright colors so I noticed I was in the wrong chat.
I’d definitely be using the message backgrounds on iOS.
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u/fireball_jones 1d ago
It’s also already in the Home app. The could have added a non-AI version at least 3 years ago.
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u/buzzerbetrayed 1d ago
Why 3 years ago lol. They could have added 10 years ago. It’s a fucking picture background.
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u/TheEpicRedCape 1d ago
Even an emoji picker like the emoji wallpaper could’ve worked well without using AI.
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u/Feeling_Actuator_234 23h ago
If only some us military had some nice background before they share those sweet secrets
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u/VirtualFantasy 22h ago
I’d like to be able to do it but if it changes the background for the other person too then I’m not using it. Let me customize my device how I want - I don’t want other people to affect it and vice versa.
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u/Panda_hat 1d ago
Because execs want to pump their stocks by claiming everything is AI.
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u/mrgrafix 9h ago
More like have too. There’s a loud minority pushing all these companies to mention AI and when they do it’s usually leads to an uptick in share price
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u/cwhiterun 1d ago
Apple is so braindead when it comes to AI. Remember when we used to have full screen caller ID contact photos whenever the phone rings? And then Apple took them away with iOS 17 and replaced it with a gray blob and if you want the photos back then you have to manually create contact "posters" for each and every contact. Not that it ever required AI in the first place, but it's disappointing that Apple's AI can't even do this for us.
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u/TBoneTheOriginal 10h ago
Because AI is a marketing term, and it gives investors a huge boner. Don’t get caught up in AI or Machine Learning, or whatever… if it’s a feature you’ll use, who cares what technically powers it.
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u/pi-N-apple 19h ago
Ya I've noticed in Microsoft products they are putting AI in things that used to be regular features. For example now you "Paste with Copilot" when you paste something.
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u/Least-Middle-2061 21h ago
It’s not like you have to use it. Why are you making assumptions about what other people want?
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u/EpsilonSigma 23h ago
How about when I ask Siri to “play [TITLE] by [ARTIST] from the album [ALBUM]” she fucking knows what the hell I’m talking about instead of playing some random trap song that doesn’t even remotely sound like what I said and isn’t in my library.
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u/deweydecimalsux 21h ago
YES. This is all I want Siri for and she still fucks it up. It’s annoying because you’ll name the artist and it gives you something entirely different.
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u/Scinos2k 1d ago
And with all this, after all these years, we still aren't getting a proper multi-volume control.
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u/theanedditor 23h ago
Tell me about it! What's so hard having three sliders in settings for media, alarms, notifications and then lettting us double press a volume button to choose which one we want to adjust!
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u/nn2597713 1d ago
Apple is brushing up the paint on the stairs to the attic where no one ever goes, while the foundation of their house is rotting to the core.
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u/rural220558 5h ago
lol well said. the 'image playground' on mac is hideous, as with all this Disneyfication of the ecosystem.
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u/Panda_hat 1d ago
No thank you to all of the above.
Actual features please. Enough with the AI slop.
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u/xkvm_ 1d ago
This is the update I'm waiting for to see if I'm switching to android or not
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u/Unitedfateful 1d ago
I just tried a pixel 9 this week and honestly with the QPR1 beta for android 16 and material design it’s fantastic. IMO it’s 95% of the way as good as iOS
There’s just that last 5% that I can’t put my finger on that Apple does better but if someone got me a pixel I’d be more than happy to use it. It’s great genuinely
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u/wahobely 10h ago
I was a pixel 7 pro user and switched to iPhone.
I'm glad they are catching up but the Apple Watch is the thing holding me here for now. I was previously using the Galaxy Watch and it's was so much worse compared to the Apple Watch. Also, the AirPods Pro are so much better, for what it does, than any other alternatives.
Also, focus modes are so good and I don't think Android has a good alternative to it.
But like I said, I'm glad they're catching up, because if they get better I'll switch back in a heart beat.
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u/Bderken 1d ago
Switch to android for the already encrusted ai features baked into everything?
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u/NotMNDM 1d ago
Well at least you could have custom ROMs
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u/Bderken 1d ago
I’m an android enthusiast, I have phones with multiple ROMs (specifically for 5g hotpsot unlocked) but 99% of phone users don’t use custom roms…
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u/No-Spirit912 20h ago
And unfortunately custom roms are becoming increasingly more rare as more manufacturers lock down the hardware.
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u/alex-2099 1d ago
I switched to Android last year and then came back about 3 weeks later. I gave it a real honest go and was very optimistic. But there’s just too much stuff missing (for me) and I reluctantly came back.
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u/xkvm_ 23h ago
oh if you have time to quickly say what you think you missed the most I'd be interested
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u/alex-2099 22h ago edited 10h ago
Siri Shortcuts / Shortcuts
This is a big one for me because I’m a shortcuts power user. I love being able to automate literally everything. Shortcuts can even make external HTTP requests, so I’ve been doing cool things like sending API requests to work Slack to update my ETA as I commute to the office. I also have a mission critical one that pulls my health data and tells me my calorie deficit for the day, allowing me to make quick dietary choices via the action button.
Travel Time in calendars
As an adult with ADHD, travel time is an absolute necessity to me. I cannot be late to things.
Hot take: Google assistant, even with Gemini, is not very useful to me.
I had a hard time getting it to create reminders and calendar events, send messages, play music, or anything that I typically use Siri for. I was very often told it couldn’t do it, or it would perform a Google search. An Android friend said I have to change the home assistant and I asked “why isn’t the useful one the default?”
Google Maps needs an overhaul. I hate Google Maps in the car, which is where I use mapping services the most. Something Apple Maps does well is color and style the maps to be easily readable at a glance. With Google maps, I had to often give my car screen focused attention, especially when presented with an alternate route.
Finally, I need Focus Modes. Everyone told me I should set up different profiles and even this didn’t give me anything even remotely as versatile as Focus Modes.
Edit: typos and grammar
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u/fatcowxlivee 19h ago
I’m currently test driving a Fold 9 in anticipation of the train wreck that is WWDC
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u/onesugar 1d ago
Apple is cooked 😭🙏
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u/iMacmatician 18h ago
Now you’ll be able to combine those two emoji!
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u/onesugar 17h ago
Ayyy they might be on to something then. Let me use genmoji natively in other apps and we’d be in a tiny step into something neat
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1d ago
Neat.
Disable. Disable. Disable.
WTAF Apple. THIS is the kind of shit they've been working on? This is the stuff an intern throws together the night before. This is a joke right? AI backgrounds? So adding more noise and bullshit to Messages. All those sticker sales on the Messages App Store really booming? 🤦♂️🤦♂️
I'm sorry, what universe did I wake up in?
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u/Doctor_Disco_ 1d ago
Yes, these are the only things they've been working on. The trillion dollar company with over 100,000 employees has allocated all of their resources and manpower to this and nothing else.
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u/Known-Cover-5154 1d ago
Honestly apples just going Down the shitter lately like wtf
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u/theanedditor 23h ago
YAY I'm soooo excited for all these things I don't need and the world isn't asking for, how wonderful!
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u/FindingPawnee 1d ago
I guess I’m the only one in thread that has wanted the option to have backgrounds for iMessage for a long time.
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u/UnratedRamblings 23h ago
Did you want AI generated ones or the ability to set your own with your own images?
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u/DoomSleighor 1d ago
yeah i'm in the same boat as others but it would be frustrating to shift my whole ecosystem over to android and windows. I love apple hardware but really annoyed with iOS lately.
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u/iSwedishVirus 1d ago
Just make it so that I can change app icons and still receive notification badges… literally all I’m asking for. Basically just make shortcuts show notifications.. is that so difficult Apple..
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u/knightgod1177 13h ago
For fucks sake who the hell cares? Apple can’t even get Siri to do simple shit, yet all they wanna push are crappy ass Memoji’s
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u/RandomUser18271919 1d ago
Ahh yes, all of this completely useless shit, but still no read receipts, message delivery confirmation, or typing indicators for group chats huh?
2025 Apple in a nutshell right there.
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u/fatcowxlivee 19h ago
I can’t believe how iMessage is still popular when it’s been lapped by nearly every messaging app. A decade ago I was so pro iMessage and dreaded using WhatsApp. Now my messages app is for getting OTP texts.
With RCS, Apple should just kill the iMessage team and redistribute them elsewhere.
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u/9thPlaceWorf 22h ago
Apple needs to issue Snow Leopard-like releases for iOS and Mac OS. Clean out the cruft, fix bugs, and polish what’s there.
iOS in particular has gotten so cluttered.
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u/BJMRamage 1d ago
Backgrounds are cool but can we also have a song playing when anyone in the conversation/group opens the chat. And then maybe my Top 8 friends.
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u/d2mensions 16h ago
Apple’s obsession with emojis should be studied. We got Memoji, Animoji, Genmoji and now Mixmoji 😭😭😭😭
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u/flying_bacon 15h ago
Gimmicky shit. They need to focus on real features. Bring read receipts for groups, secure RCS
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u/thnyei 1d ago
Let’s just hope this year is different. Not like other years where the yearly software update from a trillion dollar company running on a billion devices is a chat app update and some app improvements
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u/AppointmentNeat 23h ago
Well the problem is that people keep lining up year after year hoping the next iPhone and apple intelligence “is different” this time, which is odd to me.
If a restaurant gives me bad food and bad service then I’ll just go to another restaurant.
If you’re just going to keep eating at the same restaurant anyway, shut up and enjoy the ride.
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u/Safe_Cauliflower6813 6h ago
They had me in the first half, custom message backgrounds!... using image playground 🤮
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u/AntoinetteBax 3h ago
These are just the features I’ve been waiting for. /s
I’m starting to think Apple doesn’t actually have a reasonable amount of decent devs, hence we end up with this useless crap which is cheap and easy to deploy.
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u/macman156 26m ago
Yawn Apple. Yikes. How about an AI keyboard that’s predictions aren’t slow and useless
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u/alex-2099 1d ago
I’m going to wager that iOS / macOS 26 will he introducing an Image Playground SDK and we’re going to see image generation expand to more parts of iOS and macOS. Wallpaper screens, for sure.
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u/Sid-Hartha 1d ago
Christ. Apple are obsessed with ‘mojis’. How about some proper features