iOS 26 adds ChatGPT styles for Image Playground and Genmoji
iOS 26 brings new styles to the Image Playground application. While iOS 26 is relatively light in terms of Apple Intelligence upgrades, Image Playground was one of the few apps that received a worthwhile enhancement. Here's how.
Apple's Latest Design Language: Liquid Glass
On June 9, at its annual Worldwide Developers' Conference, Apple unveiled its latest assortment of operating systems, all of which feature the company's new design language known as Liquid Glass. The software updates, which were rolled out as developer betas on Monday, introduced only a handful of Apple Intelligence upgrades, and they largely build upon the features introduced in 2024.
Enhancements in iOS 26
There's a new Foundation Models framework that lets developers use Apple Intelligence tools for third-party apps, Visual Intelligence now works with screenshots, and Shortcuts were made more useful than ever. Image Playground received a similarly useful enhancement at WWDC 2025, in the form of more image styles, powered by ChatGPT.
New Image Styles with ChatGPT
Specifically, iOS 26 delivers five entirely new image styles with the help of OpenAI's ChatGPT. ChatGPT has fewer restrictions relative to the standard version of Image Playground, which is powered solely by Apple Intelligence. As a result, it may be possible to generate copyrighted or objectionable content through known ChatGPT-related workarounds. However, the new ChatGPT image styles understandably require ChatGPT tokens.
Image Playground, previously known as Generative Playground, lets you use generative AI to create images in various styles. The initial batch of image styles is powered by Apple Intelligence and is available offline. Apple also had plans for a fourth style known as "Line Art," which was unfortunately never released.
Genmoji in iOS 26
Also related to image generation, Genmoji received an update with iOS 26. This feature allows users to combine multiple emoji characters to create new Genmoji creations. Users can adjust facial expressions, hairstyles, and even add facial hair or glasses for further customization.
Other Features in iOS 26
In addition to the new Image Playground features, Apple has introduced Live Translation, a new "Clear" look for the Home Screen, and enhancements to the Camera app in iOS 26. The operating system also includes Spatial Photos for wallpapers and smarter voicemail reporting against unwanted calls and messages.
Overall, iOS 26 brings a variety of new features and enhancements, further improving the user experience and capabilities of Apple devices.
