Forget about upgrading to the newest iPhone just for that “snappy” feeling. Apple has a new trick up its sleeve with the iOS 26 update, and it’s all about making your current phone feel faster without any new hardware.
The secret? Animation speed.
In the latest iOS 26 beta, developers and users have noticed a significant change in how apps launch. Instead of the more gradual, “spring-loaded” animation from previous versions, iOS 26 makes apps “leap” out of their icons and expand to full size much more quickly. While the actual time difference is only about 150 milliseconds, the pacing of the animation creates a powerful illusion of speed. It’s the kind of subtle change that you feel more than you notice, and it makes the entire operating system feel more responsive and fluid.
A Clever Bit of Psychological Engineering
This move is a clever bit of psychological engineering from Apple. The company knows that perceived speed is often more important than raw performance. By making the user interface feel faster, Apple can boost customer satisfaction, especially for those with older iPhone models. This trick is a tried-and-true method in the tech world; in fact, many Android launchers have had faster animations for years, something Apple is only now catching up to.
For those who are also interested in the new “Liquid Glass” design and other features like the revamped Messages and Camera apps, this performance tweak is a welcome bonus. It’s a smart way to make a major visual overhaul feel polished and fast, rather than sluggish. With iOS 26, it seems like Apple is focusing on refining the user experience from the inside out, proving that sometimes, the smallest changes can have the biggest impact.
Do you believe Apple’s faster animations are a genuine performance improvement or just a clever trick to make you think your phone is faster?
Let us know!
If you liked this article, check out our other articles on iOS.
