The fall tech season typically brings a lot of hot new hardware, but what if you’re not getting a brand-new phone anytime soon?

Your current device can probably still get an internal makeover, because Apple’s new iOS 26 software update runs on an iPhone 11 or later. And while only the newest phone models can run all the artificial-intelligence bells and whistles, older devices can take advantage of the other features.

Likewise, this summer’s Android 16 software update can run on the older Google Pixel 6 and many other phones released over the past few years from other manufacturers.

If you haven’t updated your phone’s operating system — or just haven’t found your way around the new software yet — here’s a quick overview.

First Impressions

The visual design of iOS 26 is probably the first thing you’ll notice, as the “Liquid Glass” interface brings a translucent look to icons, notifications and other screen elements. However, if you’re having trouble reading alerts or finding controls with the new see-through backgrounds, you can quickly improve the legibility.

Go to Settings, select Accessibility and open Display & Text Size. Tap the button for “Reduce Transparency” to get solid notification backgrounds. Alternatively, selecting “Increase Contrast” makes text in transparent boxes somewhat easier to read.

Conversely, if you love the transparency effect and want more of it, press your finger on an empty area of the Home screen until the icons begin to wiggle. Tap the Edit button in the top-left corner and choose Customize from the menu. At the bottom of the screen, tap the Clear icon — or any style you prefer.

Android 16’s colorful new look, called Material 3 Expressive, is now available on many of Google’s Pixel phones and has its own customizable options for the screen in the Wallpaper & Style area of the settings. In the Display & Touch settings, you can make the screen type bigger, bolder or higher contrast by adding a white background.

Exploring iOS 26

Apple has added hundreds of tweaks, twiddles and tools in iOS 26, as well as two new apps: Games (to corral all your video games) and Preview (for working with PDF files and images). Many of the snazzy new powers — like Live Translation and expanded Visual Intelligence capabilities for picture-based search — require an iPhone 15 Pro or later.

Wirecutter, a New York Times product-review site, recently highlighted many of these features, but the more basic changes tend to work on most phones.

For example, the new software offers improved parental controls for managing children’s Apple accounts, easier navigation in the Photos app, more flight information in Apple Wallet’s boarding passes, severe weather alerts when traveling and streamlined controls in the Camera app.

The Maps app now has an experimental Visited Places section in the app’s Places menu that when enabled, automatically tracks where you’ve been so you can later look it up later. (Apple says the information is private and encrypted.)

Those who record content with their iPhones have more options, too. When you’re in an audio or video app like FaceTime, swipe down to open the Control Center, tap the bar at the top and then pick an audio input source (like an external microphone) or filter setting from the menu.

The best way to find the iOS 26 goodies is to dive in and start exploring. As with past updates, the phone may feel sluggish and more power-hungry right after installation, but Apple notes the effect varies by device or may be temporary. An illustrated guide to iOS 26 is available on the company’s website.

Exploring Android 16

Google began rolling out Android 16 in June for its own Pixel phones, and Samsung recently announced its customized version of Android 16 was on the way to its Galaxy devices. Other phone makers are releasing their versions on their own schedules.

Notifications get a tuneup in the new software, including live-order-tracking from compatible apps (like Uber Eats) and automatically grouped alerts to minimize screen clutter. Apps displayed on the Recents screen now have a drop-down menu of options — in Android’s Gesture navigation mode, put your finger in the horizontal bar at the bottom of the screen and swipe up slowly.

Improved security features are included, like the Advanced Protection Program designed to thwart malicious apps and activity. Android’s Identity Check feature, introduced earlier this year to require extra face or fingerprint authentication to make account changes, is more widely available. Both features are in Settings under Google Services. Tap All Services and scroll to Personal & Device Safety. Select Advanced Protection, or tap Theft Protection to continue to the Identity Check settings.

And it wouldn’t be an Android update without an Easter egg. To find it, go to Settings, then About Phone and then Android Version. On the next screen, tap Android Version 16 repeatedly until the screen changes. Press and hold the Android 16 logo to start the space-exploration game.