Apple’s next big software release, iOS 26, may be its boldest update yet. Beyond the visual overhaul Apple calls the “Liquid Glass” design, the update introduces a striking new feature: the ability to transform almost any 2D photo into a 3D hologram-like scene.
The feature, known as “Spatial Scenes,” creates a parallax effect that lets users peek around the edges of subjects as they tilt their iPhone, giving photos an almost magical depth. Starting this fall, anyone with an iPhone 12 or newer will be able to apply this 3D effect to images in their photo library and even set them as lock screen wallpapers. Apple describes the process as simple: choose a photo, tap a new spatial icon in the corner, and the picture springs to life.
The effect isn’t just eye candy. It builds on Apple’s years-long push into augmented reality (AR), the same technology behind the Vision Pro headset released in 2024. While Vision Pro introduced consumers to immersive spatial computing at a steep $3,499 entry point, iOS 26 brings AR closer to everyday users, embedded directly into the device most people already own.
Apple’s ability to turn flat photos into 3D scenes stems from years of incremental camera and software advances. It began with Portrait Mode on the iPhone 7 Plus, which captured depth maps using dual lenses. Later came lidar sensors on Pro models, a more powerful Neural Engine, and image processing capable of reconstructing depth across millions of photos.
Now, rather than limiting 3D effects to shots taken in Portrait Mode, iOS 26 can apply spatial depth to nearly any image with distinct foreground and background layers. As Apple’s CEO Tim Cook has long emphasized, spatial computing isn’t a gimmick, it’s the company’s next platform shift.
Vision Pro may have shown Apple’s most ambitious vision of AR, but the iPhone is clearly the stepping stone. By giving users playful yet immersive features like Spatial Scenes, Apple is normalizing spatial content in daily life. Your photo library, arguably your most personal digital archive becomes an early training ground for AR adoption.
This is also a clever signal to developers. If users begin to expect spatial effects in something as simple as a photo, they’re more likely to embrace AR-enabled apps in shopping, gaming, and social media. With more than 1.3 billion iPhones worldwide, the potential for AR content on Apple’s ecosystem is far greater than the Vision Pro alone.
While most people will be drawn to iOS 26’s other upgrades, refreshed app icons, smarter call screening, and new personalization options, Apple’s quiet integration of AR into the lock screen could be the most significant shift.
