iOS 26: Here is What You Can Do With Apple’s New Games App

In iOS 26, iPadOS 26, and macOS Tahoe, Apple added an all-new Games app that is designed to be the go-to place for cellular gaming on Apple gadgets. The app consists of options for locating new video games to play, together with add-ons meant to maintain you extra engaged.

The Games app is fairly much like the Games tab within the App Store, which is not going wherever. It’s as if Apple took the Games tab and expanded it right into a full app.

Home View

The Home tab is the primary view of the Games app, and it’s tailor-made to every person. It has a “Continue Playing” part so you may get to the final sport you have been enjoying with a faucet, and there is a giant carousel on the prime of the interface with spotlighted content material like sport recommendations, buddy achievements, and Games app options.

You can swipe by way of the content material within the Home tab, and it really works so much just like the Today recommendations within the ‌App Store‌. There are a number of sections to scroll by way of for content material recommendations, a few of which is personalised primarily based in your gaming historical past.

Some of the totally different sections:

• Arcade Games for You – Includes all Apple Arcade title recommendations.
• Friends Are Playing – Games your Game Center mates have performed lately.
• Top Played Games – A ranked record of probably the most performed iOS video games.
• Because You Played – Suggestions primarily based on a particular title you beforehand performed.
• Top Arcade Games – A ranked record of the highest ‌Apple Arcade‌ video games.
• New Games We Love – Recently launched titles that are not a part of ‌Apple Arcade‌.
• New Games on ‌Apple Arcade‌ – Includes the brand new titles on ‌Apple Arcade‌, however not different ‌App Store‌ titles.
• Try Before You Buy – Games with demos you’ll be able to play earlier than you decide to a purchase order.
• Our Most Anticipated Games – Upcoming video games with pre-orders out there.
• Friend Suggestions – Lets you invite individuals to be a Game Center buddy by way of Messages.
• Top Free Games – A ranked record of the highest free-to-play video games.
• Top Paid Games – A ranked record of the highest paid video games within the ‌App Store‌.

Events

Apple launched Events for video games manner again in iOS 15. Events for video games are displayed within the Games app so you’ll be able to see which video games are providing recent content material.

Events can embrace restricted time particular gameplay, particular trophies and objects which are out there for a short while, main content material updates, crossovers, challenges, and extra.

Apple Arcade

There is a devoted tab for ‌Apple Arcade‌ content material, the place Apple promotes its $6.99 per thirty days gaming service. The ‌Apple Arcade‌ tab can be damaged down into totally different sections with gaming suggestions, very similar to the ‌Apple Arcade‌ part of the ‌App Store‌.

Unified Games Library

The Games app is cut up into 4 tabs, together with Home, Arcade, Play Together, and Library. The Library tab consists of all the video games that you’ve performed throughout all your gadgets.

The Library permits you to see all your achievements in a single place separated by sport, with filters to separate them by platform. There are additionally fast entry hyperlinks to new ‌Apple Arcade‌ titles and Events.

Game Info

Tapping right into a sport exhibits if you final performed it and gives choices for launching it or downloading it once more if it is one thing that you’ve got deleted or performed on a unique gadget.

All video games have a Games Details part that features clear data on the sport’s ranking, kind, whether or not there’s controller assist, and the way giant the sport is.

Social Options

In the devoted Play Together tab, you will see a listing of video games that your pals are enjoying, together with recommendations for multiplayer video games that you could play with another person. There’s additionally a devoted Challenges device, which is a brand new function.

Multiplayer Games

For a multiplayer sport, you’ll be able to faucet on the “Start Multiplayer” possibility after which invite somebody to play with you. There’s a listing of mates that you’ve got performed multiplayer video games with earlier than, in addition to a Party Code you’ll be able to ship to somebody and an invitation hyperlink.

Both gamers have to be operating ‌iOS 26‌, ‌iPadOS 26‌, or macOS 26 or later to make use of the Multiplayer options which are within the Games app.

Multiplayer video games are video games the place you play with a number of further gamers on the identical time in co-op or aggressive gameplay.

Challenges

Challenges are a separate multiplayer possibility for asynchronous aggressive gameplay for video games which are historically single participant.

With Challenges, you’ll be able to choose a sport, select guidelines or parameters for the problem, and compete in opposition to mates to win. Challenge choices vary from finishing a puzzle the quickest to getting the best rating. Each problem is time restricted, and for many video games, you’ll be able to set a time interval of a day, three days, or per week.

Game Center

The Games app basically makes Game Center options extra distinguished. Game Center has been round for a very long time for incomes achievements and enjoying video games with mates, however it hasn’t been as distinguished as it’s now.

There’s nonetheless a Game Center part within the Settings app, the place you’ll be able to invite mates and management who you share your gaming exercise with.

When you get a rating that is larger than a buddy’s rating in a sport you are each enjoying, you will see a pop up.

Game Mode

When you begin a sport, Game Mode is activated. If you faucet into Control Center with Game Mode, you will see an “Overlay” possibility. Tap that and you’ll see leaderboards, invite mates to play, and management sport settings like sound degree, show brightness, and controller parameters.

With Game Mode, you’ll be able to entry Game Center settings and social instruments with out having to depart the sport that you simply’re enjoying.

Game Mode will not be a Focus mode and it does not block notifications or in any other case interrupt gadget operation.

Other Games App Features

Tapping in your profile on the prime of the Games app brings up an possibility to ask mates to Game Center and reply to buddy requests, plus you’ll be able to see your problem wins and your sport achievements.

There’s additionally a devoted Search button the place you’ll be able to kind within the identify of a sport or faucet by way of totally different sport classes to search out one thing new to play.

For Developers

Developers can create challenges and multiplayer actions that may present up within the Games app for improved sport visibility.

Device Compatibility

Using the brand new Games app options requires a tool that is ready to run ‌iOS 26‌, ‌iPadOS 26‌, or macOS Tahoe. For the brand new Games app options like Challenges, each customers have to have a tool with the newest software program.

The Games app is for gameplay with different Apple customers, and there is no performance for taking part in video games with individuals who have Android gadgets or use different platforms.

Read More

We have a full iOS 26 roundup that covers all the new options which are out there within the replace.