While the biggest visual change in iOS 26 is the Liquid Glass interface, you’ll also find some pretty notable design overhauls to commonly used iPhone apps. The Phone application is an example, with the the new design of the Phone app in iOS 26 is very different compared to previous versions, featuring a cluttered new design that attempts to cram everything about the Phone app onto a single page that requires scrolling just to check your call log, the voicemail section has been relegated to a submenu that many users don’t see, and missed calls are also placed in a place that many iPhone users have trouble finding, and tapping on a caller or name now opens the contact card instead of just calling the person directly like before.
If you’re unhappy with the new design of the Phone app in iOS 26, you can restore old classic phone layout again on iPhone with iOS 26. With the return of the classic layout, you will no longer have the cluttered unified phone interface and you will once again have easy access to your familiar tabs for Favorites, Recents, Contacts, Keypad and Voicemail.
How to Restore Old Phone App Layout on iPhone with iOS 26
If you prefer the classic Phone app design with easily accessible tabs for Favorites, Recent Contacts, Keyboard, and Voicemail, as well as the very easy-to-use interface that has existed on the Phone app since the first iPhone, here’s how to restore that look:
- Open the Phone app on iPhone
- Find the three overlapping lines in the upper right corner and tap them.
- Tap “Classic” to return to the familiar design of the Phone app on iPhone.
The change is immediate and you’ll instantly see the familiar interface of your Phone app again.
Many iPhone users prefer the classic layout and original design of the Phone app because it makes it easier to see calls, contacts, voicemails, and other obvious information.
The new unified look has led a fair number of iPhone users to think that the Phone app is broken in various ways, or that their voicemail is no longer accessible, or that voicemail is missing or disappeared in iOS 26, or that they can’t find how to access or use voicemail, among many other complaints about the new look.
You can return to the Phone app with the new unified design at any time if you want, by simply returning to the three-line menu in the Phone app and choosing “Unified.”
What do you think of the redesign of the Phone app for iPhone with iOS 26? Do you like it or don’t you like it? Do you prefer the old classic layout? Let us know your thoughts in the comments below.
