Like in "Total Recall": Artificial fingernails with subsequent color change
At CES, a US company is showcasing artificial fingernails whose color can be changed repeatedly afterwards. They are to be delivered starting in June.
(Image: iPolish)
US company iPolish is showcasing press-on artificial fingernails at CES 2026 in Las Vegas that can have their color changed afterward with a pen-like device. This aims to bring to life a vision from the 1990 science fiction film Total Recall, in which a receptionist does exactly that with her fingernails. iPolish explains that their nails give users the freedom to “express themselves as they feel and want to show themselves in that moment.” The color can be changed quickly at any time, requiring a small device that receives the desired color via a smartphone app, which you then simply press onto the fingernail. Allegedly, 400 different colors are supported.
Color change in a few seconds
iPolish demonstrates the functionality in a short video, and US magazine Engadget was shown at CES that it actually works that way. The fingernails are applied like conventional acrylic nails, and changing their color is as easy as “changing the song in your playlist.” In the iPolish app, you can select not only individual colors but entire palettes. These are then transferred to the “wand” (English for “magic wand”), after which the fingernails must be pressed against the device one after another for the color change. The color change only takes a few seconds each time.
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iPolish does not state exactly how the fingernails work or what technology is built into them, and Engadget also did not learn any details. The magazine merely points out that the shape of the nails cannot be adjusted, as this would damage the hardware. The nails are offered in “Squoval” and “Ballerina” shapes, and the starter kits always contain 24 of them in 12 different sizes. They also include the “wand,” special glue, and cleaning agents, as well as other tools and a QR code to activate the required app. The whole package costs around 83 euros, and iPolish plans to start shipping in June.
heise online is a media partner of CES 2026.
(mho)
