Apple is planning an Apple Watch Activity Challenge for Veterans Day, which takes place next Tuesday in the United States. Apple Watch owners are tasked with doing any workout for 11 minutes or more on November 11.
Apple Watch owners who complete the challenge will win an Apple Watch activity award in the Fitness app.
Earn this award on November 11 by doing any workout for 11 minutes or more. Record your time with the Workout app or any app that adds workouts to Health.
Like all of Apple's Activity Challenges, the Veterans Day challenge will reward users with animated stickers that can be used in the Messages app.
Apple does a Veterans Day Activity Challenge on an annual basis, and the company also often provides Veterans Day-themed content in the App Store, Apple TV app, Books app, and more.
In iOS 26.2, there's a new option to set an alarm to go off when creating a reminder in the Reminders app. When adding a reminder, selecting a time and then toggling on the "Urgent" option will cause an alarm to go off at the designated time.
Alarms that you set in the Clock app can also be integrated into the Reminders app by allowing the app to access Alarms in the Settings app.
When a Reminder alarm activates, it displays a snooze option or a slide to stop option. If you snooze it, it will show a countdown on the Lock Screen that includes an option to complete the reminder or reschedule it. Tapping to complete the reminder opens up the Reminders app where you need to tap again.
In the Reminders section of the Settings app, you can also opt to remove the snooze option and replace it with a Complete button to immediately mark it as complete. Apple distinguishes Reminders alarms from standard alarms with a new blue color.
The upcoming iOS 26.2 update for iPhone makes the Live Translation feature on select AirPods available in the EU, according to Apple. The news was also reported by various publications, including the German blog Macerkopf.
Live Translation allows you to understand someone who is speaking a different language than you. For example, if you speak English, and someone is speaking to you in French, Siri can tell you what they are saying in English through your AirPods.
The feature works best when both participants in a conversation are using Live Translation on AirPods. If you are talking with someone who is not wearing AirPods, you can display a live transcription in the other person's language on your iPhone.
Live Translation is available on the AirPods Pro 3, AirPods Pro 2, and higher-end AirPods 4 with Active Noise Cancellation. The feature launched in the U.S. and select other countries with iOS 26, but it was not available in the EU until now, as Apple said it needed additional time to ensure compliance with the EU's Digital Markets Act.
The feature can be used in the EU starting with the first iOS 26.2 beta, which was seeded to developers earlier today. A public beta of iOS 26.2 will soon follow, and Apple said the update will be released to all users in December.
In addition to compatible AirPods, users need an iPhone 15 Pro or newer with Apple Intelligence turned on and Apple's Translate app installed.
As of iOS 26.1, Live Translation on AirPods supports the following languages:
English (U.S.)
English (U.K.)
French (France)
German (Germany)
Portuguese (Brazil)
Spanish (Spain)
Chinese — Simplified (China)
Chinese — Traditional (China)
Japanese
Korean
Italian
iOS 26 also has a built-in Live Translation feature in the Messages, Phone, and FaceTime apps, with no AirPods required.
watchOS 26.2 tweaks the Sleep Score feature that's available for the Apple Watch, changing the labeling for point ranges to better match how people might be feeling after a restless night of sleep.
The new scores are as follows:
Very Low - 0-40 (previously 0-29)
Low - 41-60 (previously 30-49)
OK - 61-80 (previously 50-69)
High - 81-95 (previously 70-89)
Very High - 96-100 (previously 90-100)
The "Very High" rank used to be "Excellent," but Apple changed the name to be more in line with the other labels.
At the current time, five or six hours of restless sleep can still earn a "High" score, even though most people probably aren't feeling their best with that amount of sleep.
Sleep Score is a watchOS 26 feature that takes into account sleep duration, bedtime, and interruptions to assign a nightly score that represents sleep quality. Duration is worth 50 points, bedtime is worth 30, and interruptions (times woken up in the night) are worth 20.
Apple intends for Sleep Score to provide an overall sense of sleep patterns, helping users to identify habits that might be impacting sleep. Sleep Score requires an Apple Watch, and it works on all Apple Watch models that support watchOS 26.
Apple today seeded the first betas of upcoming iOS 26.2 and iPadOS 26.2 updates to developers for testing purposes, with the software coming a day after Apple released iOS 26.1 and iPadOS 26.1.
Registered developers can download the betas from the Settings app on the iPhone or iPad by going to the General section and selecting Software Update.
We don't yet know what's included in the new beta software, but given that these updates will be tested over the holiday period, Apple may be planning to focus on bug fixes and performance improvements rather than adding notable new features.
When we learn what's new in the updates, we'll share details.
iOS 26.2 and iPadOS 26.2 are limited to developers at the current time, but Apple will likely release a public beta in the next couple of days.
Apple today provided developers with the first betas of upcoming watchOS 26.2, tvOS 26.2, and visionOS 26.2 betas for testing purposes. The software comes a day after Apple launched the 26.1 versions of each platform.
The software updates are available through the Settings app on each device, and because these are developer betas, a free developer account is required.
We don't know what new features might be added in watchOS 26.2, visionOS 26.2, and tvOS 26.2. Apple doesn't typically provide release notes for betas, so we might not know what's new until the software updates see a public launch unless there are outward-facing changes.
Apple will likely provide public beta testers with access to the tvOS 26.2 and watchOS 26.2 betas later this week, but visionOS 26.2 will remain limited to developers. The software updates will probably launch sometime between December 9 and December 16, given Apple's historical release timelines for .2 updates.
Apple is testing three new color options for iPhone 18 Pro and iPhone 18 Pro Max models, according to a known leaker, but they have since clarified that the company plans to move forward with only one of the three new finishes.
The color options that Apple is considering include burgundy, brown, and purple, according to Instant Digital, a user on Chinese social media platform Weibo.
The image above is merely a concept — the exact shades of the rumored colors are unknown.
iPhone 17 Pro and iPhone 17 Pro Max models come in Silver, Cosmic Orange, and Deep Blue. It is unclear if Apple will reuse any of those colors next year.
If the special new color ends up being burgundy, it would be the first time that the Pro and Pro Max models are available in red, although it would be a deeper shade than Apple's charitable (PRODUCT)RED color for other past devices.
iPhone 14 Pro and iPhone 14 Pro Max models were available in Deep Purple.
There has never been a truly brown iPhone.
Given the iPhone 18 Pro and iPhone 18 Pro Max are not expected to launch until September 2026, there is still plenty of time for Apple to finalize its color decisions.
Apple is developing a more affordable Mac notebook that's set to come out in the first half of 2026, according to Bloomberg. The machine will cost "well under $1,000" and it will compete with affordable Windows machines and Chromebooks.
Apple's lowest priced Mac notebook right now is the MacBook Air, which starts at $999, though students can get a $100 discount through the Education Store. The Mac mini desktop machine is more affordable at $599, but it is not portable and does not come with a display or peripherals.
While Apple has long had a more affordable "SE" version of the iPhone, Macs have always been more expensive, premium devices. Cheaper PCs have seen success with students and those that don't need capabilities beyond web browsing and document creation.
The low-cost Mac could replace the entry-level iPad and keyboard combo that some people use as an affordable way to get a PC-capable Apple device.
We've heard multiple rumors about Apple's plan for a lower-cost notebook over the last few months. Apple analyst Ming-Chi Kuosaid in June that the machine would have a 13-inch display and an A-series iPhone processor rather than a Mac processor. Apple will reportedly use the A18 Pro chip that first came out in the iPhone 16 Pro.
Kuo said that Apple could offer the Mac in bright colors like the iMac, selling it in Silver, Blue, Pink, and Yellow.
The low-cost MacBook will not replace any existing Mac in Apple's lineup, and it will be sold alongside M5 versions of the MacBook Air and MacBook Pro that Apple plans to debut early in 2026.
Apple recently refreshed its Vision Pro headset with the M5 chip, but how different is it from the original version? This guide lists all of the differences between the two models.
While the latest model sees no hardware changes beyond the chip and the headband, the M5 chip unlocks a series of new capabilities for the Vision Pro, such as a higher refresh rate, more rendered pixels, and longer battery life.
The M5 Vision Pro isn't classified as a second-generation model, which reveals how incremental Apple sees the update over the original M2 version. Nevertheless, it refines the headset in specific ways. All of the differences between the two models are as follows:
10-core CPU (4 performance and 6 efficiency cores)
New GPU architecture
Integrated Neural Accelerator in every GPU core
Metal 4 developer APIs
Metal 4 developer APIs with Tensor APIs to program GPU Neural Accelerators
Third-generation ray tracing engine
Hardware-accelerated mesh shading
Second-generation dynamic caching
LPDDR5 memory
LPDDR5X memory
100 GB/s memory bandwidth
153 GB/s memory bandwidth
Support for AV1 decode
Dedicated display engine
10% more rendered pixels
Up to 100Hz refresh rate
Up to 120Hz refresh rate
2–2.5 hours battery life
2.5–3 hours battery life
30W power adapter included
40W power adapter included
Solo Knit Band and Dual Loop Band included
Counterweighted Dual Knit Band included
Weighs 600–650 grams (21.2–22.9 ounces)
Weighs 750–800 grams (26.4–28.2 ounces)
Made in China
Made in Vietnam
Released February 2024
Released October 2025
Started at $3,499 (£3,499 or €4,000)
Starts at $3,499 (£3,199 or €3,700)
The new chip is dramatically more powerful and efficient, making the device tangibly faster at tasks that push multiple subsystems at once, such as creating spatial photos or loading widget-heavy environments. Latency is reduced and overall responsiveness improves enough to feel noticeable in daily use. While there aren't many workflows that can take full advantage of the M5 chip's capabilities, it provides considerable performance headroom and strengthens the headset's technical foundation for future versions of visionOS and third-party apps.
That said, the upgrade is still bound by the same cameras, sensors, and displays as the M2 model. The new 120 Hz refresh rate and 10% increase in rendered pixels subtly enhance motion smoothness and realism, but they don't transform the experience. Battery life is also slightly better, yet none of these shifts make the M2 version feel obsolete. The software remains identical across both models, and since the new Dual Knit Band is available separately, comfort is also not a differentiator.
For current owners, the decision to upgrade hinges on use-case. Developers, designers, or professionals who push the headset to its limits will appreciate the added headroom and smoother responsiveness. For everyone else—especially those who primarily use the Vision Pro for watching TV and movies, Mac Virtual Display, browsing, or light productivity—the M2 version still delivers the same fundamental experience.
The M2 model's secondary-market prices also change the equation. With no trade-in program and units now listed on eBay at substantially lower prices, the original Vision Pro has become a far more accessible entry point into Apple's spatial computing experience. That makes the M5 model the better option for new buyers who want the most longevity and headroom, but the M2 model remains better value for those entering the platform for the first time or waiting for a larger generational leap.
The Amazon Music app now integrates with Alexa+ on iOS and Android, allowing users to navigate its extensive catalog via intuitive conversation.
Amazon today announced that Alexa+, its upgraded AI-driven assistant, is now available in beta to members of the Alexa+ Early Access program using the Amazon Music app across all subscription tiers. The assistant introduces new ways for users to discover, organize, and engage with music through natural conversation rather than traditional commands. According to Amazon, Alexa+ enables listeners to interact with music as if speaking to "a knowledgeable friend," discussing genres, influences, and song meanings in depth.
The feature appears as a new "a" button in the lower right corner of the Amazon Music interface, allowing users to activate Alexa+ through voice queries. Alexa+ can respond to both general and highly specific prompts. Users can ask questions such as "What's the song that plays in the opening credits of The Sopranos?" or "Which song has the lyrics, 'Catch me or I'll go Houdini'?"
The assistant can also generate playlists tailored to complex requests, including "Create a playlist for driving along the Pacific Coast Highway at sunset" or "Make a playlist of relaxing songs for my dog but with R&B vibes that soothe anxiety." Beyond basic song identification, Alexa+ is capable of explaining the meaning of lyrics, exploring artist discographies, identifying sample origins, and tracing genre evolution across decades and regions.
Amazon says that listeners who engaged with Alexa+ explored three times more music and listened to nearly 70% more tracks than those using the original version of Alexa. Alexa+ was first announced earlier in 2025. It can respond to personalized requests, manage routines, summarize topics, and understand context in extended dialogue.
Once the beta period ends, Alexa+ will be available to Amazon Prime members at no additional cost, while non-Prime users will be able to subscribe for $19.99 per month. The current rollout marks one of the first major integrations of a generative AI assistant within a mainstream streaming service.
In macOS Tahoe 26, Apple gave Spotlight a major update with a visual overhaul, clipboard access, and Actions for performing tasks within apps directly from the search bar.
There's quite a lot of hidden potential in Spotlight's new manifestation. Below, we've put together a cheat sheet of Spotlight functionality to help you make the most of it.
Getting Started With Spotlight
You can open Spotlight on your Mac at any time by pressing Command + Space Bar or by clicking the magnifying glass icon in the menu bar.
The main Spotlight overlay remains the quickest way to find almost anything on your Mac. Type a keyword to surface apps, documents, emails, contacts, dictionary definitions, or web results. You can drag a file from search results to the desktop or a Finder window, or you can open it by double-clicking it or selecting it and pressing Return.
You can also still access the extra functionality that Apple has added over time, like input calculations and get conversions, find flight information with a flight number, or get an up-to-date weather forecast.
If you move your pointer when Spotlight is open, you'll see four icons appear to the right of the interface: they are Apps, Files, Actions, and Clipboard. You can click to open these browse modes or use keyboard shortcuts to open straight into them and switch between them:
Command + Space Bar + 1: Apps
Command + Space Bar + 2: Files
Command + Space Bar + 3: Actions
Command + Space Bar + 4: Clipboard
We'll get to these browse modes later on, but first let's look at some Spotlight-wide filter functions.
Filter Search With Categories
You can narrow your Spotlight results by selecting a category that appears beneath the search field. Press Command + Space Bar to open Spotlight, then start typing. As you search, dynamic categories such as Screenshots, System Settings, or Folders will appear – click any of them to instantly filter your results.
Filter Search by Location
If you're searching for a file, you can filter it based on where the file is stored – like iCloud Drive, for example. Type "iCloud Drive," press the Tab key, and then type the name of the file before pressing Return.
Reveal File Location
If the file you're looking for is highlighted in the results, hold the Command key to reveal its location path beneath the name. You can also double-click the location to go straight to it in Finder.
Filter Search by App or Kind of Item
You can specify the type of items you're searching for, such as apps, folders or PDFs. To search by app, type the app name (e.g. Notes, Calendar) then press the Tab key. Now type a term to search only within that app.
To search by kind, enter "/" followed by the type of item or app. For example, to narrow search results to PDFs, enter "/PDF" and press Return, then type your search terms.
Use Keywords
Apple has also implemented keywords for specifying different kinds of item. In the Spotlight search field, add the text "kind:[type of item]" to the beginning of your search. For example, to search for photos of Edinburgh, type "kind:images Edinburgh."
Spotlight supports the following keywords for searching for different types of item:
Type of Item
Keyword
Apps
kind:application
kind:applications
kind:app
Contacts
kind:contact
kind:contacts
Folders
kind:folder
kind:folders
Email
kind:email
kind:emails
kind:mail message
kind:mail messages
Calendar Events
kind:event
kind:events
Reminders
kind:reminder
kind:reminders
Images
kind:image
kind:images
Movies
kind:movie
kind:movies
Music
kind:music
Audio
kind:audio
PDF
kind:pdf
kind:pdfs
Settings
kind:system settings
kind:settings
Bookmarks
kind:bookmark
kind:bookmarks
Fonts
kind:font
kind:fonts
Presentations
kind:presentation
kind:presentations
You can also refine your searches using specific keywords such as from, to, author, with, by, tag, title, name, keyword, and contains. To use one, type the keyword followed by a colon, then your search term – for example, author:Tim or title:Edinburgh.
Launching Apps
With Launchpad gone, you can use Spotlight's Apps browse mode to launch apps instead (Command + Space Bar + 1). The mode also surfaces iPhone apps when iPhone Mirroring is active, so you can access them directly from your desktop.
If you prefer, you can hide iPhone apps from this view via the browse mode's options button (three encircled dots). You can also change from Grid to List view from this menu. Unfortunately, you can't uninstall apps or rearrange them in Spotlight like you could do in Launchpad.
Actions
Actions in Spotlight let you do things with apps without having to open those apps. You can send emails, create shortcuts for features in apps, set timers, create Calendar events, make reminders, and much more, plus there's integration with the Shortcuts app to take things even further.
For example, if you want to send a message, press Command + Space Bar + 3 to open Spotlight Actions, then select the Send Message action and hit Return. Type your message, hit Tab, type the name of the recipient, then select their contact and hit Enter again. The steps depend which action you choose to run, but it's the same basic process.
Here are just some actions that you can use:
Add File to Note: Quickly adds a file on your computer to a note in the Notes app.
Change Case: Changes the case of copied text.
Start FaceTime call: Makes a FaceTime call – audio or video – to the person of your choice.
Random Number: Picks a random number when given a minimum and maximum.
Recognise Music: Names the currently playing song.
Remove Image Background: Removes the background from a named image.
Send Email: Sends an email message to a recipient of your choice.
Translate Text: Translates selected text from a detected language to the language of your choice.
Quick Keys
You can use Spotlight Actions to do all kinds of things without opening an app, but there are also quick access phrases you can assign to launch tasks quickly, like "ch" for bringing up ChatGPT. Simply click the "Add quick keys" button whenever you see it in search results.
If you need to, you can reset assigned quick keys to their defaults by clicking Reset Quick Keys in System Settings ➝ Spotlight.
Clipboard Mode
Clipboard mode (Space Bar + Command + 4) is one of the most practical additions to macOS Tahoe. It keeps a searchable history of copied text, links, images, and files, even syncing across your devices through Universal Clipboard. You can copy or paste items directly from this view, or clear history entirely for privacy. You can see your entire history for the day, but it is limited to the last eight hours by default. In macOS 26.1, you can change how long clipboard history is kept in System Settings ➝ Spotlight.
You can copy from the clipboard search results by clicking the Copy icon, then paste the item anywhere by pressing Command + V. To erase the clipboard history, click the options button (three encircled dots), then choose Clear History.
Spotlight History
If you open Spotlight (Command + Space Bar) and start pressing the up arrow key, you can see a history of your past searches.
Customize Spotlight Settings
Head to System Settings ➝ Spotlight to fine-tune what appears in results. You can exclude apps and private folders, reset Quick Keys, and delete search history. New in macOS Tahoe 26.1, you can also now adjust how long clipboard history is retained (30 minutes, 8 hours, 7 days), or disable clipboard history completely. The options generally give you greater control over privacy and performance while keeping Spotlight uncluttered.
Apple quietly added a small but notable enhancement to Spotlight in macOS Tahoe 26.1, which was released on Monday. The update introduces new clipboard history controls for Spotlight, allowing users to decide how long copied items remain accessible in search results.
Previously, Spotlight could optionally retain clipboard contents for up to eight hours, but the latest update expands that flexibility with three options – 30 minutes, 8 hours, or 7 days. There's also a new "Clear Clipboard History" button in System Settings ➝ Spotlight, giving users the ability to manually wipe stored clipboard data without having to wipe Spotlight search history wholesale.
The changes should be welcomed by anyone wanting finer control over how long potentially sensitive information is retained by Spotlight, and it puts the feature more on par with third-party clipboard management apps. Apple did not mention the change in its macOS 26.1 release notes, suggesting it may be just one of several under-the-radar refinements to macOS Tahoe 26.
Samsung this week introduced a new sitewide holiday sale, offering early Black Friday discounts across a wide range of products. This includes deals on monitors, storage accessories, TVs, Galaxy smartphones, home appliances, and more.
Note: MacRumors is an affiliate partner with Samsung. When you click a link and make a purchase, we may receive a small payment, which helps us keep the site running.
Highlights from this event include quite a few models of The Frame TV on sale, including the new The Frame Pro models. You can get the 2025 65-inch The Frame TV for $1,399.99 ($400 off), as well as The Frame Pro for $2,499.99 ($700 off).
Other deals include savings on monitors like the 32-inch Smart Monitor M7 at $299.99 ($100 off), the 49-inch Odyssey OLED G9 Gaming Monitor at $1,099.99 ($700 off), and more. We're also tracking big markdowns on home appliances including refrigerators and washer/dryers, and a few Galaxy device discounts.
Samsung's new Galaxy XR headset also has a few notable offers during this event, including up to $1,140 in savings with the Explorer Pack. This features various content at no extra cost with the purchase of the Galaxy XR, like one year of YouTube Premium, one year of Google AI Pro, and more.
If you purchase the Galaxy XR alongside other Galaxy products, there are also a few bundle offers during the early Black Friday sale. You can get 70 percent off Galaxy Buds3, 44 percent off Galaxy Buds3 Pro, and 25 percent off Galaxy Watch8 Classic when bundled with the headset.
If you're on the hunt for more discounts, be sure to visit our Apple Deals roundup where we recap the best Apple-related bargains of the past week.
Deals Newsletter
Interested in hearing more about the best deals you can find as we head into the holidays? Sign up for our Deals Newsletter and we'll keep you updated so you don't miss the biggest deals of the season!
The app allows you to send messages, read full messages, send message reactions, record and send voice messages, receive call notifications, and more — all directly on your Apple Watch, with no need to take out your iPhone.
Meta's announcement highlighted some of the key features:
Call notifications: You can see who's calling without looking at your iPhone.
Full messages: You can read full WhatsApp messages on Apple Watch — even long messages are visible directly from your wrist.
Written messages: You can write out and send messages directly from your watch.
Voice messages: You can record and send voice messages.
Reactions: You can send quick emoji reactions to messages you receive.
A great media experience: You'll see clearer images and stickers on your Apple Watch.
Chat history: You can see more of your chat history on screen when reading messages.
WhatsApp is available on the Apple Watch Series 4 and newer running watchOS 10 or later.
A connected iPhone with the WhatsApp app installed is required, and you will need to update the app to the latest version that was released today.
Note: MacRumors is an affiliate partner with Amazon. When you click a link and make a purchase, we may receive a small payment, which helps us keep the site running.
Across the board these are the best prices we've tracked to date on the new cases for iPhone 17, iPhone 17 Pro, and iPhone Air. This time around the deals do not require any coupon codes to see the final sale prices.
Items on sale include Clear, Silicone, and TechWoven Cases for the iPhone 17, iPhone 17 Pro, iPhone 17 Pro Max, and iPhone Air. We're also tracking a few discounts on other accessories like the FineWoven Wallet with MagSafe.
If you're on the hunt for more discounts, be sure to visit our Apple Deals roundup where we recap the best Apple-related bargains of the past week.
Deals Newsletter
Interested in hearing more about the best deals you can find as we head into the holidays? Sign up for our Deals Newsletter and we'll keep you updated so you don't miss the biggest deals of the season!
iOS 26.1 is the first major update to the iOS 26 software that came out in September, and it's now available for everyone. There are some useful new features in iOS 26.1 that address complaints about Liquid Glass and fix a longtime Lock Screen irritation.
We've complied a list of all of the new features in iOS 26.1, down to the tiniest interface change.
Liquid Glass Transparency Toggle
There is a new setting for customizing the look of Liquid Glass. You can now opt for a more tinted look that adds opacity.
Under Settings > Display and Brightness, there's a new option to switch between Clear or Tinted settings. Clear is more transparent and is the standard version of Liquid Glass that displays the background underneath buttons, menu bars, and other interface elements, while Tinted increases the opacity of Liquid Glass to improve contrast.
You'll see the most noticeable difference in apps and with Lock Screen notifications when Tinted mode is enabled.
Lock Screen Camera Swipe
Apple finally added a way to turn off the Lock Screen gesture that opens the Camera app, which means no more accidentally turning on the camera when your iPhone is in your pocket.
In the Camera section of the Settings app, there's a Lock Screen Swipe to Open Camera setting, and turning it off disables the left swipe that opens the Camera app.
There was previously no way to turn off Lock Screen camera activation without disabling the camera app entirely.
Phone Haptics
The Phone app includes a toggle to turn off haptic feedback when a call is connected or dropped, so if you find that little buzz irritating, you can now disable it.
Alarms and Timers
Apple updated the interface of alarms and timers in iOS 26.1. There's now a Slide to Stop bar on the Lock Screen instead of a tap to stop button.
You can still snooze an alarm with a tap on the oversized button, but to turn it off entirely, you need to use a slide gesture that requires more dexterity.
If you've accidentally dismissed an alarm while trying to tap the snooze button and then overslept, this will be a welcome change. Unfortunately, there is no option to choose to stick with the tap to stop button.
New Apple Intelligence Languages
Apple Intelligence is now available in Danish, Dutch, Norwegian, Portuguese (Portugal), Swedish, Turkish, Chinese (Traditional), and Vietnamese.
The new languages join English, French, German, Italian, Portuguese (Brazil), Spanish, Chinese (Simplified), Japanese, and Korean, opening up Apple Intelligence to more people.
AirPods Live Translation Languages
AirPods Live Translation works with additional languages in iOS 26.1, including Japanese, Korean, Italian, and Chinese (both Mandarin Traditional and Simplified).
At launch, Live Translation was limited to English (US, UK), French (France), German, Portuguese (Brazil), and Spanish (Spain).
You can translate to and from all of the above languages with the AirPods Pro 2, AirPods Pro 3, or AirPods 4 with ANC.
Apple Music
There's a hidden Apple Music gesture in iOS 26.1. You can swipe on the music player in the Apple Music app to switch songs. Just slide a finger over where the song title is listed, and it'll go to the next song or back to the previous song.
AirPlay
Apple Music AutoMix now works over AirPlay, so you'll hear AutoMix transitions when playing music over AirPlay 2-compatible speakers.
Apple TV App
The Apple TV app has a new, more colorful icon that adopts the Liquid Glass aesthetic. The redesign coincides with Apple's decision to drop the "Plus" from its Apple TV streaming service. Apple TV+ is now called Apple TV in the Apple TV app.
Fitness App
You can now create fully custom workouts in the Fitness app on iPhone. There are options for selecting workout type, estimated Active Calories, effort, duration, and start time.
There were workout creation options before, but they were more structured than the open, custom creation options that are in iOS 26.1.
Settings App
Apple changed the alignment of icons and text in the Settings app. All settings with headers that feature text now have that text aligned to the left instead of center aligned. It's a small change that makes a big visual difference.
This includes General, Bluetooth, Wi-Fi, Cellular, Personal Hotspot, Accessibility, Apple Intelligence, and more.
Home Screen Folders
When you tap into a folder on the Home Screen, the name of the folder at the top is left aligned instead of center aligned, matching the changes made in the Settings app.
Phone
The Phone keypad now uses Liquid Glass for the numbers, fixing a visual issue present in iOS 26.
Photos
The slider for scrubbing through videos in the Photos app has a new look.
The Photos app navigation bar has a slightly more frosted look that makes it easier to see on light backgrounds.
The interface for managing multiple photos that you've selected has been tweaked slightly. Play as Slideshow, Favorite, and Hide have been relocated to the top of the menu.
Safari
The Tab Bar (Bottom) in Safari is wider with less padding around the edges, so there's less wasted space. In Reduce Transparency mode, there's more padding, so it no longer looks odd.
Background Security Improvements
The Privacy and Security section of the Settings app has a toggle to automatically download and install security improvements. It's a revamp of the prior Rapid Security Responses feature that allows Apple to provide security updates without having to offer a full new version of iOS.
Display Settings
The Display section of the Settings app now has iOS 26-themed wallpaper instead of iOS 18 wallpaper, fixing an iOS 26 oversight.
Liquid Glass
The light refraction effect around apps is now more subtle with darker icon colors and background colors. It's a subtle change that most might not notice.
Wallpaper
When setting a wallpaper on the Lock Screen, instructions like Pinch to Crop show up momentarily and then disappear rather than being shown all the time, which gives a better view of your wallpaper when you're choosing how you want it to appear.
Display Accessibility
Under the Display and Text Size section in the Accessibility settings, there is a "Display Borders" toggle. It adds a border to all buttons, and replaces the prior "Button Shapes" setting.
Local Capture Settings
There's an option to set a location in the Files app for audio and video recordings from calls. It's available by going to Settings > General > Local Capture.
External Microphones
There's an option to adjust input gain when using an external microphone with local capture.
FaceTime
FaceTime now supports improved audio quality in low-bandwidth conditions.
Communication Safety
Communication Safety and Web content filters that limit access to adult websites are not enabled by default for existing child accounts for ages 13-17.
iPadOS 26.1 - Slide Over
Many of the changes above are in iPadOS 26.1 too, and iPadOS 26.1 also includes major changes to multitasking. With iPadOS 26.1, Apple reintroduced Slide Over. Slide Over works alongside the window-based iPadOS 26 multitasking functionality, so you can have multiple windows open and still swipe over to quickly access a Slide Over app.
You can only have one Slide Over app at a time in iPadOS 26.1, and you can use the feature by tapping on the green window resizing button and toggling on Enter Slide Over.
The iPadOS 26.1 update also brings a Vision Pro app to the iPad.
Download iOS 26.1
You can get the update by opening up the Settings app, choosing the General section, and tapping on Software Update.
Compatibility
iOS 26.1 is available on all devices that are able to run iOS 26, which includes the iPhone 11 and later along with the iPhone SE 2.
iPadOS 26.1 is available on all iPads able to run iPadOS 26.
The logo features an Apple icon that's split into six slices, and each slice includes the color that Apple uses for one of the services included in Apple One Premium.
Apple One is Apple's paid service that combines several subscriptions in a single bundle price. Apple hadn't designed a recognizable logo for Apple One until now, and the new design still hasn't been added to the standalone Apple One website.
Since Apple is rebranding the Apple TV streaming service, it makes sense for the company to also push the Apple One subscription bundle. Apple One is priced at $19.95 per month for the individual plan, which includes 50GB of iCloud+ storage, Apple TV, Apple Music, and Apple Arcade.
The $25.95 per month Family option offers the same services with 200GB of iCloud+ storage and access for up to five people, while the $37.95 per month Premier plan includes access to 2TB of iCloud+ storage, Apple TV, Apple Music, Apple Arcade, Apple News+, and Apple Fitness+. Apple's bundles offer savings ranging from $12 per month to $32 per month.
Update: Several MacRumors have pointed out that Apple has used this Apple One logo on occasion in the past, but it appears Apple is now making more prominent use of it.
Apple plans to end support for the previous version of Apple Home on February 10, 2026, according to an updated support document published today. Apple previously said that the older architecture would no longer be supported as of fall 2025, but customers now have a few more months to update.
Users will need to transition to the new HomeKit architecture by next February to avoid interruptions with accessories and automations.
The underlying HomeKit architecture was revamped in March 2023 alongside iOS 16.4, so Apple has been supporting both the new and old architecture for the last two years. There were initial problems with stability that may have discouraged some users from upgrading, but those problems have now been addressed.
When Apple stops supporting the original HomeKit architecture, it will break support for the Home app on devices running older versions of iOS, iPadOS, and macOS. iOS 16.2, iPadOS 16.2, macOS 13.1, tvOS 16.2, and watchOS 9.2 are the minimum versions of Apple's platforms that work with the updated Apple Home app, and older devices will lose access.
The update includes support for features like guest access, support for robot vacuum cleaners, and Activity History. Apple says it also provides faster, more reliable performance, especially for smart homes with a lot of HomeKit and Matter accessories installed.
The upgrade can be installed in the Home app by tapping on the More button, choosing Home Settings, and then tapping on Software Update. Apple says that customers who do not install the update manually may be automatically upgraded to the latest version of Apple Home.
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