The upcoming iOS 26.1 update includes a handful of new features and changes for iPhones, including a toggle for changing the appearance of the Liquid Glass design, "slide to stop" for alarms in the Clock app, and more.
Below, we outline key details about iOS 26.1.
Release Date
Given that Apple has yet to seed an iOS 26.1 Release Candidate, which is typically the final beta version, the update is no longer expected to be released in October. Instead, the update will likely be released in early November.
If the Release Candidate arrives this week, then iOS 26.1 will likely be released on Monday, November 3 or Tuesday, November 4.
New Features
Liquid Glass Toggle
iOS 26.1 lets you choose your preferred look for Liquid Glass.
In the Settings app, under Display and Brightness → Liquid Glass, there is a more transparent "Clear" option and a more opaque "Tinted" option.
Lock Screen Camera Toggle
In the Settings app, a new "Lock Screen Swipe to Open Camera" toggle lets you turn off the ability to swipe left on the Lock Screen to quickly open the Camera app.
Slide to Stop Alarms
When an alarm goes off in the Clock app, iOS 26.1 shows a new "slide to stop" control on the screen for turning off the alarm. On previous iOS 26 versions, there is simply a large "stop" button, which could be accidentally tapped.
This change — which also applies to timers — comes after Apple significantly increased the size of the "stop" button in the Clock app on iOS 26.
Song Swiping
You can now swipe on the music player in Apple Music to switch between songs.
Apple TV+ Rebrand to Apple TV
Earlier this month, Apple announced that its Apple TV+ streaming service is being renamed to Apple TV, with a "vibrant new identity." iOS 26.1 lays the groundwork for this change by introducing a more colorful Apple TV app icon.
More Apple Intelligence Languages
Apple Intelligence is now available in Danish, Dutch, Norwegian, Portuguese (Portugal), Swedish, Turkish, Chinese (Traditional), and Vietnamese.
More AirPods Live Translation Languages
AirPods Live Translation works with additional languages in iOS 26.1, including Japanese, Korean, Italian, and Chinese (Traditional and Simplified).
The feature is available on AirPods 4 with ANC, AirPods Pro 2, and AirPods Pro 3.
Background Security Improvements
In the Settings app, under Privacy & Security → Security Improvements, there is a new option to automatically download and install "Background Security Improvements." These are stopgap security patches issued between full iOS updates.
This is a revamp of the prior Rapid Security Responses feature.
