Apple today released iOS 26.1, the first major update to the iOS 26 operating system that came out in September, iOS 26.1 comes over a month after iOS 26 launched. iOS 26.1 is compatible with the iPhone 11 series and later, as well as the second-generation iPhone SE.
The new software can be downloaded on eligible iPhones over-the-air by going to Settings > General > Software Update.
iOS 26.1 adds a toggle to increase the opacity of Liquid Glass for those who want less translucency. Alarms and Timers now require a swipe to turn them off, and there's finally an option to turn off the Lock Screen Camera swipe.
Apple Intelligence and AirPods Live Translation are available in additional languages, and there are small changes to Settings, Music, TV, Phone, Fitness, Photos, and Safari.
Apple's release notes for the update are below.
This update includes the following features and enhancements:
- Liquid Glass setting gives you the option to choose between the default clear look or a new tinted look which increases opacity of the material in apps and notifications on the Lock Screen
- Live Translation with AirPods support for Chinese (Simplified and Traditional), Japanese, Korean and Italian
- Apple Music MiniPlayer swipe gesture to go to the next or previous track
- Apple Music AutoMix support over AirPlay
- Gain control is available for external USB microphones when recording with local capture
- Local capture files can be saved to a specific location
- Manual workout logging is available directly from the Fitness app
- New Camera setting to turn on or off Lock Screen swipe to open Camera
- Improved FaceTime audio quality in low-bandwidth conditions
- Communication Safety and Web content filters to limit adult websites are enabled by default for existing child accounts for ages 13-17 (Age varies by country or region)For information on the security content of Apple software updates, please visit:
https://support.apple.com/100100Some features may not be available in all regions or on all iPhone models. To learn more, please visit:
https://apple.com/ios/feature-availability/Software updates, like this one, add new features and improvements that may affect performance and/or battery life. To learn more, please visit:
https://support.apple.com/125039
For more on the new features in iOS 26, we have a dedicated roundup.
