Apple launched the second public beta of iOS 26.1 on Tuesday, lower than a month after the corporate launched iOS 26, which launched Liquid Glass, call screening and more to your system.
iOS 26.1 brings a helpful safety function to builders’ and beta testers’ units, which I hope will make the ultimate reduce.
Since this can be a beta, I like to recommend downloading it solely on one thing apart from your main system. The replace is perhaps buggy, and battery life could also be brief.
Additionally, provided that it isn’t the ultimate model, extra options may land in your iPhone when 26.1 is launched. There is no phrase on when Apple will launch iOS 26.1 to most people.
Listed below are the options builders and beta testers can strive now, and what might be in your iPhone when Apple formally releases iOS 26.1.
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Robotically set up safety enhancements
Apple introduces a helpful new safety setting within the iOS 26.1 beta that permits your iPhone to obtain and set up safety enhancements by itself.
“Background Safety Enhancements present further safety to your iPhone in between software program updates,” in line with Apple. “In uncommon situations of compatibility points, these safety enhancements could also be quickly eliminated after which enhanced in a future software program replace.”
This function jogs my memory of Apple’s Rapid Security Responses (RSR). The corporate launched RSRs in 2023 as a method to rapidly deploy safety fixes to units. Whereas a good suggestion in idea, Apple hasn’t used iOS RSRs because the launch of iOS 16.5.1 (c) in July 2023.
This is not a flashy setting, but it surely’s helpful and permits you to keep updated on smaller safety updates with out doing any additional work. As soon as enabled, this setting takes care of the remaining, so you do not have to test your iPhone on daily basis for brand spanking new updates to potential safety points.
Altering songs in Apple Music
Apple Music bought a handful of latest options in iOS 26, however the iOS 26.1 beta would not change a lot in regards to the app or service. As a substitute, the replace permits you to change songs in a brand new method.
With the iOS 26.1 beta, as a substitute of tapping the subsequent or backward buttons to alter songs, you possibly can swipe left or proper on the track title from the music participant inside Apple Music. You are able to do this when the participant is taking on your entire display or whenever you’re trying by way of Apple Music and the participant is small and close to the underside of your display. The track title even seems to leap left or proper whenever you change songs now, too.
Alarm will get one other replace
Certainly one of my favourite small upgrades in iOS 26 was the power to change your alarm snooze length. Within the iOS 26.1 beta, Apple makes it more durable to unintentionally dismiss your alarm. When your alarm goes off within the beta, you now need to swipe to cease it quite than hit a button. This might be annoying should you’re attempting to close your alarm off quick, or it may assist make sure you’re truly awake earlier than you flip your alarm off.
Extra Reside Translation languages
The iOS 26.1 beta provides extra languages to the brand new Live Translation function. Apple launched this function to iPhones and AirPods with iOS 26, and the beta lets builders and beta testers use it with these languages.
- Chinese language (Mandarin, simplified)
- Chinese language (Mandarin, conventional)
- Italian
- Japanese
- Korean
Apple Intelligence in additional languages
If in case you have an Apple Intelligence-enabled iPhone, iOS 26.1 beta 1 brings the AI options to those languages.
- Chinese language (conventional)
- Danish
- Dutch
- Norwegian
- Portuguese (Portugal)
- Swedish
- Turkish
- Vietnamese
Calendar replace
Not a significant change, however the iOS 26 beta updates the Calendar interface. In case you view your calendar in Checklist View, any calendar occasions you will have on a particular day will probably be coloured throughout the entire backside a part of your display.
New video scrubbing bar
The iOS 26.1 beta additionally brings a small change to the video scrubbing bar in Pictures. In case you go into Pictures and watch a video, you will discover that the bar throughout the underside of your display is extra compact and inline in comparison with the previous scrubbing bar, which had the play/pause and quantity buttons above the bar.
That is one other small change that you simply won’t have even observed.
These are just a few of the brand new options builders and public beta testers can strive with the second public beta of iOS 26.1. There’ll doubtless be extra betas earlier than the OS is launched to the general public, so there’s loads of time for Apple to alter these options.
For extra iOS information, this is my review of the iOS 26, methods to scale back the Liquid Glass results within the replace and the way text screening works within the replace. You may also try our iOS 26 cheat sheet.
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