After a summer of beta testing, Apple released iOS 26 to everyone last month. Now, attention has shifted to iOS 26.1. This update is available to developers and public beta testers now, and will likely be released to everyone later this month. Here’s everything you need to know about what’s new in iOS 26.1.
What’s new in iOS 26.1?
iOS 26 brought major new features to your iPhone, headlined by the new Liquid Glass design. iOS 26.1, however, is a significantly smaller update that focuses primarily on refinement.
Small user interface tweaks
iOS 26.1 brings a handful of smaller user interface tweaks.
In the Phone app, the numpad now uses a Liquid Glass design.
In the Photos app, the video scrubber and navigation bar have frosted backgrounds with improved legibility.
In iPadOS 26.1, the Downloads interface in Safari is now a dedicated popup in the middle of the screen. Previously, it was a dropdown from the downloads icon.
In the Calendar app, background colors for events are now shown full-width.
Music app improvements
One of the biggest redesigns in iOS 26 came to the Music app, which got a fresh coat of Liquid Glass paint as well as a broader restructuring of its navigation system.
In iOS 26.1, Apple has made a change that I’m thrilled about. Now, you swipe left and right on the Now Playing bar at the bottom of the app to easily switch between songs. Having quick access to this control is a great improvement upon the iOS 26 design.
Apple Intelligence
Apple Intelligence continues its global expansion with iOS 26.1. The update brings Apple Intelligence support to eight new languages:
Chinese (traditional)
Danish
Dutch
Norwegian
Portuguese (Portugal)
Swedish
Turkish
Vietnamese
AirPods Live Translation expansion
Live Translation launched last month for AirPods Pro 2, AirPods Pro 3, and AirPods 4 with support for English (US and UK), French, German, Portuguese (Brazil), and Spanish (Spain). iOS 26.1 adds support for five new languages:
Chinese (Mandarin, simplified)
Chinese (Mandarin, traditional)
Italian
Japanese
Korean
And more
iOS 26.1 code also references Apple’s work on two major changes to the iPhone:
Wrap up
As you can see, iOS 26.1 is a dramatic update for your iPhone. If you haven’t updated to iOS 26 yet, iOS 26.1 will be a great place to jump on board as it is generally more stable and refined than the initial iOS 26 release.
As my colleague Ryan outlined recently, iOS 26.1 will likely be released to everyone at the end of October.
Have you updated to iOS 26 yet? Are you waiting for iOS 26.1 or a later update? Let us know down in the comments.
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