iOS 26.1 is just days away, with a launch expected early next week. Here are my three favorite new features after more than a month using the iOS 26.1 beta.
#1: Swipe to change tracks in Apple Music
Apple’s Music app is largely unchanged in iOS 26.1, but there is one hidden feature that I’ve been loving.
You can now swipe on the MiniPlayer at the bottom of the screen to quickly change tracks.
Swipe left on the MiniPlayer to move forward to the next track in your queue, or swipe right to go back to the previous track.
It’s a simple, quick gesture that is especially useful when the MiniPlayer is collapsed into its smaller form, as seen above. And the subtle tap of haptic feedback you get after swiping is a nice touch.
I’ve gotten so used to swiping on the MiniPlayer in the Music app, I now wish the same functionality was in Apple Podcasts. I’d love to quickly skip forward and back during a podcast with a swipe—maybe in iOS 26.2.
#2: AirPods Live Translation expands
AirPods Live Translation was one of the tentpole additions to iOS 26, but it was only limited to a handful of supported languages.
In iOS 26.1, the feature expands to now support:
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