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Apple has released a new release candidate build (24S118) of watchOS 27.2 for developers and public beta testers, replacing the earlier RC build 24S5101f issued days before. The change comes ahead of Apple's broader 27.2 software rollout, expected early next week alongside iOS, iPadOS and tvOS updates.
Apple quietly rolled out iOS 27.1, but it is only available on the new iPhone Duo; other iPhone models currently show iOS 27.0.1 as their latest update. All other iPhones will instead jump directly to iOS 27.2, which has been in beta for a month and is set to launch next week with its own new features.
Apple's upcoming iOS 27.2 update, expected next week, extends Dual Capture to Group FaceTime calls after launching as a one-on-one feature in iOS 27. It also splits Apple Podcasts' Up Next queue into separate New Episodes and Continue Playing sections, and brings tvOS-style user profiles to the iPhone's Apple TV app.
The October 22, 2026 episode of 9to5Mac Daily recapped reports on upcoming iOS 27.2 features and discussion of a possible Apple Music rebrand. The episode is distributed via Apple Podcasts, Stitcher, TuneIn, Google Play and RSS, with a sponsorship from Backblaze.
Apple's upcoming iOS and iPadOS 27.2 update will extend Apple TV user profiles to iPhone and iPad, syncing playback history and recommendations across devices, with new kids' character avatars from shows like The Snoopy Show and Frog and Toad. The update also adds optional American Sign Language and British Sign Language support, accessible via Settings under Apps > TV > Sign Language.
Apple's upcoming iOS 27.2 update, expected next week, carries design changes to two built-in apps. Apple Music drops its red accent color for black, white and blue tones across the tab bar, library sections and widgets, while Apple Books repositions its reading controls, adds progress bars, and introduces a standard Liquid Glass menu.
Code found in the iOS 27.2 release candidate suggests Apple is developing a feature that would let muted Messages conversations be excluded from the app's unread badge count. The discovery was shared by Aaron Perris on X, and the feature does not appear to be shipping with iOS 27.2 itself.
Apple has redesigned Apple Music's branding, introducing a rippling-water logo created by etching a musical note onto a glass tank filled with mineral oil and vibrating it with sound tones. The project was made with music producer Fred Again and NEST Acoustics, and the app icon is also shifting from its longtime red color scheme to black-and-white. The changes arrive with iOS 27.2 and macOS 27.2.
Apple's iOS 27.2 release candidate introduces Sound Glow, which turns the HomePod mini and 2nd-gen HomePod's LED top cap into an animated, color-matched display that reacts to playing music and podcasts, with custom animations for Soundscapes. The update also adds a Lock Controls option to prevent accidental top-cap taps, new profile support in the TV app, Suggested Actions in Messages, and new assets for Apple TV's surround-sound Home Theater feature.
Apple has officially unveiled a new visual identity for Apple Music, including a redesigned logo created in collaboration with musician Fred again.. and NEST Acoustics. The company released a behind-the-scenes video showing the logo's shape was physically formed by sound waves from an original composition, captured entirely in-camera. The new design will roll out to users with the release of iOS 27.2 next week.
Apple will enable Apple Pencil compatibility on the iPhone Duo with iOS 27.2, which is set to launch publicly around October 26. The feature was confirmed working in the iOS 27.2 release candidate by Max Weinbach, and only the USB-C Apple Pencil model is supported, not the Pro or standard versions. Apple had previously said Pencil support would arrive 'later this year' without specifying a date.
Apple confirmed to CNET that the iPhone Duo, its first foldable phone, will ship on Oct. 23 running iOS 27.1 instead of the base iOS 27 version used on other iPhones. Apple says iOS 27.1 retains the iOS 27 foundation but adds features built specifically for the foldable design, while all iPhones will later receive iOS 27.2, whose release candidate arrived Oct. 19.