The upcoming iOS 26.1 update includes a small but helpful change for iPhones, and it could prevent you from running late to something important.


Specifically, when an alarm goes off in the Clock app, there is a new "slide to stop" control on the screen for turning off the alarm. On previous iOS 26 versions, there is simply a large "stop" button, which could be accidentally tapped.

The new "slide to stop" control looks very similar to the classic "slide to unlock" bar that existed on the iPhone's Lock Screen from 2007 until 2016.


Given that the iOS 26.1 Release Candidate was seeded earlier this week, Apple will likely release the update next week, on either Monday or Tuesday.
This article, "iOS 26.1 Brings Back 2007 Feature in New Way" first appeared on MacRumors.com

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Apple is currently beta testing iOS 26.1, which will be the first major update to the iOS 26 operating system. It's not going to bring the new version of Siri that we've been waiting for, but it does include useful new features and interface changes. We're nearing the end of the beta testing process, and iOS 26.1 could be released early next week.


We've rounded up all of the new features that are included in iOS 26.1.

Liquid Glass Transparency Toggle

Apple added a toggle for customizing the look of Liquid Glass. In Settings > Display and Brightness, there's a new option to switch between Clear or Tinted settings.


Clear is more transparent and is the standard version of Liquid Glass that displays the background underneath buttons, menu bars, and other interface elements, while Tinted increases the opacity of Liquid Glass and adds contrast.

Lock Screen Camera Swipe

In the Camera section of the Settings app, there's a Lock Screen Swipe to Open Camera setting, and turning it off disables the feature where you can swipe left to open the camera from the Lock Screen.


The iPhone has long allowed users to open the Camera app directly from the Lock Screen with a swipe, but it can be a setting that's easy to activate, and it provides a way for someone that gets ahold of an ‌iPhone‌ to use it to take unwanted photos.

There was previously no way to turn off Lock Screen camera activation without disabling the camera app entirely.

Phone Haptics

In the Phone app, there's a toggle to turn off haptic feedback when a call is connected or dropped.

Alarms and Timers

Alarms and timers that you set up in the Clock app now have a slide to stop button rather than a tap to stop button on the Lock Screen. You can snooze an alarm with a tap, but to turn it off entirely, you need to use a slide gesture.


The change makes it much harder to accidentally dismiss an alarm when you're trying to tap on the snooze button.

New Apple Intelligence Languages

Apple Intelligence is now available in Danish, Dutch, Norwegian, Portuguese (Portugal), Swedish, Turkish, Chinese (Traditional), and Vietnamese.

AirPods Live Translation Languages

AirPods Live Translation works with additional languages in iOS 26.1, including Japanese, Korean, Italian, and Chinese (both Mandarin Traditional and Simplified).

Apple Music

You can swipe on the music player in Apple Music to switch songs. Just slide a finger over where the song title is listed, and it'll go to the next song or back to the previous song.

Apple TV App

The Apple TV app has a new, more colorful icon that adopts the Liquid Glass aesthetic that Apple added alongside the ‌Apple TV‌+ name change. Apple is no longer referring to its streaming service as ‌Apple TV‌+, and is instead just calling it ‌Apple TV‌, like the app.

Fitness App

You can create custom workouts in the Fitness app on ‌iPhone‌. There are options for selecting workout type, estimated Active Calories, effort, duration, and start time.



There were workout creation options before, but they were more structured than the open, custom creation options that are in iOS 26.1.

Settings App

Apple changed the alignment of icons and text in the Settings app. All settings with headers that feature text now have that text aligned to the left instead of center aligned. It's a small change that makes a big visual difference.


This includes General, Bluetooth, Wi-Fi, Cellular, Personal Hotspot, Accessibility, and more.

Home Screen Folders

When you tap into a folder on the Home Screen, the name of the folder at the top is left aligned instead of center aligned, matching the changes made in the Settings app.

Phone

The Phone keypad now uses Liquid Glass for the numbers.

Photos

The slider for scrubbing through videos in the Photos app has been updated.


The navigation bar also has a slightly more frosted look that makes it easier to see on light backgrounds.


The interface for managing multiple photos that you've selected has been tweaked slightly. Play as Slideshow, Favorite, and Hide are now at the top of the menu.

Safari

The Tab Bar (Bottom) in Safari is wider with less padding around the edges. In Reduce Transparency mode, there's more padding, so it no longer looks odd.

Background Security Improvements

The Privacy and Security section of the Settings app now has a toggle to automatically download and install security improvements. It's a revamp of the prior Rapid Security Responses feature.

Display Settings

The Display section of the Settings app now has iOS 26-themed wallpaper instead of iOS 18 wallpaper.

Liquid Glass

The light refraction effect around apps is now more subtle with darker icon colors and background colors.

Wallpaper

When setting a wallpaper on the Lock Screen, instructions like Pinch to Crop show up momentarily and then disappear, rather than being shown all the time.

Display Accessibility

Under the Display and Text Size section in the Accessibility settings, there is a new "Display Borders" toggle. It adds a border to all buttons, and replaces the prior "Button Shapes" setting.

Local Capture Settings

There's now an option to set a location in the Files app for audio and video recordings from calls. It's available by going to Settings > General > Local Capture.

Bonus: iPadOS 26.1

Many of the changes above are in iPadOS 26.1 too, and iPadOS 26.1 also makes some changes to multitasking.

Slide Over

With iPadOS 26.1, Apple is reintroducing Slide Over. Slide Over works alongside the window-based iPadOS 26 multitasking functionality, so you can have multiple windows open and still swipe over to quickly access a Slide Over app.


You can only have one Slide Over app at a time in iPadOS 26.1, and you can use the feature by tapping on the green window resizing button and toggling on Enter Slide Over.

External Microphones on iPad

There's now an option to adjust input gain on the iPad when using an external microphone.

Download iOS 26.1

iOS 26.1 is available for both developers and public beta testers, so if you want to get your hands on the new features now, you can. It's easiest to sign up for public beta testing by visiting Apple's beta website. You don't have long to wait for a public release, though.

Compatibility

iOS 26.1 is available on all iPhones that support ‌iOS 26‌.

Release Date

Apple could release iOS 26.1 on Monday, November 3 or Tuesday, November 4.
This article, "iOS 26.1 Coming Next Week: All the New Features" first appeared on MacRumors.com

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Tomorrow is Halloween, and then November is upon us. Below, we outline what to expect from Apple next month, as the slower holiday season approaches.


Apple is expected to kick off November by releasing iOS 26.1, iPadOS 26.1, macOS 26.1, watchOS 26.1, tvOS 26.1, and visionOS 26.1. With beta testing now wrapped up, the updates will likely be released this Monday, November 3 or Tuesday, November 4.

iOS 26.1, iPadOS 26.1, and macOS 26.1 let you choose your preferred look for Liquid Glass. iPadOS 26.1 also reintroduces a version of the Slide Over feature for multitasking, and it expands the Apple Vision Pro app to iPads. With visionOS 26.1, videos in the Spatial Gallery app will show playback controls and video length while in immersive view.

watchOS 26.1 and tvOS 26.1 are minor updates, with bug fixes and performance improvements.

The beta train never stops, with Apple likely to seed the first betas of iOS 26.2, iPadOS 26.2, macOS 26.2, watchOS 26.2, tvOS 26.2, and visionOS 26.2 in the first or second week of November. Apple typically releases the "point-two" updates in mid-December, before Apple's software engineers take time off for the holiday season.

We are still waiting on Apple's promised U.S. passport feature in the iPhone's Wallet app. Apple said the feature is "coming later this year," but it is unclear if it will require iOS 26.2, or if will be enabled with a server-side update.


Earlier this month, Apple updated the 14-inch MacBook Pro, iPad Pro, and Vision Pro with its next-generation M5 chip, and previous rumors have indicated the company still planned to announce at least a few additional products before the end of the year. However, as we head into November, it is unclear if that will still happen.

The following Apple products have at one point been rumored to be updated in 2025:

• HomePod mini: S9 chip or newer with support for next year's revamped version of Siri powered by Apple Intelligence, likely Apple's N1 chip with Wi-Fi 7 support, improved sound quality, a second-generation Ultra Wideband chip for proximity features, and potentially new color options like Red.


• Apple TV: A faster A17 Pro chip that will support next year's revamped version of Siri powered by Apple Intelligence, and likely Apple's N1 chip with Wi-Fi 7 support. A built-in FaceTime camera has been rumored for a future Apple TV, but it is unclear if that will arrive with the next model specifically.


• AirTag: Up to 3× longer item tracking range vs. current AirTag, a more tamper-proof speaker, and "very low" battery life alerts.

The following products are rumored to launch in late 2025 or early 2026:

• MacBook with A18 Pro chip: A lower-cost MacBook model equipped with an A18 Pro chip — or perhaps an A19 Pro chip, although this might be wishful thinking — is rumored to launch in late 2025 or early 2026.


• Studio Display: A new version of the Studio Display with an A19 Pro chip and mini-LED backlighting is expected to launch in late 2025 or early 2026.


• Pro Display XDR: A new version of the Pro Display XDR with a built-in Center Stage camera is expected to launch in late 2025 or early 2026.

Apple rarely announces new products in November, but it is not unheard of. Apple introduced the first 16-inch MacBook Pro in November 2019, and the original HomePod mini debuted in November 2020. Apple has even announced a few products in December over the years, such as multiple Mac Pro models, the Pro Display XDR, and the AirPods Max.

HomePod mini and Apple TV inventory is starting to dwindle at select Apple Store locations around the world, as often happens ahead of new models.


There is one big caveat, though. Apple delayed its more personalized version of Siri until next year — it is expected to launch with iOS 26.4 in March — so perhaps it is holding off on releasing a new HomePod mini until then. Apple's long-rumored smart home hub was reportedly delayed until the all-new Siri is ready. However, this is just a theory.

Apple's professional video editing tool Final Cut Pro often receives a major update in November, and we recently reported that the company is possibly planning to release iPad versions of its Final Cut Pro companion apps Compressor and Motion, Logic Pro companion app MainStage, and Pixelmator Pro. Maybe those will come out next month, too.


Finally, Apple has been heavily promoting its upcoming sci-fi drama series Pluribus, which hails from Breaking Bad creator Vince Gilligan. The first two episodes of Pluribus will be released on Apple TV (formerly known as Apple TV+) on Friday, November 7, and a new episode will follow every Friday through December 26.

Of course, these are only the things that we know to expect, and Apple could have some other announcements in store this November. Apple will likely implement its extended return policy for the holiday season next month, announce year-end awards for services like Apple Music and the App Store, and more. Stay tuned!
This article, "Apple This November: iOS 26.2 Beta, Rumored New Products, and More" first appeared on MacRumors.com

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