While the iOS 26.1 update doesn’t represent a drastic change, it includes several interface updates and usability enhancements. In particular, one of the most eye-catching new features is the ‘Liquid Glass’ display option, which offers users the transparent or tinted UI options to help with legibility.
Apple also worked to address common usability complaints: users can now disable the lock-screen shortcut that unintentionally launches the camera app. Among the returning features, the ‘slide to stop’ gesture returns to help users dismiss alarms and timers.
The revision also enhances Apple Music’s mini-player with left-right swipe functionality to skip tracks and introduces background security updates for silently downloading and applying critical updates.
iOS 26.1 also enhances Live Translate and Apple Intelligence language capabilities, providing an improved experience for AirPods users and advancing the overall Apple multilingual AI system.
Also Read: How to Downgrade from iOS 26 to iOS 18: Step-by-Step Guide