Here’s Everything New in IOS 26.1

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It seemed like iOS 26 had just been released, and Apple was back at it again with a new update. As of Monday, iOS 26.1 officially entered beta testing, meaning developers and public beta testers can try out Apple’s next update before anyone else.

Point updates like iOS 26.1 are never as feature-rich as major releases, though 26.1 seems particularly modest in scope. It appears Apple has already accomplished most of what was planned for iOS 26, leaving only minor changes for the upcoming update. Still, the latest beta does contain some interesting new features, and more may be added in future releases. Here’s what’s new.

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Apple Music gestures

To skip a song in Apple Music, tap the Forward button. To return to the previous song or restart the current one, tap the Back button. However, in iOS 26.1, you can use a swipe to switch between songs.

In the current beta, you can swipe left or right on the “Now Playing” bar to switch between tracks in the queue. Apple has also removed the forward button from the “Now Playing” bar. (There was no back button before.) This is a small but useful feature, but it may take some getting used to.

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Video playback panel

In the current version of iOS 26, the video playback bar in the Photos app is flush with the interface. Whether you like it or not, it can be difficult to see, depending on the video. For example, the play and mute buttons may disappear if iOS can’t change their color to stand out from the background.

However, iOS 26.1 beta 1 introduced a new video playback bar, separate from the user interface. It looks great and is always clearly visible. Again, a small but sensible change.

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Live translation languages

Live Translate for AirPods is a fantastic new feature that automatically translates your conversations with someone speaking a language you don’t understand. If you have an iPhone 15 Pro or later, or AirPods Pro 2, AirPods Pro 3, or AirPods 5 with Active Noise Cancellation, you can try it out with the release of iOS 26.

Apple initially supported French, German, Portuguese (Brazil), and Spanish (Spain), but plans to expand this list in the future. iOS 26.1 adds four new languages, including:

  • Chinese (Mandarin, Simplified)

  • Chinese (Mandarin, Traditional)

  • Italian

  • Japanese

  • Korean

Eight new languages ​​for Apple Intelligence

iPhone 15 Pro and later users, please note: Apple Intelligence supports eight new languages ​​in iOS 26.1. This includes the following in the first beta:

What do you think at the moment?

  • Chinese (Traditional)

  • Danish

  • Dutch

  • Norwegian

  • Portuguese (Portugal)

  • Swedish

  • Turkish

  • Vietnamese

Liquid glass on the phone keyboard

Liquid Glass , Apple’s new design language, isn’t everywhere in iOS 26. While much of the user interface now features a glassy look, some elements still look like they did in iOS 18 and earlier. The Phone app keyboard is one such example: while the app itself has changed significantly with this update, switching to the keyboard will still look the same.

The situation is changing with the release of iOS 26.1. In the beta version, the keyboard is covered with Liquid Glass, which, while consistent with the iOS 26 design, slightly reduces the visibility of the keys, especially in Light Mode. I wouldn’t be surprised if Apple refined this aspect a bit.

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Calendar

When you view Calendar as a list in iOS 26.1, you’ll see daily events color-coded according to their respective calendars, rather than simply listed on a single white background.

Links to third-party smartwatch support

If you have an iPhone, you know that the only smartwatch that works well with it is the Apple Watch. Some watches support notifications, but most simply don’t work well with iOS.

This may change in the future. Code in the iOS 26.1 beta references a new “Notification Forwarding” feature, which may allow you to select a third-party device to send notifications from your iPhone. Additionally, the unfinished “Accessory Extension” feature may become the basis for pairing a third-party watch with your iPhone.

These are just references in the code, not something that can be actively tested in beta 26.1, but it’s worth noting. Apple is experimenting with third-party watch support on iOS, though this may simply be to comply with the EU’s Digital Markets Act.

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