Apple released iOS 26.2 beta 1 last week, introducing several updates such as the option to customize the Liquid Glass look of the iPhone lock screen clock, the ability to set alarms in the Reminders app, and live translation features for users in the EU, among other improvements.
The public release of iOS 26.2 is expected sometime in December.
iOS 26.2 beta 1 added a Liquid Glass slider for the lock screen clock pic.twitter.com/cZzS2vWbwi
— Wazeen (@wzeeeeen) November 5, 2025
The Liquid Glass interface, which is the updated design for Apple devices, is still subject to change. The recent update includes a slider that allows users to adjust the opacity of the clock displayed on the lock screen. This new feature allows users to make the watch almost completely transparent or give it a more frosty look. There will still be an option to disable Liquid Glass completely.
Another change is the ability to set notifications for reminders. When creating a reminder, selecting a specific time and then enabling the Urgent option will trigger an alarm at that time. Many people have asked for this and it will help keep things on track and ensure users don’t forget important tasks.
Reminders has a new “Urgent” alarm option in iOS 26.2 pic.twitter.com/AulXNB6jQP
— kayden ⛧ (@f4dedlight) November 12, 2025
Last week, Apple too was revealed that as part of the iOS 26.2 release, live translation on AirPods is expanding to the EU. If someone is speaking to a user in another language, Siri can provide translations through AirPods. This feature was initially released in the US and select other countries with iOS 26, but was not available in the EU until iOS 26.2 as Apple needed additional time to ensure it met the requirements of the EU Digital Markets Act.
Techcrunch event
San Francisco
|
13-15 October 2026
In addition, the Apple News app will feature a new “Following” tab in the bottom navigation bar, which will include favorites, saved stories, and history. Users will also find new buttons that make it easy to quickly access topics like food, politics, puzzles and sports.
Apple Podcasts is also gaining new features, including AI-generated chapters for podcast episodes. There will also be a Podcast Mentions feature, so if a podcast host references another show during an episode, Apple Podcasts will automatically include a link to that show in the episode description.
Other features include offline lyrics support in Apple Music, enabling listeners to view song lyrics even when not connected to Wi-Fi or a cellular network. Additionally, the iPhone screen can now flash when a notification is received, a feature that can be turned on in the Settings app under Accessibility.
