Lance Whitney / Elyse Betters Picaro / ZDNET
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ZDNET’s key takeaways
- Apple has rolled out iOS 26.1 with several new features and fixes.
- The iOS, iPadOS, and MacOS updates let you control Liquid Glass.
- Live Translation with AirPods now supports more languages.
iPhone users who’ve been clamoring for a way to control the look of Liquid Glass now have one, courtesy of the latest update. Released earlier this month, iOS 26.1 offers a switch that allows you to apply a tint to the feature, thereby reducing its transparency.
How to try the new Liquid Glass switch
To try the new look after updating your iPhone, head to Settings, select Display & Brightness, and then tap Liquid Glass. Flip the switch to Tinted, and then explore the various screens, menus, and other elements to determine if you prefer the more opaque and contrast-rich design. With the latest OS updates, the same option is also now available for the iPad and Mac.
Also: Why I’m skipping the iPhone 17 this year (and it’s not just about the money)
Prior to the latest official updates, the option to tweak Liquid Glass was accessible in the beta for iOS 26.1. Otherwise, the only way to control the effects of Apple’s new design aesthetic was to reduce the overall transparency of your screens. Now, the new toggle offers a quicker and more effective way to tone down the effect.
Overall, I like the look of Liquid Glass. However, I’ve found that it sometimes obscures certain menus and icons, especially ones at the bottom of the screen. The new option should help counteract this side effect.
Other new iOS 26. 1 features
Of course, iOS 26.1 offers several other tidbits.
Using Live Translation with supported AirPods will now work with Chinese (Simplified and Traditional), Italian, Japanese, and Korean. Apple Intelligence will also be available in more languages, including Chinese (Traditional), Danish, Dutch, Norwegian, Portuguese (Portugal), Swedish, Turkish, and Vietnamese.
A new Slide to Stop option lets you slide your finger to turn off an alarm as an alternative to pressing the Stop button.
Apple’s Music player has one new trick, but it’s a good one. While you’re listening to an album, a mini player pops up at the bottom with the name of the current song. In the past, skipping to the next or previous track required you to switch from the mini player to full-screen mode. With iOS 26.1, you’re now able to simply swipe left or right on the mini player to jump to the next or previous track.
Also: iOS 26 envy? 5 iPhone features you can already use on your Android (Samsung included)
Aside from the new and improved features, there are the usual array of bug fixes–a hefty 45 in total. The patched vulnerabilities cover such apps as the Camera, Control Center, Find My, Notes, Photos, and Safari.
Eyeing other devices, the iPad has received several of the same improvements as the iPhone but with one unique to the tablet. With the new multitasking windowed option introduced in iPadOS 26, Apple got rid of the old Slide Over maneuver in which you could open a floating window and slide it across the screen. Now, that capability is back. iPadOS 26.1 also gets the same bug fixes as iOS 26.1.
How to update your iPhone or iPad
To update your iPhone or iPad, head to Settings, select General, and then tap Software Update. Select the Update Now button to download and install the latest version.
Also: 5 iOS 26 features that made updating my iPhone worthwhile (and how to try them)
Those of you with other Apple devices can also snag MacOS Tahoe 26.1, WatchOS 26.1, tvOS 26.1, visionOS 26.1, and HomePod 26.1. Almost all of these kick in fixes for security bugs, while the HomePod update carries with it the usual performance and stability improvements, according to Apple.
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