iOS 26.1 release candidate now available with these changes

Apple has introduced iOS 26.1 RC to beta testers before the official release of the software update. Let’s explore the upcoming changes for iPhone users in iOS 26.1.

Liquid Glass Toggle

One of the major updates in iOS 26.1 is the Liquid Glass toggle. Apple now provides the option to select between clear (the current design in iOS 26) and tinted. The tinted option alters the opacity level behind elements like notifications and tab bars. Other Liquid Glass visual components, such as optional clear app icons, remain unchanged.

You can find the toggle in Settings > Display & Brightness > Liquid Glass on your iPhone and iPad. The Mac also includes the toggle in Settings > Appearance > Liquid Glass, although the differences on macOS are not as noticeable.

This new preference complements existing accessibility settings like increase contrast, reduce transparency, and more.

Lock Screen Swipe

iOS 26.1 introduces a second toggle that may be well-received by a larger audience. For the first time in years, users can now disable the swipe-to-open Camera gesture on the iPhone lock screen.

You can locate the new toggle in Settings > Camera > Lock Screen Swipe to Open Camera.

The swipe gesture initially started as a swipe up before transitioning to a swipe from the right in iOS 10. Since the iPhone X, Apple has included Lock Screen shortcuts for Flashlight and Camera by default.

Newer iPhones also feature the Camera Control button, providing a third method to launch the Camera. Prior to this, the Action button introduced another way.

Although the swipe option remains available, toggling it off in Settings can prevent accidental swipes that launch the Camera app unintentionally.

More

Additional changes in iOS 26.1 include enhancements to Apple Intelligence, AirPods Live Translation, Apple TV, and iPad Slide Over.

Apple Intelligence now supports Chinese (traditional), Danish, Dutch, Norwegian, Portuguese (Portugal), Swedish, Turkish, and Vietnamese.

AirPods Live Translation now includes support for Chinese (Mandarin simplified and traditional), Italian, Japanese, and Korean. This feature debuted in iOS 26 on AirPods Pro 2, AirPods Pro 3, and AirPods 4, offering support for US and UK English, French, German, Portuguese (Brazil), and Spanish (Spain).

Apple is rebranding its streaming video service from Apple TV+ to simply Apple TV. This rebrand is accompanied by “a vibrant new identity,” as stated by Apple. The first glimpse of vibrancy is evident in the new icon for the Apple TV app.

The Settings app now includes a Local Capture section under General, allowing users to change the location where Local Capture files are saved. Users can also opt to include only audio in Local Capture.

iOS 26.1 also enhances the dismissal of alarms with a Slide to Unlock interface, introduces a swipe gesture for changing songs in the Music app, and much more.

Availability

The iOS 26.1 RC is currently available for developer beta testers. The official release version is expected to launch in approximately one week.