iOS 26.2 is coming next week – with these new iPhone features
iOS 26.2 is almost here! Thank goodness, because the next iPhone update is packed with new features. What new features can you look forward to?
All about iOS 26.2
iOS 26.1 has just been released, but iOS 26.2 is already on the horizon. This is the next interim update for the iPhone operating system. Numerous betas have been released in recent weeks, both for developers and the public. Last night, the Release Candidate became available: the final beta before the official release, which usually takes place the following week.
All those betas have already revealed which new features your iPhone will get with iOS 26.2. You’ll find them all below, so you can try them out immediately after installing. Next week, you’ll probably be hastily navigating to ‘Settings > General > Software Update’.
What can you expect from the update?
Adjust Liquid Glass on the lock screen.
Did you give the lock screen clock a Liquid Glass finish? Apple is adding a new slider that lets you choose how transparent the numbers are.
Liquid Glass Settings
Have you enabled “Make less transparent” and/or “Increase contrast”? If you then go to “Settings > Display & Brightness > Liquid Glass” and try to switch to “Tinted” or “Clear,” you’ll get a message that this isn’t possible even though those accessibility features are active. You can then turn off the latter or cancel the switch.
Updated animations
Windows that appear from a screen corner will have a slightly modified animation. This will appear faster and more bouncy.
New AirDrop feature
Want to share something via AirDrop, but the person isn’t in your contacts? You’ll always have to wade through the settings and select the option to share something with everyone nearby for the next 10 minutes.
With iOS 26.2, this is no longer the case: two people who are not in each other’s contacts can now share a code to exchange files for 30 days. A significant improvement over ten minutes!
Offline lyrics
As an Apple Music subscriber, you can view lyrics while listening. With iOS 26.2, this also works without an internet connection!
Live Translation in the European Union!
It’s one of the highlights of iOS 26: Live Translation. This AirPods feature can instantly translate your conversations and play them back to your ears. For example, are you on vacation in Spain and want to communicate with someone who only speaks Spanish? Put on your AirPods, activate Live Translation, and you’ll hear your conversation partner talk in your preferred language.
Live Translation works almost everywhere, except within the European Union. iOS 26.2 changes this! However, there’s one caveat: Live Translation only supports a limited number of languages. Dutch isn’t one of them, so you’ll have to translate speech into English or another language.
Sleep Score Adjustments
iOS 26 and watchOS 26 introduced Sleep Score: a new feature that tracks your sleep. It gives you a score from 0 to 100. With iOS 26.2, Apple adjusted this score so the numbers better reflect your sleep. Furthermore, the “Excellent” score is being renamed “Very High.”
Three times new for Podcasts
With iOS 26.2, the Podcasts app gains three new features. For example, the app will soon be able to automatically generate chapters for episodes, making them easier to navigate. You can also quickly view and follow other podcasts if they’re mentioned in your current podcast. And if other things are mentioned, such as a series or song, the Podcasts app will immediately link to them.
Specially for Passwords
Go to ‘Settings > Apps > Passwords’ and under ‘Show excluded websites’, you can specify which websites the app should not store login information for. This might be because these sites are susceptible to privacy concerns.
Information about your privacy
Install iOS 26.2, request access to your Apple Account, and your iPhone will display a window stating that your privacy and account information have been updated. This now clearly explains how Apple collects your personal information and what it uses it for.
Tables in Freeform
With Freeform, you have a blank canvas to type, paste, and draw whatever you want. iOS 26.2 gives you even more options: after updating, you can also add tables.
Set an alarm in Reminders.
The Reminders app is getting a new feature that lets you link an alarm to a reminder, giving you a more explicit notification. When the alarm rings, you can silence or snooze it. With the latter, you’ll see a countdown clock on the lock screen, with an option to complete or reschedule the reminder.
New to Weather…?
It looks like the Weather app will soon be able to better warn you about upcoming rain showers and other unusual weather conditions. The app will be able to look further into the future, with notifications for things like “this coming Friday” or “this coming Sunday.” This feature hasn’t been confirmed yet, but it has been spotted in iOS code.
Blink on notifications
Go to Settings > Accessibility > Audio & Visual, and at the bottom you’ll find the “Flash for Notifications” option. Enable this, and the LED on the back of your iPhone will flash whenever you receive a notification. With iOS 26.2, you can also choose to have your iPhone screen flash—or both.
Measuring with Liquid Glass
The Measure app is getting a mini makeover, thanks to Liquid Glass. When using the spirit level, you’ll now see two bubbles instead of two white circles.
More sorting options for Games
In the new Games app, you can sort your library by name and date. iOS 26.2 adds another option: sorting by size. You can also navigate the app with a controller and see how your scores improve in real time as you play.
Unpin messages in CarPlay
If you have a car with CarPlay, you can pin chats in the Messages app. One problem: you can’t unpin them afterwards. iOS 26.2 changes that!
New feature for the iPad, but not really
Most of the features mentioned above are also coming to the iPad, but Apple’s tablet is getting something extra. With iPadOS 26.2, you can drag apps from the App Library, the Dock, and Spotlight into a Slide Over view.
The Slide Over feature has actually been around for a while, but Apple removed it from the system in the transition from iPadOS 18 to iPadOS 26. So consider it a comeback.