Apple has released the latest software update for its iPhone, bringing a number of new features.
The software build – iOS 26.1 – is available to download now and includes a toggle to reduce the opacity of the Liquid Glass design.
Apple announced iOS 26 back in June during its Worldwide Developer Conference, WWDC25. It introduced the biggest redesign to the iPhone’s interface since iOS 7, along with a number of new features.
The first release of the software arrived on all compatible iPhones in September, just ahead of the new iPhone 17 models and the iPhone Air landing in stores. Now, the first major update is available in the form of iOS 26.1, and it offers a number of extra features. That includes the ability to tone down the Liquid Glass design.
What features does iOS 26.1 bring to my iPhone?
Apple's iOS 26.1 update is now available to download on all iPhone models that support the latest software.
The biggest new feature is a Liquid Glass toggle, allowing users to choose between ‘Clear’ and ‘Tinted’. The latter reduces the opacity of icons and menus, increasing contrast to make everything a little more readable.
The toggle is available for both iPhone and iPad, and it is accessed via Settings > Display & Brightness > Liquid Glass, when you have updated to iOS 26.1 or iPadOS 26.1.
The software update also gives users the option to disable the swipe to open the camera from the iPhone lock screen gesture. If you’ve ever swiped from the right of your iPhone by accident and consequently launched the camera, you’ll appreciate this option.
To turn this feature off, head to Settings > Camera > Lock Screen Swipe to Open Camera.
Other changes include support for more languages, including Italian and Japanese for the AirPods Live Translation feature, a rebrand of Apple TV+ to just Apple TV, and a new way to dismiss alarms.
Apple Intelligence, which was officially announced back in June 2023 is also getting support for Chinese (traditional), Danish, Dutch, Norwegian, Portuguese (Portugal), Swedish, Turkish and Vietnamese.
The iOS 26.1 software update is available to download and install now. It is supported by the iPhone 11 and later, as well as the iPhone SE 2 and later.
