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ZDNET Highlights
- Apple has launched iOS 26.1 with many new features and fixes.
- iOS, iPadOS, and MacOS updates let you control Liquid Glass.
- Live Translate with AirPods now supports more languages.
iPhone users who were looking for a way to control the look of Liquid Glass now have a way, courtesy of the latest update. Released earlier this month, iOS 26.1 offers a switch that allows you to apply a color to the feature, reducing its transparency.
How to try the new Liquid Glass Switch
To try the new look after updating your iPhone, go to Settings, select Display & Brightness, and then tap Liquid Glass. Flip the switch to Tinted, and then explore different screens, menus, and other elements to determine if you prefer a more opaque and contrast-rich design. With the latest OS update, the same option is now available for iPad and Mac as well.
Too: Why I’m skipping the iPhone 17 this year (and it’s not just about money)
Before the latest official update, the option to tweak Liquid Glass was available in the beta of 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 screen. Now, the new toggle offers a faster and more effective way to reduce the impact.
Overall, I like the look of liquid glass. However, I’ve found that it sometimes obscures some menus and icons, especially those 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 provides a lot of other information.
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 stop the alarm as an alternative to pressing the stop button.
Apple’s music player has a new trick, but it’s a good one. When you’re listening to an album, a mini player pops up with the name of the current song at the bottom. Previously, to skip to the next or previous track, you had to switch from the mini player to full-screen mode. With iOS 26.1, you can now simply swipe left or right on the mini player to skip to the next or previous track.
Too: iOS 26 jealousy? 5 iPhone Features You Can Already Use on Your Android (Samsung Included)
In addition to new and improved features, there’s also the usual range of bug fixes–a overall heavy 45The patched vulnerabilities cover apps like Camera, Control Center, Find My, Notes, Photos, and Safari,
Looking at other devices, the iPad has received many of the same improvements as the iPhone, but there is one improvement unique to tablets. With the new multitasking window 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 ability 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, go to Settings, select General, and then tap Software Update. Select the Update Now button to download and install the latest version.
Too: 5 iOS 26 features that made updating my iPhone worthwhile (and how to try them)
Those of you who have other Apple devices may also have problems macOS Tahoe 26.1, watchOS 26.1, tvOS 26.1, VisionOS 26.1And HomePod 26.1According to Apple, almost all of these fix security bugs, while the HomePod update brings with it general performance and stability improvements,
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