iOS 26.1 Is Here Customize Liquid Glass and Discover 7 Must-Try Features

Apple’s latest update responds to user feedback with smart tweaks that refine the iOS experience.

Apple has released iOS 26.1, the first significant update to the iOS 26 operating system that launched in September . This update focuses on refining the new Liquid Glass design language and introducing thoughtful quality-of-life improvements across the system.

While iOS 26 marked Apple's biggest visual overhaul in over a decade, iOS 26.1 fine-tunes that experience, giving users more control over their iPhone's appearance and functionality .

The update is available for all iPhones from the iPhone 11 onward, including the iPhone SE (2nd generation and later) .

Liquid Glass: Find the Perfect Look

The headline feature of iOS 26.1 is the new transparency toggle for the Liquid Glass design. This directly addresses feedback from users who found the translucent interface elements difficult to read in certain lighting conditions or against busy backgrounds .

• How to Access: Navigate to Settings > Display & Brightness > Liquid Glass .
• Your Options: You can now choose between:
• Clear: The default setting, which maintains a more transparent, glass-like effect that reveals the content beneath .
• Tinted: A new option that increases opacity and adds more contrast behind interface elements like notifications, menus, and tab bars, improving legibility .

This new toggle complements the existing "Reduce Transparency" option in Accessibility settings, offering a middle ground that retains the Liquid Glass aesthetic while making it more practical for everyday use .

More Key Features in iOS 26.1

Beyond Liquid Glass customization, iOS 26.1 packs several enhancements that improve how you interact with your iPhone.

• Stop Accidental Camera Launches
• For the first time in years, you can disable the Lock Screen gesture that swipes left to open the Camera app. If you've ever accidentally opened the camera when pulling your phone from your pocket, this is for you .
• How to Access: Go to Settings > Camera > Lock Screen Swipe to Open Camera .
• A Smarter Alarm That Fights Oversleeping
• The alarm interface has been redesigned to prevent accidentally turning off an alarm when you meant to snooze. Now, you must slide to stop the alarm, while snooze remains a tap. This simple change requires more deliberate action to fully dismiss an alarm .
• Swipe to Change Songs in Apple Music
• A new, intuitive gesture has come to the Apple Music app. You can now swipe left or right on the mini-player at the bottom of the screen to skip to the next or previous track, making one-handed music control easier .
• Expanded Apple Intelligence and Live Translation
• Apple Intelligence, the company's on-device AI, now supports eight additional languages, including Danish, Dutch, Norwegian, Portuguese (Portugal), Swedish, Turkish, and Vietnamese .
• The Live Translation feature for AirPods also gains support for Chinese (Simplified and Traditional), Italian, Japanese, and Korean, breaking down more language barriers in real-time conversations .
• Automatic Security Improvements
• A new setting allows your iPhone to automatically download and install security improvements in the background. This "set it and forget it" feature ensures your device is protected between major software updates without any effort on your part .
• How to Access: Find it in Settings > Privacy & Security > Background Security Improvements .
• Create Custom Workouts in the Fitness App
• The Fitness app now offers more flexibility, allowing you to create fully custom workouts. You can select options based on workout type, estimated active calories, effort, duration, and start time, moving beyond the app's previous structured templates .
• Disable Call Connection Haptics
• A small but welcome change for some: you can now turn off the haptic feedback that vibrates the phone when a call connects or is dropped. This prevents that buzz from being mistaken for another notification .
• How to Access: Navigate to Settings > Phone and toggle off Haptics .

Performance and Battery Life

A common question with any new iOS update concerns battery life. According to tests, switching between the Clear and Tinted Liquid Glass modes does not produce a meaningful difference in battery consumption .

The battery drain some users experienced after upgrading to iOS 26 is often related to background processes like file indexing and photo analysis, which typically settle down after a few days. Ensuring all your third-party apps are updated for iOS 26 compatibility is also a recommended step to resolve unusual battery drain .

How to Download iOS 26.1

To get these new features on your iPhone, simply open the Settings app, tap General, select Software Update, and then tap Download and Install . The update is compatible with the iPhone 11 and later, as well as the second and third-generation iPhone SE models .

iOS 26.1 demonstrates Apple's commitment to refining its software based on real-world use. By giving users more control over the bold Liquid Glass design and adding practical interface tweaks, this update makes the iPhone experience more customizable and user-friendly than ever.

What’s your favorite new feature in iOS 26.1? Let us know in the comments below