Last week, Apple released the first beta of iOS 26.2, bringing several new updates. One of the key additions is the option to customize the Liquid Glass appearance of the iPhone’s Lock Screen clock. Users can now adjust a slider to change the clock’s opacity, making it nearly transparent or giving it a more frosted look. The option to turn off Liquid Glass entirely will remain available.
Another new feature is the ability to set alarms within the Reminders app. When creating a reminder, users can select a specific time and enable the Urgent option to trigger an alarm. This highly requested feature is designed to help users stay on track and remember important tasks.
Apple also announced that live translation on AirPods is expanding to the European Union as part of the iOS 26.2 update. This feature allows Siri to provide real-time translations through AirPods when someone speaks in another language. The feature was initially available in the United States and other select countries with iOS 26 but required additional development to meet the European Union’s Digital Markets Act requirements.
The Apple News app is receiving a new Following tab in its navigation bar. This tab will consolidate favorites, saved stories, and user history. New buttons will also provide quick access to topics like Food, Politics, Puzzles, and Sports.
Apple Podcasts is gaining new functions as well. AI-generated chapters will be automatically created for podcast episodes. A new Podcast Mentions feature will detect when a host references another show and will automatically add a link to that show in the episode description.
Other improvements include offline lyric support for Apple Music, allowing users to view song lyrics without an internet connection. Additionally, a new accessibility setting lets the iPhone’s screen flash when a notification is received. This can be activated in the Settings app under Accessibility.
The public release of iOS 26.2 is expected sometime in December.