From a new “Liquid Glass” display option to improved lock screen functionality, greater Apple Intelligence language support, and a variety of other subtle refinements, iOS 26.1 update includes a number of purposeful, long-awaited improvements across the entire ecosystem.

Liquid Glass Display Toggle

iOS 26.1’s most eye-catching new addition is the Liquid Glass toggle, a fresh new way to personalise your iPhone’s translucent interface. Found under Settings > Display & Brightness > Liquid Glass, the option lets you choose between a clear and tinted finish for your device. Opting the tinted mode softens the nebulosity of certain system rudiments throughout iOS, including announcements, the tab bar, and more, giving your interface a smoother, frosted- glass aesthetic. The Liquid Glass point is also available on both macOS and iPadOS, with slight visual differences for each platform.

Smarter iOS lock screen controls

Another subtle but useful addition comes in the form of an enhanced lock screen. At last, Apple has finally decided to give users the ability to disable the swipe-to-open Camera shortcut, a small quality-of-life change for those who frequently launched the app by accident. The new toggle can be found under Settings > Camera > Lock Screen Swipe to Open Camera. Given that there are multiple ways to launch the Camera app now with the Control Centre, Action Button, and Camera Control feature, this Apple software update of lock screen customisation was long overdue.

Expanded Apple Intelligence Support

As with iPadOS 26.1 and macOS 14.1, Apple Intelligence has also seen improvements with iOS 26.1, with support for additional languages now available in Traditional Chinese, Danish, Dutch, Norwegian, Portuguese (Portugal), Swedish, Turkish, and Vietnamese. AirPods Live Translation has also received a number of additional languages in Mandarin (Simplified and Traditional), Italian, Japanese, and Korean.