Apple has officially rolled out iOS 26.1, the first big update to iOS 26, now available for iPhone 11 and newer models, including the 2nd-gen iPhone SE. You can download it via Settings > General > Software Update. While it’s not as feature-packed as the original iOS 26 launch, it brings a few handy improvements, the most notable one being a smarter alarm experience designed to stop users from accidentally turning off their alarms in half-sleep.
In earlier versions of iOS, a single tap could turn off or snooze an alarm, which made oversleeping way too easy. With iOS 26.1, Apple has fixed that by requiring you to swipe to turn off an alarm, while snooze still works with a tap. The new gesture makes it harder to dismiss alarms without waking up properly, finally solving one of the most relatable iPhone problems.
Slide to stop alarm in iOS 26.1 pic.twitter.com/5ZarqhBxPy
— Holly – I like tech (@AnxiousHolly) November 3, 2025
One of the most talked-about features in iOS 26 has been the Liquid Glass interface, which has split users right down the middle. While some love its futuristic transparent look, others have complained about readability issues and even eye strain. With iOS 26.1, Apple has responded by adding a new toggle that lets users switch Liquid Glass from Clear (default) to Tinted, reducing transparency and improving visibility. You’ll find it under Settings > Display & Brightness > Liquid Glass, and paired with existing contrast and accessibility tools, it now offers more control over the UI.
ALSO SEE: iPhone Users Get iOS 26.1 Update Today With New ‘Tinted’ Interface
iOS 26.1 also adds a handy improvement to Apple Music. The MiniPlayer, the small bar at the bottom of the app, now lets you swipe left or right to jump to the previous or next song. It’s a small gesture tweak, but one that makes music navigation smoother without needing to open the full player.
Another useful addition is found under Settings > Privacy & Security > Security Improvements. Apple has introduced a toggle that enables automatic background security updates, meaning your iPhone can get small protection patches even between full iOS releases. These silent updates don’t change your iOS version number but help keep the device safer, and Apple strongly recommends leaving this on.
iOS 26.1 is out now. pic.twitter.com/71YVu7pV4G
— Naresh Gadhavi (@iNareshGadhavi) November 4, 2025
iOS 26.1 brings a new toggle for the Lock Screen camera shortcut. You can now choose whether swiping left on the lock screen opens the camera, useful if you often trigger it by mistake, especially since newer iPhones already have a dedicated Camera Control button. With this update, Apple is giving users more freedom to disable features they don’t actually use.
In addition to these, Apple’s latest update also brings several subtle but useful interface tweaks across the system. The Phone app now lets you turn off the haptic buzz when a call connects or ends, while the Apple TV app gets a refreshed, more colorful Liquid Glass-style icon and officially drops the “TV+” branding. The Fitness app now allows users to build fully custom workouts, and the Photos app features a redesigned video scrubber, improved navigation bar visibility, and rearranged options for managing selected images.
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