- The iOS 26.1 update brings a new toggle to turn off Liquid Glass transparency effect.
- It also adds support for more languages for live translation, Apple Music AutoMix over AirPlay, and more.
- The update is rolling out for iPhone 11 and newer models.
Apple is officially rolling out the iOS 26.1 stable update for all supported iPhones, and this update brings a new option to turn off Liquid Glass transparency effect. It also adds more language support for Apple Intelligence live translation feature via AirPods.
What’s New in iOS 26.1 Update?
The iOS 26.1 is the biggest update since the official iOS 26 release that came out in September. It finally adds the option to turn off Liquid Glass effects . It reduces transparency effects, which were causing some readability issues for some users. Here is a list of all the new features.
- New Liquid Glass setting, which lets you switch from Clear or Tinted options.
- Live translations with AirPods get Chinese (Simplified and Traditional), Japanese, Korean, and Italian support.
- Swipe alarms and timers to turn them off.
- Swipe on the Apple Music miniplayer to go to the next or previous tracks.
- Apple Music AutoMix supports over AirPlay.
- Option to adjust gain control for external USB microphones.
- You can now save local files to a specific location.
- You can now manually log workouts in the Apple Fitness app.
- New option to turn off Lock Screen swipe up to open the Camera app.
- Improved FaceTime audio quality in low network conditions.
- New Communications Safety and Web content filters to limit access to adult websites.
iOS 26.1 Supported iPhone Models
The iOS 26.1 update is rolling out for all supported iPhone models, so if you want to know whether your iPhone will get the update, take a look at the list below:
- iPhone 11
- iPhone 11 Pro/ Pro Max
- iPhone 12
- iPhone 12 mini
- iPhone 12 Pro/ Pro Max
- iPhone 13
- iPhone 13 mini
- iPhone Pro/Pro Max
- iPhone 14
- iPhone 14 Plus
- iPhone 14 Pro/Pro Max
- iPhone 15
- iPhone 15 Plus
- iPhone 15 Pro/Pro Max
- iPhone 16
- iPhone 16 Plus
- iPhone 16 Pro/ Pro Max
- iPhone 17
- iPhone Air
- iPhone 17 Pro/ Pro Max
With over 4 year of experience under the belt, I cover all facets of consumer tech, from smartphones to other consumer electronics, our favorite social media apps, as well as the growing realm of AI and LLMs. As an Apps and AI writer app Beebom, I provide my expertise in all these areas, weaving stories that help you get familiar with the tech around you. But you will find me playing NYT daily puzzles in my free time.
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- Apple is planning to introduce ads in Apple Maps sometime in 2026.
- The company will allow businesses to pay and promote their establishment on the app.
- This is said to be the first step in a larger effort to show more ads in Apple apps on iOS.
Apple will start showing ads in the Apple Maps app starting as early as next year, according to a Bloomberg report from industry expert Mark Gurman. This will be the first step towards adding ads in iOS. Yes, ADS in iOS.
How Apple Maps will Show Ads to its Users?
Apple is essentially taking an approach similar to Google Maps to introduce advertising on its app. It will allow restaurants, small businesses, and other brick-and-mortar stores to pay to appear prominently on Apple Maps and show up frequently in search results, according to Gurman’s report .
This is part of a larger effort to introduce ads in iOS , especially in Apple’s own services on its devices. However, the company could use a better interface to show more relevant ads with the help of AI. Apple already lets developers pay to target certain keywords and advertise their apps on the App Store. So this only seems like an extension of the same.
Image Credit: DenPhotos / Shutterstock
The big concern here is user backlash . Android phone makers already receive criticism for introducing ads in their UI. But their justification lies in the fact that they are selling devices at a fraction of the price of a new iPhone 17. On the other hand, Apple asks for a hefty premium for its phones, so a UI with ads might not sit well with consumers .
Gurman did not mention when we can expect ads to show up on Apple Maps, but he suspects that it could be sometime in the spring of 2026 . The company has just increased the price of its Apple TV subscription , and it seems like it is trying to find more ways to add revenue.
With over 4 year of experience under the belt, I cover all facets of consumer tech, from smartphones to other consumer electronics, our favorite social media apps, as well as the growing realm of AI and LLMs. As an Apps and AI writer app Beebom, I provide my expertise in all these areas, weaving stories that help you get familiar with the tech around you. But you will find me playing NYT daily puzzles in my free time.
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- Apple and Google have officially confirmed their team-up for the next-gen Siri AI.
- The Cupertino Giant will be using Google’s Gemini for a more personalized Siri model as well as Apple Intelligence features.
- We can expect the next-gen Siri to come out with iOS 26.4, sometime in March or April.
Apple has officially confirmed joining forces with Google to use its Gemini AI model to power the next-generation Siri. It will offer a more personalized experience and will be coming out with the iOS 26.4 update. Apple also plans to leverage Gemini’s capabilities for other Apple Intelligence features as well, later down the line.
The Next-Gen Siri will be powered by Google’s Gemini AI
Apple officially confirmed that it will be partnering with Google in a statement to CNBC . Here’s what it stated, “After careful evaluation, we determined that Google’s technology provides the most capable foundation for Apple Foundation Models, and we’re excited about the innovative new experiences it will unlock for our users.”
Later, Google also shared a post on X confirming the tie-up, “Apple and Google have entered into a multi-year collaboration under which the next generation of Apple Foundation Models will be based on Google’s Gemini models and cloud technology. These models will help power future Apple Intelligence features, including a more personalized Siri coming this year.”
Image Credit: X/@NewsFromGoogle
Both statements clearly mention that the Cupertino Giant will be using Gemini to power its assistant Siri. This was already rumored, as Apple’s attempts to acquire Perplexity went nowhere. With Gemini, Siri will get a major AI update . It will be able to handle more nuanced conversations and provide better results. Something long-time Apple users have been asking for years.
The next-gen Siri will arrive with the iOS 26.4 update, which will launch sometime in March or April. And it is only going to be available for Apple Intelligence-supported devices .
Something else worth noting is how Google’s statement mentions that Gemini will power Apple Intelligence features. This leads us to believe that Apple could use Gemini’s multi-modal capabilities for its Writings tools , Image Playground , and Message summaries, too.
Elon Musk Not Happy With Apple and Google Tie Up
xAI CEO Elon Musk also responded to Google’s announcement post on X, sharing his thoughts on the matter by saying, “This seems like an unreasonable concentration of power for Google, given that they also have Android and Chrome.” Though we don’t expect either Apple or Google to respond to Elon, we will update the situation as it progresses.
It is worth noting that xAI is the company behind Grok, which is in hot water currently due to its inappropriate image generation fiasco , and has been getting backlash from multiple news outlets, X users, and even government authorities.
With over 4 year of experience under the belt, I cover all facets of consumer tech, from smartphones to other consumer electronics, our favorite social media apps, as well as the growing realm of AI and LLMs. As an Apps and AI writer app Beebom, I provide my expertise in all these areas, weaving stories that help you get familiar with the tech around you. But you will find me playing NYT daily puzzles in my free time.
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