iOS 26.1 Beta 1: Languages, Music & Photos Tweaks, Security Improvements
Apple has released the first developer beta of iOS 26.1 (Sept 22, 2025). This update focuses on expanded language support for Apple Intelligence and AirPods Live Translation, UI improvements in Apple Music and Photos, and system security changes.
Key changes
- Apple Intelligence: Adds support for Danish, Dutch, Norwegian, Portuguese (Portugal), Swedish, Turkish, Chinese (Traditional), and Vietnamese.
- AirPods Live Translation: New languages including Japanese, Korean, Italian, and Mandarin (Traditional & Simplified).
- Apple Music: Swipe on the song title to switch tracks.
- Photos: Improved video scrubbing slider for easier navigation.
- Phone keypad: New “Liquid Glass” number design.
- Calendar: Multi-calendar events now show full-color backgrounds.
- Security: “Rapid Security Updates” renamed to Background Security Improvement, enhancing pre-installation of security improvements and system files.
This beta ships alongside developer betas for iPadOS 26.1, macOS 26.1 (Tahoe), watchOS 26.1, tvOS 26.1, and visionOS 26.1. Developers should use the latest Xcode 26-compatible SDKs for testing.
Official release notes: Apple Developer — iOS & iPadOS 26.1 Release Notes
Further coverage: MacRumors — iOS 26.1 beta 1 features
Have you installed the beta yet? Share which change you want most in the stable release.