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quick summary
It is believed that Apple will release iOS 26.2 next week and the software will bring many features.
These include updates for Apple Music, Podcasts, News, and Reminders.
It’s been a few months since Apple released its new iPhones, and it’s been almost two months since iOS 26 was released, bringing all the new features to compatible devices.
Since then, we’ve also seen the release of iOS 26.1, but now that it’s December and Apple has confirmed that iOS 26.2 will be released this month, it’s time to prepare for the next big feature upgrade.
iOS 26.2 could be released as soon as next week, with the software release expected to happen sometime before December 10, according to 9to5 Mac. It also includes many new features, from offline lyrics on Apple Music to a new alarm clock feature on Reminders.
What’s in iOS 26.2?
If you’re running iOS 26, you’re already fully aware of some of the new features your iPhone is now capable of compared to iOS 18. The software introduces a new design in Liquid Glass, with more transparent menus and settings, and features like changing alarm snooze times.
The first major update to the software – iOS 26.1 – was subsequently released in early November and introduced a few extra features, such as tinting options for liquid glass to make it easier to read, and real-time translations for more languages.
iOS 26.2 will also introduce more features. We mentioned offline lyrics in Apple Music and alarm clocks in Reminders, but real-time translation for AirPods is also rolling out in the EU, and Apple News is getting some design changes too.
Apple Podcasts is getting some new features, including AI-generated chapters, while the iPhone lock screen will offer a more intense Liquid Glass effect, 9to5Mac reports. There are also some updates to CarPlay, including new software, free-form tables, and a new scoring system for sleep scores on Apple Watch.
All in all, this is a pretty big update in terms of functionality, hopefully in time for Christmas.