Apple has begun testing the developer beta of iOS 26.1 on supported iPhones, introducing minor features and improvements over the stable iOS 26 release.
Just a week after rolling out iOS 26 to all users, Apple is seeding the first developer beta of iOS 26.1, which includes subtle visual updates across several apps.
In iOS 26.1, Safari now has a wider Tab Bar at the bottom for easier navigation, and the Phone app introduces a Liquid Glass effect when dialing numbers. The Photos app has reduced transparency in the navigation bar, creating a cleaner look when browsing.
When watching videos, the Photos app now features a new seek bar at the bottom. Unlike before, it doesn’t stretch to the edges; instead, it’s contained within a pill-shaped box that also houses the Play/Pause and Mute buttons. This design aligns better with the Liquid Glass aesthetic introduced elsewhere in the update.
The iOS 26.1 developer beta introduces a handy new feature in the Apple Music app: users can now swipe on the Now Playing pill at the bottom to skip tracks. Swiping left takes you to the previous song, while swiping right jumps to the next track, making navigation quicker and more intuitive.
Additionally, Apple has expanded support for Apple Intelligence and AirPods Live Translation with new languages. iOS 26.1 brings Apple Intelligence to Chinese, Danish, Dutch, Norwegian, Portuguese, Swedish, Turkish, and Vietnamese, while AirPods Live Translation now supports Chinese, Japanese, Korean, and Italian.
Alongside iOS 26.1, Apple has begun releasing the first developer betas of iPadOS 26.1, macOS 26.1, watchOS 26.1, tvOS 26.1, and visionOS 26.1. Developers enrolled in the Developer Beta program can install the latest iOS 26.1 beta by going to Settings > General > Software Update > Update Now on their eligible devices.
