Apple has officially released iOS 26.1 developer beta 2 for iPhone. This is the second version of the testing phase for this small update, which came out after the recent release of iOS 26. The update, which has the build number 23B5059e, came out on October 6, 2025, exactly two weeks after the first beta. This is in line with Apple’s usual schedule for improving its software.
If a developer’s Apple ID is linked to a developer account, they can find it in the Settings app under General > Software Update. This beta is all about improving the user interface, making the system more stable, and fixing small bugs from the first beta. It also builds on the new features of iOS 26.
iOS 26.1 is a point release that adds to the features that were added in the big iOS 26 update that came out last month. This update had a cool new design language called Liquid Glass. This style gives icons, menus, and navigation a glassy, expressive look, making the Home Screen, Lock Screen, and apps look more modern and fluid.
Beta 2 improves this even more, with reports saying that Liquid Glass elements work together more smoothly, making the system feel more stable and responsive. For those who don’t know, Liquid Glass changes visual elements on the fly, like moving the Lock Screen clock based on the wallpaper subjects and adding 3D effects when the device moves. The beta also adds this design to new places, like the keypad in the Phone app, which makes the whole OS more consistent.
One of the best new features in iOS 26.1 beta 2 is the new way to turn off alarms and timers. In the past, iOS 26 added bigger buttons for alarms on the screen. Now, beta 2 replaces the simple “Stop” tap with a “Slide to Stop” gesture. This means that users have to swipe to turn off the alarm completely, but they can still tap to snooze.
This change is meant to stop people from accidentally dismissing alarms, which will help them sleep better by making them take deliberate actions. It’s a small but useful change that fixes a problem that users had with accidentally stopping alarms when they were groggy in the morning. Apple Music also gets a new swipe gesture that makes it easy to change tracks, which is another way that the navigation has become more intuitive.
Most of the beta’s updates are about improving the user interface, which shows that Apple is committed to making things better over time. The titles of app folders on the Home Screen are now left-aligned instead of centered. This makes the layout look cleaner and more modern.
The headers in the Settings app are also left-aligned, and the Display section now has iOS 26-themed wallpapers instead of old ones from earlier versions. There is also a new “Display Borders” toggle under Display and Text Size that adds outlines to buttons. This replaces the old “Button Shapes” option to make them easier to see. The Apple Vision Pro app adds a 3D model of the device, which could hint at improvements for future hardware like Vision Pro 2.
Some changes from beta 1, like full-color event backgrounds in Calendar, have been undone, but other visual changes have been made to apps like Calendar, Safari, and Photos.
iOS 26.1 focuses on more than just the user interface; it also adds more accessibility and smart features. Apple Intelligence and Live Translation for AirPods that work with them now support more languages. These are Japanese, Korean, Italian, Chinese (Mandarin Traditional and Simplified), Danish, Dutch, Norwegian, Portuguese (Portugal), Swedish, Turkish, and Vietnamese.
This update makes the OS more user-friendly for people all over the world by adding real-time translation to calls and messages on the device. There are also performance improvements, with early tests showing that newer iPhones, like the iPhone 17 series, can multitask and respond to apps better. Bug fixes fix problems that were present in iOS 26, like Wi-Fi and Bluetooth dropping connections on iPhone 17 models and problems with cellular connectivity after an update.
This beta is very important for developers to test how well their apps work with these changes. Apple’s release notes focus on API updates and new features to integrate, making sure that apps can make full use of Liquid Glass and AI.
The Xcode 26.1 beta 2 that comes with it helps you build and send updates.
Public betas should be available soon, maybe even later this week. The developer version, on the other hand, lets people give feedback early through the Feedback Assistant app.
This collaborative process helps Apple improve the software before it is expected to be stable in late October or early November, which could be around the same time as new hardware announcements like M5-powered devices.
Beta 2 builds on a lot of new ideas that were already in iOS 26. Messages now lets you use custom chat backgrounds, polls, and typing indicators in groups, which makes talking to people more fun.
Call screening in the Phone app helps keep unwanted calls from bothering you, and the Wallet app adds flight information for boarding passes.
Camera and Photos get better at taking artifact-free pictures in different lighting conditions, and CarPlay gets widgets and Live Activities.
Apple Intelligence makes Genmoji and Visual Intelligence for analyzing screenshots, but only on newer models.
These changes, along with beta 2’s tweaks, make iOS 26.1 a bridge to even more advanced features in iOS 26.2, which is expected to come out by mid-December.
Users should be careful with any beta, though; they should back up their data and be ready for possible instability. iPhones from the 11 series and later work, but newer models get the most out of AI features.
People who use platforms like X say that the beta is more stable, but some have pointed out problems, like Apple Intelligence headers that aren’t updated in Settings.
Overall, iOS 26.1 dev beta 2 shows how Apple works in an iterative way, giving users better experiences that keep the iPhone ecosystem at the forefront of mobile innovation. Soon, both developers and fans will be able to use a more polished public version. This will make sure that iOS stays the standard for smart, seamless computing.
