Apple Releases iOS 26.1 and iPadOS 26.1 with accessibility enhancements, new language support for Live Translation, and more

Apple has today released iOS 26.1 and iPadOS 26.1 to the public, bringing several enhancements to VoiceOver and braille, various visual changes to interface elements throughout the operating systems, expanded language support for Live Translation, and more.

New features and changes for blind, deaf blind, and low vision users

iOS 26.1 and iPadOS 26.1 include the following new features and changes for blind, deaf blind, and low vision users:

• When connecting your iPhone to power, VoiceOver should now speak the estimated charge time as it appears visually. This feature was introduced with iOS 26.0, but was not previously accessible with VoiceOver.
• New commands to move to the next and previous checkbox, as well as to move to the next and previous rotor voice, have been introduced. These commands have no default touch or keyboard assignments, but can be mapped in Settings > Accessibility > VoiceOver > Commands.
• It is now possible to hide the Back button in Braille Access, useful for those who use the “Escape” command and don’t want extra buttons to be shown. To do this, go to Settings > Accessibility > VoiceOver > Braille > Braille Access, and toggle the “Show back button” switch off.
• When viewing files under Braille Notes, folders are now clearly indicated by an “f” proceeding them.
• When using Apple Pay, VoiceOver now provides additional spoken guidance.
• There is a new “Tinted” option for Liquid Glass, which we believe may improve the legibility of visual elements that use that design language for some users. This setting can be found in Settings > Display & Brightness > Liquid Glass.

Resolved accessibility bugs

Our experience is that the following accessibility bugs have been resolved or meaningfully improved in iOS 26.1 and iPadOS 26.1:

New accessibility bugs

We are currently aware of two new accessibility bugs in these releases:

If you notice any further changes, improvements, or regressions in your use of these releases, please post a comment below with your findings.

Release Notes

iOS 26.1

This update adds new languages for Live Translation with AirPods, a new tinted option for Liquid Glass, along with other features, bug fixes, and security updates for your iPhone.

This update includes the following features and enhancements:

• Liquid Glass setting gives you the option to choose between the default clear look or a new tinted look which increases opacity of the material in apps and notifications on the Lock Screen
• Live Translation with AirPods support for Chinese (Simplified and Traditional), Japanese, Korean and Italian
• Apple Music MiniPlayer swipe gesture to go to the next or previous track
• Apple Music AutoMix support over AirPlay
• Gain control is available for external USB microphones when recording with local capture
• Local capture files can be saved to a specific location
• Manual workout logging is available directly from the Fitness app
• New Camera setting to turn on or off Lock Screen swipe to open Camera
• Improved FaceTime audio quality in low-bandwidth conditions
• Communication Safety and Web content filters to limit adult websites are enabled by default for existing child accounts for ages 13-17 (Age varies by country or region)

For information on the security content of Apple software updates, please visit:
Some features may not be available in all regions or on all iPhone models. To learn more, please visit:
Software updates, like this one, add new features and improvements that may affect performance and/or battery life. To learn more, please visit:

iPadOS 26.1

This update adds Slide Over as a windowing option, a new tinted option for Liquid Glass, improvements to local capture, and includes other features, bug fixes, and security updates for your iPad.

Slide Over

• Slide Over lets you keep a window on top of other windows, and easily hide off screen when not in use
• Resizable windows in Slide Over let you choose your preferred size and aspect ratio

Local capture

• Gain control is available for external USB microphones when recording with local capture
• Option to let you choose where local capture files are saved

This update includes the following features and enhancements:

• Liquid Glass setting gives you the option to choose between the default clear look or a new tinted look which increases opacity of the material in apps and notifications on the Lock Screen
• Apple Music MiniPlayer swipe gesture to go to the next or previous track
• Apple Music AutoMix support over AirPlay
• New Camera setting to turn on or off Lock Screen swipe to open Camera
• Improved FaceTime audio quality in low-bandwidth conditions
• Communication Safety and Web content filters to limit adult websites are enabled by default for existing child accounts for ages 13-17 (Age varies by country or region)
• Discover new content, spatial experiences, and quickly access information about your device using Apple Vision Pro app, now available on iPad

For information on the security content of Apple software updates, please visit:
Some features may not be available in all regions or on all iPad models. To learn more, please visit:
Software updates, like this one, add new features and improvements that may affect performance and/or battery life. To learn more, please visit:

How to update

iOS 26.1 and iPadOS 26.1 are available via Over-the-Air Update (Settings > General > Software Update), via Finder on a Mac with macOS Catalina or later, or via iTunes on a PC or Mac with macOS Mojave or earlier.

Before updating, we strongly recommend making a full and complete backup of your device (either locally or in iCloud, depending on personal preference). This will ensure that, in the unlikely event that something goes wrong during the update process, you will have a current backup on hand in case a device restore becomes necessary. Also, if using OTA update, we recommend plugging your device into a power source for the duration of the download/installation process, so as to prevent the unlikely event of your battery going dead during the update.