Apple iOS 26.2: Key features you should know about upcoming update

Apple has released the iOS 26.2 public beta update to registered developers. This is understood to be the final test version before it plans to roll out the update to the general public.

iOS 26.2 update brings a lot of new features and security options to iPhones. It will introduce more controls to users for Liquid Glass UI on the lock screen. They will be able to customise the clock's appearance to switch between transparent and frosted (almost opaque).

It also brings a new Passwords option to help users add password credentials to online accounts, which were previously not linked to a password manager app on iPhone.

The new update also expands the AI live translation feature to the European Union. AirPods Pro 2, Pro 3 and AirPods 4 with ANC when paired to an iPhone, will support English, French, German, Portuguese, Spanish, Italian, Chinese (Simplified and Traditional Mandarin), Japanese, and Korean.

The new iOS 26.2 update also introduced an alarm option to reminders. This way, the reminder feature will blare a loud sound notification to let the owner complete the task. It will also offer a slider option to turn snooze. When pressed, it will show a countdown as well.

iOS 26 UI.

The update also brings new sleep score ratings. It will show five options: 1) Very low ( 0-40), 2) Low (41-60), OK (61-80), High (81-95), Very High (96-100). The score will be managed by Apple Watch's algorithm and will be fed to the Health app on iPhone. The higher the score, the better the sleep pattern.

Sleep Score generated by Apple Watch SE 3.

The new iOS 26.2 update also brings a new AirDrop feature that lets users turn on AirDrop to exchange multimedia files between the owner and an acquaintance whose name is not in the contact list. It will offer a new PIN option to open the file transfer window for 30 minutes. The receiver has to type in the PIN shared by the sender to accept the files.

The update also introduced Screen Flash for emergency alerts. Previously, iPhone users had the option to turn the LED flash on the back for notification alerts. With the new update, users will get a new flash feature for the screen to let the user know there is a new notification such as calls, messages, emails including earthquake alerts, and possible cyber threat alerts. This will be similar to the screen flash feature for selfies in low-light conditions.

iOS 26.2: List of iPhones eligible for new update

iPhone 16e, iPhone 16, iPhone 16 Plus, iPhone 16 Pro, iPhone 16 Pro Max, iPhone 15, iPhone 15 Plus, iPhone 15 Pro, iPhone 15 Pro Max, iPhone 14, iPhone 14 Plus, iPhone 14 Pro, iPhone 14 Pro Max, iPhone 13, iPhone 13 mini, iPhone 13 Pro, iPhone 13 Pro Max, iPhone 12, iPhone 12 mini, iPhone 12 Pro, iPhone 12 Pro Max, iPhone 11, iPhone 11 Pro, iPhone 11 Pro Max, and iPhone SE (2nd gen).

iOS 26.2 is expected to be released in a week or two.

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