Last week, Apple unveiled iOS 26.2 beta 1, bringing multiple enhancements, including the ability to personalize the Liquid Glass effect on the Lock Screen clock of the iPhone, the feature to set alarms in the Reminders application, and real-time translation options for European users, in addition to other improvements.

The official launch of iOS 26.2 is anticipated in December.

iOS 26.2 beta 1 introduced a Liquid Glass slider for the lock screen clock pic.twitter.com/cZzS2vWbwi

— Wazeen (@wzeeeeen) November 5, 2025

The Liquid Glass interface, representing the refreshed design for Apple devices, is still being refined. The latest update features a slider allowing users to tweak the transparency of the clock on the Lock Screen. This functionality lets users adjust the clock to be nearly invisible or give it a more frosted appearance. An option to completely disable Liquid Glass will still be available.

An additional modification is the feature to set alarms for reminders. While setting up a reminder, selecting a specific time and activating the “Urgent” setting will trigger an alarm at that chosen time. This is a highly requested feature and will aid in keeping users organized and ensuring critical tasks are not overlooked.

Reminders has a new ‘Urgent’ alarm option in iOS 26.2 pic.twitter.com/AulXNB6jQP

— kayden ⛧ (@f4dedlight) November 12, 2025

Apple also disclosed last week that with the iOS 26.2 update, live translation via AirPods is being expanded to the EU. If a user is addressed in a foreign language, Siri can deliver translations through the AirPods. This capability was initially launched in the U.S. and select other nations with iOS 26 but was not available in the EU until iOS 26.2, as Apple needed extra time to comply with the EU’s Digital Markets Act requirements.

Furthermore, the Apple News application will introduce a new “Following” tab in the lower navigation bar, which will contain favorites, saved articles, and browsing history. Users will also encounter new buttons for quick access to categories such as Food, Politics, Puzzles, and Sports.

Apple Podcasts is set to acquire new functionalities, including AI-generated chapters for podcast episodes. Additionally, there will be a Podcast Mentions feature, allowing Apple Podcasts to automatically include a link to any referenced show in the episode description if a podcast host mentions another program during an episode. 

Other enhancements include offline lyric access in Apple Music, enabling users to see song lyrics even without a Wi-Fi or cellular connection. Additionally, the iPhone’s screen can now illuminate when a notification is received, a function that can be toggled in the Settings app under Accessibility.