Something’s Different When You Wake Up—Blame iOS 26.1
After shipping iOS 26 with its Liquid Glass UI, Apple is now testing and preparing iOS 26.1, with the latest beta installment rolling out to developers and testers. While this is a sub-major release, it already includes several notable tweaks and enhancements that public users are looking forward to.
iOS 26 is one of Apple’s biggest updates, introducing a major overhaul to the iPhone’s interface through the Liquid Glass design. The new UI isn’t limited to system elements, though; it’s been adopted across apps, including the Clock app, which now features larger alarm widgets and translucent visual touches. But beyond the design refresh, Apple is introducing a sweeping change to how alarms and timers behave in iOS 26.1 Beta 2.
- Also read: How to install iOS 26 Beta on your iPhone
Slide to Stop Alarm or Timer
In the latest beta, the familiar one-tap stop button has been replaced by a slide gesture. Users now need to fully swipe across the widget to stop an alarm, unlike before, when a simple tap would do the job. The new slide-to-stop button is still as large as the snooze button, but it uses a translucent color instead of the snooze button’s solid shade of orange. Timers now follow the same gesture-based interaction.
Interestingly, this slide gesture echoes the classic “slide to unlock” action from earlier iPhones and iPads, so some users may find it familiar. Since this is still in beta, Apple may continue refining the gesture before the final release.
This change could help reduce accidental alarm dismissals, but it also introduces a small hurdle for users needing to adjust to the new behavior, which might even help them wake up more effectively by requiring a bit more effort.
Other Changes and Features in iOS 26.1
Beyond the alarm redesign, iOS 26.1 Beta 2 introduces a new toggle for automatic background installation of security updates and patches. It’s a welcome addition for users who often delay or ignore manual updates.
There’s also a new accessibility feature called Display Borders, which adds visible outlines to buttons for better clarity, especially useful when dealing with translucent UI elements. In the Fitness app, users can now create custom workouts with personalized goals and settings.
iPad users are getting some key enhancements too, including the return of Slide Over mode when multitasking with Stage Manager. This allows one floating app to be brought to the front more easily. For those using external microphones, there’s now an adjustable mic input level setting.
In the first iOS 26.1 beta, Apple expanded Apple Intelligence to more languages and regions, including Traditional Chinese, Danish, Dutch, Portuguese, Swedish, and Vietnamese. Meanwhile, AirPods Live Translation now supports Italian, Japanese, Korean, and Mandarin. The iOS 26.1 update should be out to the public at the end of this year.
Are you testing iOS 26.1 Beta? What other changes have you noticed? Share your thoughts in the comments.
