iOS 26.2: Apple Issues Critical Update For Millions Of iPhone Users In Rare Friday Release
Another big-number update has arrived for the iPhone. The iOS 26.2 release introduces new features — usually missing from smaller number updates such as iOS 26.0.1 — as well as bug fixes and security elements. Here’s what’s landed and how to get it.
Apple iPhone 17 in five colors
Apple
There had been rumors that it wouldn’t come until next week at the earliest, but those waiting eagerly have had their patience rewarded. Apple was determined not to be late, it seems — a Friday release is almost unprecedented from the company.
Which iPhones Can Run iOS 26.2?
This update is for all iPhones from 2019 onwards. That means the iPhone 11 and all iPhones since, including the iPhone SE in both its second- and third-generation models. And all members of the iPhone 17 series are included.
How To Get It
Open the iPhone Settings app, then choose General, followed by Software Update. Next, click on Download and Install, and it’ll be on your phone shortly. It’s a large update, as these things go, weighing 1.64GB on my iPhone 17 Pro Max. It downloaded and installed quickly — less than 20 minutes total.
iOS 26.2 — What’s In The Release
There are plenty of new features, some major, some more obscure. Let’s start with how it looks. One of the big changes in iOS 26 was the introduction of a design called Liquid Glass. With iOS 26.2, the look is refined again, with a slider for the lock screen so you can adjust the transparency of the clock — handy if it’s only really legible when it’s completely opaque. Liquid Glass will also come to the Measure app in a redesign. Also seeing a design change are the Apple News app, which gains new shortcuts, and Freeform, which now has options to add tables that can be customized. The Games app has also been updated to how you navigate your way around it.
Podcasts adds new items like an automatic chaptering feature to help you jump to the right part of an episode.
The Sleep app, which has proved very popular since it was introduced in September, already had a notable overhaul to its score system. Until now, if your Sleep Score was 70-89, that would count as High, but now the OK rating stretches as far as 80, so you’ll need to earn marks of 81-95 to gain the High rating.
You can now set a reminder as an alarm if it’s urgent. AirDrop gains an all-new capability. Right now, to share a file between two iPhones, say, you need to limit yourself to regular contacts or open AirDrop to all nearby devices. If you don’t fancy the latter but need to share files with someone not in your contact list, iOS 26.2 has another option, to use a PIN code that you can entered on the other device. That PIN works for the next 30 days. If you enjoy reading (or perhaps singing along to) lyrics onscreen with Apple Music, they’re now available even when your phone is offline for tracks in your library.
EU users can now enjoy Live Translation for AirPods, something not available before in those countries.
