iOS 26.2: All the new features now available on your iPhone - 9to5Mac

iOS 26.2: every new feature now available on your iPhone

After weeks of beta testing, Apple has released iOS 26.2 with meaningful upgrades across Reminders, Apple Music, Apple Podcasts, Liquid Glass design, Apple News, CarPlay, Games, and more—plus region-specific changes for EU users. Security fixes are also included, so updating promptly is recommended.

Top highlights at a glance

• Reminders get “Urgent” alarms with snooze and Live Activity support
• Apple Music gains offline lyrics and a smarter Favorites experience
• Apple Podcasts adds AI-generated chapters and Podcast Mentions
• Sleep Score becomes stricter with updated point ranges
• Apple News adds faster navigation and a new Following tab
• EU updates: Live Translation with AirPods launches; Wi‑Fi sync between iPhone and Apple Watch is removed
• Liquid Glass design gets deeper customization and playful animations
• CarPlay adds message pin controls and may allow more widget stacks

Reminders: alarms for truly urgent tasks

• New “Urgent” option triggers an alarm at the due time, with snooze and Live Activity support. It’s the most direct way yet to ensure critical to-dos don’t slip by.

Apple Music: offline lyrics and instant access to favorites

• View full lyrics—including translations and beat-synced lines—without an internet connection.
• Your Favorite Songs playlist now appears in Top Picks on the Home tab for quicker access.
• Fixes an issue where pre-release albums weren’t immediately playable at release time.

Apple Podcasts: AI chapters and Podcast Mentions

• Automatically generated chapters make it easier to navigate long episodes. Creators can still provide their own, which take precedence.
• New Podcast Mentions link out to shows referenced in the episode directly from the player and transcript, making discovery seamless.

Sleep Score: tougher grading
Apple tightened classification thresholds to better reflect real sleep quality. New ranges:

• Very Low: 0–40
• Low: 41–60
• OK: 61–80
• High: 81–95
• Very High: 96–100

Apple News: faster navigation and smarter organization

• Quick-access section links now sit at the top of Today for fast jumps to popular topics (e.g., Sports, Politics, Food, and more).
• A new Following tab consolidates favorites, saved stories, history, and more.
• Search has been simplified to focus on discovery.

EU-specific changes in iOS 26.2

• Live Translation with AirPods is now available in the EU after a delayed rollout tied to Digital Markets Act (DMA) considerations.
• Due to DMA interoperability requirements, Wi‑Fi network syncing between iPhone and Apple Watch is removed. You’ll need to sign in to networks on Apple Watch manually.

Liquid Glass design: more control and whimsy

• New Lock Screen time customization slider fine-tunes clock transparency across all font options, from extra-clear to more opaque.
• The Measure app’s Level tool gets a delightful Liquid Glass redesign.
• Popup menus and controls feature fresh Liquid Glass animations throughout iOS 26.2.

CarPlay quality-of-life updates

• Option to disable pinned conversations in Messages (find it in CarPlay Settings).
• Some vehicles now support an additional widget stack (availability varies).

More enhancements and fixes

• Enhanced Safety Alerts: A new Settings menu adds switches for earthquake and imminent threat alerts, with an option to share your approximate location to improve timeliness and reliability. In the U.S., alerts include rich details like maps of affected areas and links to guidance.
• AirDrop codes: When sharing with unknown contacts, the receiver sees a code the sender must enter—an extra verification layer.
• Games app: New library filters (category, size, and more), real-time challenge score banners, and improved controller support (e.g., Backbone, Razer). Also adds sorting, controller navigation, and score updates.
• Apple News: Section links appear in Top Picks for rapid access to popular topics.
• Home app: Multipack accessory pairing lets you enroll multiple accessories with the same setup code when sold together.
• Accessibility: “Flash for alerts” adds a screen-flash option for notifications.
• Freeform: Tables now support text, images, documents, and drawings, and intelligently resize to fit.
• Passwords: New “Excluded Websites” menu for finer control.
• Privacy fix: Resolves an issue where a Privacy & Security setting might be incorrectly marked as managed by an enterprise organization.

How to update

• On your iPhone, go to Settings > General > Software Update and install iOS 26.2.

Bottom line
iOS 26.2 packs practical upgrades—urgent Reminders, offline lyrics, smarter podcast navigation, a stricter Sleep Score, and deeper Liquid Glass customization—alongside safety, CarPlay, and Gaming enhancements. EU users gain Live Translation with AirPods but lose automatic Wi‑Fi syncing between iPhone and Apple Watch due to DMA rules.

Source: https://9to5mac.com/2025/12/14/ios-26-2-new-features-iphone/