Even though we're at the fourth beta of iOS 26.1, Apple is continuing to add new features. In fact, the fourth beta has some of the biggest changes that we'll get when iOS 26.1 releases to the public later this month. We've rounded up what's new below.

Liquid Glass Transparency Toggle

Apple added a toggle for customizing the look of Liquid Glass. In Settings > Display and Brightness, there's a new option to switch between Clear or Tinted settings.


Clear is more transparent and is the standard version of Liquid Glass that displays the background underneath buttons, menu bars, and other interface elements, while Tinted increases the opacity of Liquid Glass and adds contrast.

Lock Screen Camera Swipe

In the Camera section of the Settings app, there's a Lock Screen Swipe to Open Camera setting, and turning it off disables the feature where you can swipe left to open the camera from the Lock Screen.


The iPhone has long allowed users to open the Camera app directly from the Lock Screen with a swipe, but it can be a setting that's easy to activate, and it provides a way for someone that gets ahold of an ‌iPhone‌ to use it to take unwanted photos.

There was previously no way to turn off Lock Screen camera activation without disabling the camera app entirely.

Phone Haptics

In the Phone app, there's a toggle to turn off haptic feedback when a call is connected or dropped.

Apple Intelligence Settings

Apple has changed the look of the Apple Intelligence section in the Settings app, and it is now left aligned. Apple made the alignment change for other sections of the Settings app in earlier betas, but ‌Apple Intelligence‌ remained the same.


Apple has also removed the "Beta" label from ‌Apple Intelligence‌, but it's not clear if some features are officially out of beta, or if it's an oversight. Apple has not removed the beta labeling in macOS Tahoe 26.1 beta 4.

More Features

Know of a feature that we left out? Let us know in the comments. To see what Apple has added in prior iOS 26.1 betas, check out our iOS 26.1 feature guide.
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Severance’s season 2 finale left viewers reeling when it aired earlier this year, leading to a lot of questions about what’s coming for Mark S. and company in season 3. Here’s everything we know so far about Severance season 3 and when to expect its Apple TV premiere.

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iOS 26.1 continues to introduce new features and changes for the upcoming iPhone software update. Here’s the latest from iOS 26.1 beta 4 and more.

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Wireless charging has come a long way since the early days, when it felt like only something you’d use at night. The introduction of MagSafe with the iPhone 12 was a huge win for the standard, and now the industry is unifying around Qi2. The newest enhancement, Qi2.2, takes things up a notch with support for 25-watt charging speeds and better heat management. LISEN recently launched its new LISEN Qi2.2 MagSafe Car Charger, and I’ve been using it as my primary car charger for the past few weeks.

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iOS 26.1 beta 4 was released today, and in addition to offering a new setting to tone down Liquid Glass, there’s also a toggle that can stop you from accidentally launching the Camera app on your Lock Screen. Here’s what’s new.

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The fourth beta of iOS 26.1 includes an option to turn off the Lock Screen swipe that activates the camera, a feature that iPhone users have been wanting for years.


In the Camera section of the Settings app, there's a Lock Screen Swipe to Open Camera setting, and turning it off disables the feature where you can swipe left to open the camera.

The ‌iPhone‌ has long allowed users to open the Camera app directly from the Lock Screen with a swipe, but it can be a setting that's easy to activate, and it provides a way for someone that gets ahold of an ‌iPhone‌ to use it to take unwanted photos.

There was previously no way to turn off Lock Screen camera activation without disabling the camera app entirely.
This article, "iOS 26.1 Beta 4 Adds Toggle to Turn Off Lock Screen Camera Swipe" first appeared on MacRumors.com

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With the fourth betas of iOS 26.1, iPadOS 26.1, and macOS 26.1, Apple has introduced a new setting that's designed to allow users to customize the look of Liquid Glass.


The toggle lets users select from a clear look for Liquid Glass, or a tinted look. Clear is the current Liquid Glass design, which is more transparent and shows the background underneath buttons, bars, and menus, while tinted increases the opacity of Liquid Glass and adds more contrast.

The new setting can be found on iOS and iPadOS by going to Settings > Display and Brightness, or System Settings > Appearance on the Mac.

Apple says that the new toggle was added because during the beta testing period over the summer, user feedback suggested that some people would prefer to have a more opaque option for Liquid Glass. The added setting provides additional customization in iOS 26.1, iPadOS 26.1, and macOS Tahoe 26.1.

Increasing opacity and adding contrast applies to Liquid Glass throughout the operating system, including in apps and Lock Screen notifications.

There are multiple other new features in iOS 26.1, including a new slide to stop feature for alarms and timers, new Apple Intelligence languages, a redesigned Apple TV app icon, changes to the Settings app, and more, with a full list of features available in our iOS 26.1 feature guide.
This article, "iOS 26.1 Beta 4 Lets Users Control Liquid Glass Transparency with New Toggle" first appeared on MacRumors.com

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iOS 26 introduced a bold new Liquid Glass design, bringing transparency and fluidity throughout the iPhone’s interface. iPadOS 26 and macOS 26 brought similar designs to the iPad and Mac, respectively.

Not a fan of that design? Well, iOS 26.1 beta 4 is now available, and it introduces a new option to choose a more opaque look for Liquid Glass. The same option is also available on Mac and iPad.

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Apple today provided developers with the fourth betas of upcoming iOS 26.1, iPadOS 26.1, macOS Tahoe 26.1, tvOS 26.1, watchOS 26.1, and visionOS 26.1 updates for testing purposes. The fourth betas come a week after Apple released the third betas.


The new betas can be downloaded from the Settings app on a compatible device by going to General > Software Update.

Apple Intelligence is now available in more languages in the updates, including Danish, Dutch, Norwegian, Portuguese (Portugal), Swedish, Turkish, Chinese (Traditional), and Vietnamese. AirPods Live Translation also works with Japanese, Korean, Italian, and Chinese (both Mandarin Traditional and Simplified) in iOS 26.1.

Liquid Glass has been expanded to the Phone app's keypad, Apple Music has a new swipe gesture for changing tracks, and there are visual changes to Calendar, Safari, and Photos. Details on what we've found in iOS 26.1 so far can be found in our iOS 26.1 feature list.

The iOS 26.1, iPadOS 26.1, macOS Tahoe 26.1, tvOS 26.1, watchOS 26.1, and visionOS 26.1, betas will be released later in October.
This article, "Apple Seeds Fourth Betas of iOS 26.1, iPadOS 26.1, macOS Tahoe 26.1 and More" first appeared on MacRumors.com

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Apple has a new round of developer beta updates for tvOS 26.1, watchOS 26.1, visionOS 26.1,and more available today: beta 4 is here.

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iOS 26.1 is the first big update to Apple’s major operating system release, and as of today, the fourth developer beta version has arrived for testing.

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Apple has just released iPadOS 26.1 beta 4 for developers. Here’s what to expect from today’s update.

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Following last week’s release, Apple is rolling out macOS 26.1 beta 4 for developers. Here’s what to expect from the update.

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Listen to a recap of the top stories of the day from 9to5Mac. 9to5Mac Daily is available on iTunes and Apple’s Podcasts app, Stitcher, TuneIn, Google Play, or through our dedicated RSS feed for Overcast and other podcast players.

Sponsored by Backblaze: Never lose a file again. Use code “9to5daily” at checkout for 20% off or try for free. 

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Earlier this year, Apple confirmed that it’d be supporting end-to-end encryption with RCS in a future software update. At the time, iOS 18 was still the latest version of iOS – thus implying that the upgrade would come as part of the next round of software – iOS 26.

So far, end-to-end encryption is yet to ship. That’s not the only thing though. The upgrade to end-to-end encryption would’ve also necessitated other major upgrades to the RCS protocol, and as of iOS 26.1 beta, it’s all still missing.

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Your 9to5toys Lunch Break is ready to kick the week off with some big time price drops on iPad. Alongside the M5 iPad Pro pre-order deals we detailed previously, Amazon just knocked over $400 off this upgraded M4 iPad Pro model and it is now delivering a new all-time low on this 512GB M3 iPad Air at $279 off the list price. We also have 1TB iPhone 16 Pro Max at $510 off courtesy of the Amazon Renewed Premium program as well as AirPods Pro 2 from $108 and a rare discount on the official Apple Watch Ultra 2/3 Black Milanese Loop. All of the details await below. 

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Apple’s stock price just reached an all-time high, currently sitting around $263 per share and rising. Here are the details.

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Apple's stock price reached a new all-time high today, with shares in the company trading for as much as $264.38 on the intraday market, according to Yahoo Finance.


The company's previous intraday high was $260.10, set on December 26, 2024.

Keep in mind that Apple's stock has split five times since the company went public, including on a 4-for-1 basis in 2020 most recently.

The new record comes after some Wall Street analysts and reports said there has been strong demand for Apple's new iPhone 17, iPhone 17 Pro, and iPhone 17 Pro Max models, although the iPhone Air is reportedly less of a hit overall, despite a hot start in China.

Apple achieved the record high despite continuing to lag behind companies like OpenAI and Google in the generative artificial intelligence space. Over the weekend, it was reported that some of Apple's software engineers have "concerns" about how well the more personalized version of Siri works on an internal iOS 26.4 beta for the iPhone.

Apple's next quarterly earnings report will be released on October 30.
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iOS 26.1 is expected to launch very soon, and when it does, it will include changes not only for iPhone but also AirPods. That’s because Live Translation is expanding significantly. Here’s what’s new for AirPods in iOS 26.1.

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A law firm in China has filed a new antitrust complaint accusing Apple of abusing its control over iOS app distribution and payments, escalating a dispute that previously failed in civil court by seeking action from state regulators instead, Reuters reports.


The new complaint was submitted to the State Administration for Market Regulation (SAMR) on behalf of 55 Chinese iPhone and iPad users. The filing alleges that Apple maintains a monopoly over iOS app distribution in China via the App Store, restricts the use of third-party payment systems in apps, and charges commissions of up to 30% on digital transactions. Those claims mirror an earlier case brought in 2021 by individual plaintiff Jin Xin, represented by the same attorney, Wang Qiongfei. That lawsuit was dismissed in 2024 by a Shanghai court after demanding that Apple completely cease collecting its ‌App Store‌ fee and pay damages.

Wang has now re-opened the case more broadly via a different channel, telling the media that the new administrative complaint is intended to prompt regulatory enforcement rather than a civil judgment. Unlike the 2021 filing, this complaint incorporates a comparative argument based on changes made in other jurisdictions. The filing asserts that Apple is continuing to operate a closed ‌App Store‌ in China while permitting alternative payment methods and sideloading in the European Union following enforcement of the Digital Markets Act and a U.S. court ruling that obliges Apple to allow outside payment links.

Wang expects the regulatory complaint to proceed faster than the previous civil action. He is also appealing the 2024 dismissal to China's Supreme People's Court, which heard arguments in December. No ruling has yet been issued in that appeal.
This article, "Apple Now Faces App Store Challenges in China, Too" first appeared on MacRumors.com

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Today we're tracking a pair of solid discounts on the AirPods Pro 2 and AirTag 4-Pack on Amazon, including an all-time low price on the Bluetooth trackers.

AirTag

Note: MacRumors is an affiliate partner with Amazon. When you click a link and make a purchase, we may receive a small payment, which helps us keep the site running.

Amazon this week has Apple's AirTag 4-Pack for $64.99, down from $99.00. This is a match of the all-time low price on the accessory.



Amazon also has the AirTag 1-Pack for $24.99, down from $29.00. We've seen a steeper $19.00 price tag on the 1-Pack recently, so if you're in the market for the AirTag, it's likely best to go for the 4-Pack for the best value.

AirPods Pro 2

Secondly, Amazon has Apple's AirPods Pro 2 for $169.99, down from $249.00. Delivery on this one is delayed slightly to the end of October and early November.



This is a solid second-best price on the AirPods Pro 2, coming in about $19 higher compared to the previous record low price, which we haven't seen in a couple of months.

Apple just released the AirPods Pro 3 last month, but we haven't seen particularly steep discounts on the new model yet, so anyone in the market for a Pro model should still find good value in Amazon's discount on the AirPods Pro 2.

If you're on the hunt for more discounts, be sure to visit our Apple Deals roundup where we recap the best Apple-related bargains of the past week.

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This article, "Get Low Prices on AirPods Pro 2 and AirTag 4-Pack on Amazon" first appeared on MacRumors.com

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Apple’s Sports app has quickly become my favorite way to keep up with live sports scores, and a new update should make the app even better for NFL and college sports fans.

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For a very long time, I urged patience with Apple’s efforts to turn Siri into a truly intelligent assistant. Back in 2023, I argued that the stakes were higher for Siri than for primarily text-based AI systems like ChatGPT.

I’ve also said that Apple’s commitment to privacy poses a far greater challenge for the company’s AI efforts, and that the payoff would be worth it. But it’s gotten harder and harder to maintain this position, and the latest report certainly doesn’t help …

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The next big iPhone update, iOS 26.1, is coming soon. It’s currently in beta testing, but a public launch isn’t far off. Here’s the expected iOS 26.1 release date.

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