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iOS 26.2 Adds Alarm Reminders, New AirDrop Codes, and a Boost for Liquid Glass

iOS 26.2 Adds Alarm Reminders, New AirDrop Codes, and a Boost for Liquid Glass

November 20, 2025 Off By Ibraheem Adeola

Apple is currently testing iOS 26.2, and while it’s not the biggest update in the iOS 26 cycle, it’s quietly adding some pretty useful features across the board. Just like every beta, it’s not finished; bugs, random issues, and performance hiccups are all part of the deal. You can leave the beta, but unless you’ve backed up your phone to a Mac or PC beforehand, you’ll need to factory reset to do so. That said, for anyone already knee-deep in the iOS 26 ecosystem, this update feels like Apple tightening the screws. More customization. More control. More polish.

Liquid Glass is finally getting sliders and smarter animations

Let’s start with the design stuff. Liquid Glass, the shiny translucent UI element introduced in iOS 26, now has a slider, but only for the Lock Screen clock. With the earlier update (iOS 26.1), you could pick between Clear or Tinted. Now, you can fine-tune the look with a slider, adjusting how opaque or glassy your clock appears. It’s not global yet, but it’s a good start.

Animations tied to Liquid Glass have also been refined. Movements feel more bouncy and responsive, closer to the WWDC demo from earlier this year. You’ll notice the difference when navigating through parts of the system where Liquid Glass is applied.

The Measure app is also getting a taste of Liquid Glass. The Level function now replaces its plain white circles with glossy, animated bubbles. Beta 3 improves that even further by ensuring the level number stays visible even when the bubble overlaps it.

You can finally make reminders ring like alarms

If you’ve ever missed an important reminder because it just popped up quietly like any other notification, this one’s for you. In iOS 26.2, marking a reminder as “Urgent” will now trigger a prompt asking if you’d like the app to schedule an actual alarm or timer for it. So instead of a silent nudge, you’ll get an in-your-face alert — a blaring tone that’s hard to ignore. It’s perfect for anyone who relies on Reminders but tends to ignore their notification center.

AirDrop codes are on the way

Apple’s prepping a smart tweak to AirDrop. It’s not live yet, but in beta 3, there’s a new settings section called “Manage Known AirDrop Contacts.” According to the description, you’ll be able to share a one-time code with someone, and you’ll show up in their AirDrop list for the next 30 days. It’s a small thing, but for classrooms, co-working spaces, or frequent collaborators, this will make file-sharing way easier without constantly messing with visibility settings.

Sleep Score categories have been updated

If you’re using an Apple Watch with watchOS 26, you probably already know about Sleep Score; a 100-point metric based on duration, bedtime, and interruptions. With the 26.2 update, Apple is tweaking the scoring ranges for more accurate summaries. Here’s the new breakdown:

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

The label “Excellent” has also been replaced with “Very High” to match the rest of the naming pattern.

iPad multitasking gets more functionality back

With iPadOS 26.1, Apple brought Slide Over back into the mix. Now in iPadOS 26.2, beta 3 brings back the old “drop-and-drop” behavior. That means you can drag an app from your multitasking view and drop it onto Slide Over, instantly switching that app into the floating window. This adds more flexibility when juggling multiple apps, whether you’re messaging, checking music, or managing files.

Podcasts is getting AI-generated chapters and link highlights

Apple’s Podcasts app is also seeing some big changes in iOS 26.2. All English-language podcasts will now come with chapters by default. If the creator doesn’t include them, Apple’s AI will generate them automatically. You’ll also see a collection of all the podcasts mentioned in each episode and a round-up of links the podcaster shares. These include timestamped links in the episode’s transcript, and some of those will be automatically created too.

Games app adds new filters and better controller support

Three changes are rolling out to the Games app. First, you’ll be able to sort your library by size, see what games your friends are playing, and filter by those that support challenges. Second, you can now navigate the app using your controller instead of switching to touch. Third, your challenge scores will update in real time while you play.

Pinned messages are now optional in CarPlay

For years, you could pin chats in Messages. With iOS 26, that feature showed up in CarPlay too — whether you wanted it or not. Now, in 26.2, you can go into CarPlay settings and turn off pinned messages completely. It’s a minor update, but a welcome one for people who want less clutter while driving.

Live Translation finally lands in the EU

Live Translation is Apple’s real-time speech translator for AirPods. You hear a translated version of the person speaking directly through your AirPods. It’s a game-changing feature, but up till now, EU users were locked out due to the Digital Markets Act. That changes with iOS 26.2. The feature will finally be available to EU users running iOS 26 or 26.1.

macOS 26.2 adds Edge Light for video calls

And while not an iOS feature, Apple is also testing something interesting in macOS 26.2. It’s called Edge Light — a glow that surrounds your video window during calls. It adapts to your movement and dims automatically if you need to look elsewhere on screen. You can tweak the colour temperature too. Will it replace a full studio ring light? Probably not. But it’s a clever upgrade for everyday Zoom meetings.

CategoryApple All Mobile

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