The announcement of Apple’s new software, iOS 26, was the target of numerous criticisms mainly for accessibility problems in the Liquid Glass design it presented. However, the Cupertino company has already released version 26.1 in which those bugs have been fixed and other improvements have been implemented, according to the deadly Xataka Movil. In addition to being able to deactivate the Glass Sweetgum mode, the possibility of customizing it through the Tinted Mode has also been incorporated.
Minor improvements have also been incorporated into apps such as Apple Music, Apple TV and Apple Fitness. This new software update is available from the iPhone Pro Max model, so if you haven’t missed the warning, you can check it in “Settings”. In addition, this update is also taxable for the rest of Apple devices such as WatchOS 26.1, iPadOS 26., macOS 26.1, tvOS 26.1 and visionOS 26.1.
iOS 26
On September 15th, during Apple’s Worldwide Developers Conference (WWDC) 2025, the Cupertino team presented their new software update, iOS 26, which was available for download that same month. However, despite the anticipation, the reality was that it received numerous criticisms due to the lack of accessibility of its main novelty: Liquid Glass. Its limited visibility made it difficult to use for people with special visual needs, so it did not receive the expected reception. Now, 2 months later, they have released the iOS 26.1 update, where they have improved the design as well as introduced other enhancements.
iOS 26.1 news
The Liquid Glass is still present and can be enabled or disabled according to preferences. However, they have introduced Tinted Mode, through which Liquid Glass can be customized by adjusting the opacity. To disable Liquid Glass, you must go to ‘Settings’ > ‘Accessibility’ > ‘Display & Text Size’ > ‘Reduce Transparency’, and to choose Tinted Mode, go to ‘Settings’ > ‘Display & Brightness’ > ‘Liquid Glass’, with two options to choose from: Transparent Mode or Tinted Mode.
Another improvement has been the ability to disable the option to activate the camera by swiping the lock screen. This function has been reported to activate many times without the user’s intention, so it can now be disabled. How? By going to the ‘Settings’ menu > ‘Camera’ > ‘Access by swiping on the lock screen’.
The management of alarms has also been improved. Until now, it was quite easy to confuse the “stop” button with the “snooze” button when an alarm went off. With iOS 26.1, turning off the alarm requires performing the swipe gesture. However, if you prefer to keep a single tap, you can do that too by going to the ‘Settings’ > ‘Accessibility’ > ‘Touch’ > ‘Prefer Single-Tap Actions’ menu.
Technology-focused portals like Xataka Movil explain that there have also been improvements in system performance and stability, as well as in other applications such as Apple Music, Apple TV, and Apple Fitness.
iOS 26.1 availability and compatibility
This software update is now available for all models after the iPhone 11, as well as for the rest of Apple’s devices: WatchOS 26.1, iPadOS 26.1, macOS 26.1, tvOS 26.1, and visionOS 26.1. If you have not received the update notification, go to ‘Settings’ > ‘General’ > ‘Software Update,’ and you will be able to download this new 3GB version.
