iOS 26.2 is here with Liquid Glass, AirDrop, and Apple Music updates

Here’s what’s new for your iPhone, Mac, and other Apple devices.

Today, Apple officially released iOS 26.2 for iPhone 11 and newer devices, which includes new Lock Screen customizations for you to adjust the opacity level, as well as the ability to use AirDrop with people who aren’t in your contacts by sharing a one-time code with them instead. There are also new updates going out for macOS, iPadOS, visionOS, and watchOS.

On updated iPhones, the Reminders app now has an “urgent” option that will set an alarm for a task’s due time, while Apple Music added support for offline lyrics to go with downloaded songs, and a new Favorite Songs playlist inside top Picks. Live translation on AirPods is also finally coming to users in the EU after a delay over regulatory concerns earlier this year. There’s also support for Enhanced Safety Alerts in the US, which Apple says “can inform you about imminent threats such as floods, natural disasters, and other emergencies, with rich information like a map of affected areas and links to additional safety guidance.”

Podcasts with links

Image: Apple

 

iOS 26.2 also includes the Apple Podcasts update announced last month that automatically generates chapters for podcasts in English (when the creator doesn’t supply chapters themselves). Apple Podcasts also now has timed links, which appear at specified times in podcast episodes, such as when a host mentions another podcast.

The Vision Pro has fewer new additions in visionOS 26.2, with Travel Mode support extending to cars and buses now too, support for hand-drawn content with devices like the Logitech Music in compatible apps, and support for tables in Freeform so you can manage virtual reality spreadsheets. If you have an Apple TV 4K or Apple TV HD device, then tvOS 26.2 is available now too, with support for creating profiles without an Apple account, and a new age-restricted mode that will stick to the ratings limits set for that account.

Apple also released iPadOS 26.2 today, which brings back the drag-and-drop multi-tasking feature that was originally removed in iPadOS 26 when Apple updated the iPad’s windowing system. Now that it’s back, you can once again move around apps in your multi-tasking setup with the old drag-and-drop gestures. Along with that, iPadOS 26.2 also includes many of the same updates that were in iOS 26.2, including the new features in Apple Podcasts, urgent reminders, and the improved lockscreen customization options for Liquid Glass.

Finally, on Apple Watch, the most notable changes on watchOS 26.2 are the same Enhanced Safety Alerts feature added to iOS, and tweaks for the way scores are classified in Sleep Score.

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Posted Saturday 13 December 2025 at 5:25 pm AEST (my time).

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