Apple releases iOS 26.1 developer beta: What's new and how to update

Apple's iOS 26.1 developer beta 1 expands Apple Intelligence language support, adds UI refinements in apps like Safari, Photos, and Calendar, and hints at third-party AI integration

Apple has started seeding the first developer beta of the upcoming iOS 26.1 update, which will serve as the initial major revision to the recently launched iOS 26. The beta is available to eligible iPhones enrolled in Apple’s developer program and includes several refinements to the interface, fresh features, and broader language support for Apple Intelligence tools such as Live Translation on AirPods.

 

Beyond visible changes, Apple is also said to have updated portions of the underlying code for its Apple Intelligence features. These changes suggest that the company could soon allow integration with additional third-party AI models, including Google’s Gemini. 

iOS 26.1 developer beta 1: What is new

Apple Intelligence language support

The first developer beta of iOS 26.1 brings support for more languages for the Apple Intelligence-powered Live Translation feature on AirPods. These include: Chinese (Mandarin, simplified), Chinese (Mandarin, traditional), Italian, Japanese, and Korean. These join the existing supported languages of English (US and UK), French, German, Portuguese (Brazil), and Spanish (Spain).

 

Additionally, iOS 26.1 beta 1 enables Apple Intelligence features in eight more languages:

• Chinese (traditional)
• Danish
• Dutch
• Norwegian
• Portuguese (Portugal)
• Swedish
• Turkish
• Vietnamese

New Apple Music feature

A new gesture has been introduced in the Music app. Users can now swipe left or right on the MiniPlayer to skip to the previous or next track, streamlining playback control.

UI changes

The beta also brings small but notable design adjustments across apps:

• Calendar: Events now display with full-width color highlights in List view.
• Photos: Videos gain an upgraded playback scrubber.
• Phone: The keypad adopts the Liquid Glass aesthetic introduced with iOS 26.
• Safari: The Tab Bar is slightly wider with reduced padding around the edges.

Third-party AI integration in Image Playground

iOS 26 shipped with integration of ChatGPT styles in Apple’s Image Playground, following Apple’s extended partnership with OpenAI. With the new beta, 9to5Mac has reported the presence of code references hinting that Apple may be preparing support for more third-party image-generation modes. One of these could include Google’s Gemini 2.5 Flash Image, also known as “Nano Banana.” While Apple has not confirmed this officially, the code suggests that expanded third-party AI model support may be on the horizon. 

iOS 26.1 developer beta 1: Eligible models

• iPhone 17 series: iPhone 17, iPhone 17 Pro, iPhone 17 Pro Max, iPhone 17 Air
• iPhone 16 series: iPhone 16, iPhone 16 Plus, iPhone 16 Pro, iPhone 16 Pro Max, iPhone 16e
• iPhone 15 series: iPhone 15, iPhone 15 Plus, iPhone 15 Pro, iPhone 15 Pro Max
• iPhone 14 series: iPhone 14, iPhone 14 Plus, iPhone 14 Pro, iPhone 14 Pro Max
• iPhone 13 series: iPhone 13, iPhone 13 mini, iPhone 13 Pro, iPhone 13 Pro Max
• iPhone 12 series: iPhone 12, iPhone 12 mini, iPhone 12 Pro, iPhone 12 Pro Max
• iPhone 11 series: iPhone 11, iPhone 11 Pro, iPhone 11 Pro Max
• iPhone SE (2nd generation and later)

iOS 26.1 developer beta 1: How to update

• Sign in to Apple Developer website and enroll for the iOS 26 beta program
• Make sure that your iPhone is signed in with the Apple Account you used to sign into to the Apple Developer website
• On your iPhone, go to Settings > General > Software Update
• Go to ‘Beta Updates’ and choose iOS 26 developer beta
• When iOS 26.1 developer beta is available for your iPhone, install it from Software Update.