iOS 26.2 Released: What Devs Need to Know

Apple released iOS 26.2 on December 12, 2025, bringing important updates and features that developers should understand and test in their apps before widespread adoption. Here's what's new and what you should be doing right now.

UI and Design Changes

Liquid Glass Customization

The Lock Screen now has an expanded Liquid Glass slider that lets users adjust how transparent the clock appears. This builds on iOS 26.1's "Clear" and "Tinted" options by adding a granular slider for fine-tuning the frosted glass effect.

If your app has custom Lock Screen widgets or interacts with the Lock Screen in any way, test how they look across different Liquid Glass transparency settings. The Measure app's level indicator also received a Liquid Glass update, using translucent bubbles instead of white circles.

Menu Animations

Pop-out menus that expand from corner buttons now have quicker, bouncier animations. This affects context menus, action sheets, and custom UIMenu implementations in your apps.

App Feature Updates

Reminders with Alarms

The Reminders app introduces "Urgent" reminders that trigger alarms when tasks are due. These alarms:

• Display snooze and stop options
• Show a Live Activity countdown on the Lock Screen
• Use blue color to differentiate from standard alarms
• Provide options to complete or reschedule directly from notifications

If your app integrates with EventKit for reminders or implements similar urgent task patterns, verify compatibility with this new system.

Apple Music Updates

Two notable additions:

• Offline lyrics support - view song lyrics without an internet connection
• "Favorite Songs" playlist now appears in Top Picks on the home tab
• Bug fix for pre-release albums that were not immediately playable at their release time

Podcasts Enhancements

Three new features powered by AI and improved navigation:

• Automatically generated chapters for easier episode navigation
• Links to mentioned podcasts directly from the player and transcript
• Episode page links to access URLs mentioned in episodes

Games App

The Games app receives several improvements:

• Library filtering by category, size, and more
• In-game challenge score banners with real-time updates
• Improved controller navigation
• Enhanced support for controllers like Backbone and Razer

Privacy and Security

Critical Security Updates

iOS 26.2 addresses over 20 security vulnerabilities, including two WebKit bugs that were actively exploited:

• Memory corruption from malicious web content
• Code execution vulnerabilities
• Unauthorized payment token access in App Store
• Hidden Album authentication bypass
• Password removal during FaceTime remote control

All users should update immediately to protect against these vulnerabilities.

Password Management

The Passwords app adds a new setting to manage websites where passwords are not saved when signing in, giving users better control over credential storage.

Regional Compliance Features

Texas App Store Accountability Act

Critical for developers with users under 18 in Texas. iOS 26.2 introduces the Declared Age Range API to comply with Texas SB 2420, effective January 1, 2026.

The API provides age categories:

• Under 13
• 13-15
• 16-17
• Over 18

Implementation requirements:

1. Establish a system to notify parents about significant app changes
2. Allow parents to revoke their child's access anytime
3. Create age-appropriate experiences based on age ranges
4. Test in sandbox environment (available now)

Example usage:

// Pseudocode - check actual API documentation
if ageRange == .under13 {
    // Require parental consent
    // Show age-appropriate content
}

Japan-Specific Changes

Third-Party App Stores
iOS 26.2 allows iPhone users in Japan to install alternative app marketplaces, similar to the European Union.

European Union Updates

AirPods Live Translation
Now available in the EU for AirPods Pro 2, AirPods Pro 3, and AirPods 4 with ANC.

Supported languages:

• English, French, German, Portuguese, Spanish, Italian
• Mandarin Chinese (Simplified and Traditional)
• Japanese and Korean

Wi-Fi Syncing Change
iOS 26.2 stops automatically syncing Wi-Fi networks between iPhone and Apple Watch in the EU (Digital Markets Act compliance). Users must manually authenticate on each device.

Other Notable Updates

AirDrop Security

Enhanced verification for unknown contacts:

• 30-day pairing option using PIN codes (up from 10 minutes for non-contacts)
• Code generation on receiver's device that sender must enter
• Management interface in Settings > General > AirDrop

Enhanced Safety Alerts

New section in Settings > Notifications for:

• Earthquake alerts
• Imminent threat alerts (floods, natural disasters)
• Improved alert delivery using location data
• Rich information including maps of affected areas

This feature is available in the United States only.

Compatibility

iOS 26.2 is available on iPhone 11 series and later, plus iPhone SE (2nd generation).

Resources

• iOS 26.2 Release Notes

Summary

iOS 26.2 brings important compliance features (age verification for Texas, regional changes for Japan and EU), refined Liquid Glass design, enhanced security patches, and improvements across Apple's built-in apps.