Apple has officially released a major wave of software updates today, delivering iOS 26.2, iPadOS 26.2, and macOS 26.2. From the return of beloved multitasking gestures on the iPad to a smart new lighting feature on the Mac and several UI tweaks for the iPhone, there is a lot to unpack.
Here is everything you need to know about today’s releases.
iOS 26.2: Liquid Glass and AirDrop Codes
The headline features for iPhone users in iOS 26.2 center on design and connectivity. Apple is continuing to refine elements of its Liquid Glass design language, adding a new opacity slider for the Lock Screen time. You can now increase or decrease the opacity of the lock screen clock to a much higher degree and this control works across every font option, giving users finer control over how their wallpaper interacts with the clock.
More Key Features in iOS 26.2:
- AirDrop Codes: A new security layer allows you to share files with unknown contacts (those not saved in your phone for 30 days) by verifying a code displayed on the receiver’s device.
- CarPlay Updates: You can now disable pinned conversations in CarPlay settings, offering a cleaner interface while driving.
- Reminders & Safety: A new “Urgent” toggle for Reminders triggers a standard system alarm that can break through Focus modes. Additionally, Enhanced Safety Alerts (U.S. only) now provide rich maps and links for imminent threats like floods.
- App Enhancements:
- Apple Music: “Favorite Songs” now appear in Top Picks on the Home tab, and offline lyrics are available for downloaded tracks.
- Podcasts: AI now automatically generates chapters and provides links to other podcasts mentioned during an episode.
- Games: New filters for category and size in the library, plus improved support for Backbone and Razer controllers.
iPadOS 26.2: The Return of Drag and Drop Multitasking
For iPad users, iPadOS 26.2 corrects a controversial change from previous versions. Apple has brought back drag-and-drop multitasking, a feature originally removed in iPadOS 26.0.
Users can once again drag an app icon out of the Dock or Spotlight and drop it onto different parts of the screen to initiate Split View or Slide Over. The icons now morph into different shapes as you drag them, indicating exactly what window layout will result when you let go.
The update also includes many of the iOS 26.2 features, such as Tables in Freeform (which auto-resize to fit text, images, and docs) and the new Liquid Glass design tweaks.
macOS Tahoe 26.2: Smart Video Call Lighting and Thunderbolt Clustering
The Mac update introduces a clever new feature for video calls called Edge Light.
Exclusive to Apple Silicon Macs, Edge Light creates a virtual “ring light” using the perimeter of your display to illuminate your face during calls. Users can customize the temperature, width, and intensity of the light. Smartly, if you hover your cursor over the light, that section dims so you can see the content underneath.
Other Mac Improvements:
- Thunderbolt 5 Clustering: A new low-latency feature allows users to connect multiple Macs together for high-performance clustering.
- M5 MLX Access: The update enables full MLX access for M5 Macs, streamlining AI development workflows.
Security Updates and Bug Fixes
Beyond the shiny new features, today’s updates are critical for device security. Apple has patched over 20 security vulnerabilities across all three platforms.
Most notably, the updates address two WebKit vulnerabilities that Apple says may have been actively exploited in attacks against targeted individuals on versions prior to iOS 26. These bugs could allow malicious web content to execute code or corrupt memory.
Other notable fixes include:
- App Store: Fixed a bug where users could access sensitive payment tokens.
- Photos: Patched an issue where the Hidden Album could be viewed without authentication.
- FaceTime: Resolved a bug that could unintentionally remove passwords when controlling a device remotely.
Given the active nature of some of these exploits, we recommend all users update to iOS 26.2, iPadOS 26.2, and macOS Tahoe 26.2 as soon as possible. You can update by going to Settings > General > Software Update.
