Apple released all of its OS 26.2 updates a week ago today. A little unusual for Apple to release OS updates on a Friday, but I think they wanted to get these out before Christmas week. And I don’t think it was rushed — for iOS 26.2 at least, there were two release candidates builds during beta testing. I suspect Apple had hoped to release them earlier.
I know it seemed weird back at WWDC when Apple announced that they were re-numbering all their OS versions to start with 26. But now that the change has settled in for a few months, it seems very natural. It’s so easy now to remember that the current major version for each OS is 26. It’s also easier to talk about new features that span across OSes. And, in the future, when you see a reference to, say, iOS 26, you’ll know exactly when that version came out without having to think, because it’s right there in the version number itself.
A few other notes:
- Juli Clover at MacRumors, as usual, has a great rundown of what’s new across the whole system in iOS 26.2, copiously illustrated with screenshots. Clover notes: “For pop-out menus that expand from a corner button, iOS 26.2 adds a quicker, bouncier animation that looks like the animation that Apple showed off at WWDC.” Popover menus are just one example, but this is actually true for a lot of Liquid Glass details. iOS 26.2 is the first release that visually delivers on most of what Apple showed in the WWDC keynote.
- Zac Hall has another good iOS 26.2 rundown, also illustrated, at 9to5Mac.
- Clover also notes that iOS 26.2, for some users (including me), defaults to a first-run screen that encourages you to turn on automatic OS updates. Pay attention if you don’t want that.
- A list of iPadOS 26.2 changes from Ryan Christoffel at 9to5Mac.
- Nadeem Sarwar at Digital Trends has a good piece showing the new AirDrop code feature, to allow AirDropping with people who aren’t in your contacts for up to 30 days.
- MacOS 26.2 Tahoe changes, from MacRumors and from 9to5Mac.
- Clover on tvOS 26.2, WatchOS 26.2, and VisionOS 26.2.
- Michael Tsai’s roundup of links regarding MacOS 26.2 Tahoe, and for iOS 26.2.
Lastly, iOS 26.2 seems to be the release that Apple is starting to suggest as an upgrade for users who hadn’t already installed it by choice. Be prepared for questions and complaints from non-nerd friends and family who’ve never even heard of “Liquid Glass”.
