iOS 26.2 RC Released: AirDrop Codes, Reminders Alarms, Liquid Glass Tweaks and More Coming to iPhone

Published: December 4, 2025

Apple has pushed iOS 26.2 to the crucial Release Candidate (RC) stage, signaling that the final public version of this year’s last major iPhone update is just days away. The RC build – now available to developers and public beta testers – rounds up weeks of beta changes, including one‑time AirDrop sharing codes, powerful new Reminders alarms, a refined Liquid Glass lock screen, expanded AirPods Live Translation for the EU, and notable updates to Apple Podcasts and Apple News. ^[1]

At the same time, Apple has also shipped RC builds of iPadOS 26.2, macOS Tahoe 26.2, watchOS 26.2, tvOS 26.2 and visionOS 26.2, making this a broad platform-wide release cycle. ^[2]

What exactly is the iOS 26.2 Release Candidate?

On December 3, Apple posted iOS 26.2 RC (build 23C52) on its developer “Releases” page, alongside RC versions of iPadOS 26.2, macOS 26.2, tvOS 26.2, visionOS 26.2 and watchOS 26.2. ^[3]

In practical terms, a Release Candidate is:

Feature‑complete: No major new user‑facing features are expected beyond what’s already in the betas.
Near-final build: Barring any last‑minute issues, this RC is what Apple plans to ship to everyone.
Timing hint: Apple outlets and Apple itself have consistently framed iOS 26.2 as a December 2025 release, with MacRumors and others expecting launch “as soon as next week” following the RC. ^[4]

For now, the update is limited to registered developers and public beta testers, but it’s effectively a preview of the version that will roll out to millions of iPhones later this month.

Headline features in iOS 26.2 RC

1. Smarter, safer AirDrop with one‑time access codes

One of the most talked‑about additions is a new AirDrop sharing model built around temporary codes:

iOS 26.2 introduces a single‑use AirDrop “one‑time code” you can share with someone who isn’t in your contacts. Once used, both devices can AirDrop files to each other for up to 30 days, without having to switch AirDrop to “Everyone” or clutter your address book. ^[5]
These relationships are managed in a new “Manage Known AirDrop Contacts” section under Settings > General > AirDrop, where you can review and remove temporary partners at any time. ^[6]

It’s a quality-of-life feature clearly aimed at things like school trips, shared events or work projects where you want ongoing sharing with a group, but not permanent contacts or wide‑open AirDrop.

2. Liquid Glass lock screen slider and UI polish

iOS 26’s new Liquid Glass design language continues to evolve in 26.2:

A Lock Screen Liquid Glass slider now gives precise control over how transparent or frosted the clock appears, especially when using tinted styles. You can dial it closer to clear, heavily frosted, or somewhere in between. ^[7]
Apple has also refreshed menu animations across the system to feel smoother and more cohesive with the Liquid Glass look. ^[8]
The Measure app’s level tool gets a Liquid‑Glass‑inspired redesign, giving it a more modern, glassy aesthetic. ^[9]

The result is an update that doesn’t radically change the interface, but makes Liquid Glass feel less experimental and more polished.

3. Health & wellness: refined Sleep Score and hypertension alerts

Apple continues to lean into health features with iOS 26.2:

Sleep Score recalibration: The top tier of Apple’s Sleep Score is being renamed from “Excellent” to “Very High”, and the scoring thresholds across all bands are being tightened. Reviewers say this responds to feedback that scores were too generous in earlier versions. ^[10]
Hypertension Notifications API: A new developer API lets third‑party health apps request access to Apple Watch hypertension notifications, so blood pressure‑related alerts can be integrated directly into partner apps (subject to user permission). ^[11]

Combined, these tweaks make Apple’s health stack both more accurate and more interoperable with specialist apps.

4. Reminders alarms and productivity boosts

Reminders gets the kind of upgrade power users have been asking for for years:

Reminders with a due date and time can now be marked as Urgent, triggering an alarm similar to a wake‑up alert, complete with a nine‑minute snooze and a Live Activities banner that stays on your Lock Screen until you deal with it. ^[12]

Elsewhere in Apple’s ecosystem:

Freeform now supports tables, letting you structure information on boards the way you would in Notes. ^[13]
The Apple Games app gains library filters, better Bluetooth controller navigation, and live challenge score updates to make finding and tracking games easier. ^[14]

If you rely on your iPhone as an organizer, these changes should make Reminders and Apple’s creative tools much more capable.

5. Media & news: AI‑powered Podcasts, offline lyrics, Apple News redesign

Several content apps get substantial upgrades:

Apple Podcasts is picking up Apple Intelligence–powered features, including automatically generated chapters, links to mentioned shows, and smarter grouping of related content from each episode. ^[15]
Apple Music now supports offline song lyrics, so you can view lyrics even when you’re away from a data connection. ^[16]
Apple News is getting a significant redesign:
- New quick‑access buttons for topics like Food, Politics, Puzzles and Sports.
- A refreshed Today tab that surfaces more content at a glance.
- A revamped Following tab that highlights your saved sections, favorites and history. ^[17]

These changes are clearly meant to make Apple’s first‑party content apps more competitive with third‑party podcast players, news readers and streaming services.

6. AirPods Live Translation expands in the EU – and more subtle tweaks

iOS 26.2 also builds on Apple’s audio and connectivity story:

AirPods Live Translation, introduced earlier this year, is expanding to European Union countries, allowing compatible AirPods to provide real‑time spoken translations that comply with EU regulations. ^[18]
In CarPlay, you can now disable pinned conversations in Messages, which is helpful if you want a cleaner, less distracting list of chats while driving. ^[19]
Apple is also changing how Wi‑Fi sync between iPhone and Apple Watch behaves in some regions, removing automatic sync when the phone isn’t nearby, according to early RC coverage. ^[20]

These might be smaller changes on paper, but they collectively make the platform more customizable and regulation‑friendly.

7. New assistant options in Japan hint at a post‑Siri world

One of the most intriguing iOS 26.2 tweaks is currently limited to Japan:

iPhone users there will be able to remap the side button’s long‑press action to launch a third‑party AI assistant, such as Google’s Gemini, instead of Siri. ^[21]

While Apple hasn’t confirmed broader rollout, the move is widely seen as a response to regional regulations and a sign that default assistant choice could gradually become more flexible in other markets as well.

8. iPadOS 26.2, macOS Tahoe 26.2 and the rest of the platform

Though iOS steals the spotlight, Apple is pushing parallel RCs across its platforms:

iPadOS 26.2 RC restores the ability to drag and drop apps into Slide Over from the Dock, Spotlight or App Library – a popular multitasking gesture that many power users missed. ^[22]
macOS Tahoe 26.2, watchOS 26.2, tvOS 26.2 and visionOS 26.2 are also at RC stage, indicating a coordinated December rollout for Apple’s entire OS lineup. ^[23]

For developers, this is the moment to run final compatibility checks across all Apple devices before these updates hit the masses.

Which iPhones will get iOS 26.2?

iOS 26.2 will be available on every device that already runs iOS 26. Apple’s own documentation and recent reporting confirm that support extends to: ^[24]

iPhone 11 series and newer (11, 11 Pro, 11 Pro Max)
iPhone 12, 13, 14, 15, 16 and 17 families, including their mini, Plus, Pro and Pro Max variants, plus iPhone 16e and iPhone Air
iPhone SE (2nd generation and later)

Internally, iOS 26 requires at least an A13 Bionic chip, while Apple Intelligence features remain limited to devices with A17 Pro or newer, but the core 26.2 update itself will install on any supported iOS 26 device. ^[25]

How to install iOS 26.2 RC today (and who should wait)

If you’re a developer or public beta tester and your device is already enrolled:

Open Settings on your iPhone.
Go to General > Software Update.
Make sure you’ve selected the appropriate beta channel (Developer or Public) if that option appears.
Download and install the iOS 26.2 Release Candidate when it shows up. ^[26]

Important:

RC builds are very close to final, but they are still pre‑release software. AppleInsider and others continue to caution against installing betas or RCs on mission‑critical devices, due to the risk of bugs or data loss. ^[27]
Always back up your iPhone via iCloud or a computer before installing any beta/RC update.

If you’re not in a hurry, the safest move is to wait for the public release later this month, which should be the same build or a slightly improved variant.

Apple is also nudging users toward iOS 26

Today’s RC milestone lands just as Apple is making iOS 26 more prominent for people still on iOS 18:

On devices that support iOS 26, the Software Update screen now promotes iOS 26.1 as the recommended update, pushing iOS 18 security updates down to a secondary position. ^[28]

With iOS 26.2 about to ship, this is a clear signal that Apple wants the bulk of its active iPhone base on the new Liquid Glass‑era OS before 2026.

When will iOS 26.2 be released for everyone?

Apple hasn’t announced an exact date, but the pattern is clear:

iOS 26.2 RC (build 23C52) arrived on December 3, 2025. ^[29]
Apple’s recent x.2 releases typically land around mid‑December, and MacRumors, TechCrunch and others all point to a December window, with some expecting the rollout as soon as next week, assuming no show‑stopping bugs appear. ^[30]

For iPhone owners, that means you probably don’t have long to wait before iOS 26.2 – with its AirDrop codes, Reminders alarms, improved Sleep Score, polished Liquid Glass, richer Podcasts and News experience, and EU‑friendly Live Translation – becomes the new default.

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