New Apple Software Lands, Highlighted by iOS 26.2

Other Apple software updates arriving today include macOS Tahoe 26.2, watchOS 26.2, and tvOS 26.2.

Here’s what’s new on the Mac:

Edge Light
– Edge Light video effect uses the Mac display to illuminate your face like a virtual ring light when you’re on a video call in low light
– Customizable light width and temperature give you control over how you’re lit
– Mouse awareness ensures that the light recedes when you need to access content underneath
– Option to have the light turn on automatically in low light situations on Mac computers introduced in 2024 and later

Podcasts
– Automatically generated chapters make it easier to navigate more episodes
– Links to mentioned podcasts let you see and follow other podcasts mentioned in the episode you’re listening to directly from the player and transcript

Games
– Filters in the Games library let you find games by category, size, and more
– In-game challenge score banners provide real-time updates when someone new has taken the lead
– Connected controller support

This update also includes the following enhancements and bug fixes:
– AirDrop codes offer an additional layer of verification when using AirDrop with unknown contacts by providing a code on the receiver’s device that the sender must enter to complete the transfer
– Apple News Section links in the sidebar of the News app offer easy navigation to popular topics like Sports, Politics, Business, and Food
– Tables in Freeform can hold text, images, documents, and drawings, with cells that intelligently resize to fit, bringing structure to the infinite canvas
– Favorite Songs playlist appears in Top Picks in Apple Music
– Fixes an issue where pre-release albums in the library were not immediately playable at their release time

For information on the security content of Apple software updates, please visit: support.apple.com/100100.

To update, go to the Software Update in System Settings.

watchOS 26.2 only features improvements to the Sleep Score feature.

You’ll need an Apple Watch 6 or later, any Apple Watch Ultra, or the second- or third-generation Apple Watch SE to upgrade. The update can be downloaded now through the companion Watch app on your iPhone by heading to General > Software Update in the My Watch portion of the app. You can also go to Settings > General > Software Update on an Apple Watch.

Your watch needs to have more than 50 percent power and connected to a charger. Like most Apple Watch updates, it could take anywhere from 30 minutes to an hour to complete, so be patient.

With tvOS 26.2, you can now make profiles with choosing to tie it into a specific Apple account.

An update should automatically be downloaded to an Apple TV HD or Apple TV 4K.

If you haven’t already enabled automatic updates, you can download the software by heading to Settings > System > Software Updates > Update Software. Right next to the button to update software is the toggle switch to turn on automatic updates.