Apple’s new beta update improves iPhone workouts and boosts iPad multi-tasking

The iOS 26.1 beta 2 and iPadOS 26 beta 2 focus on daily practical wins, from training goals to quicker multitasking

By Paulo Vargas Published October 7, 2025

iOS 26.1 Beta 2 — Apple

What’s happened? Apple’s iOS 26.1 and iPadOS 26.1 beta 2 leans into everyday utility. The Fitness app on iPhone now lets you build workouts with your own targets. On iPad, Slide Over returns alongside the new windowing model, so you can keep multiple windows open and still swipe in a single app for quick access.

Fitness on iPhone adds custom workouts, including workout type, Active Calories, effort, duration, and start time.
iPadOS brings back Slide Over as a one-at-a-time panel working with windowed multitasking. Slide Over was removed in the public release of iPad OS 26.
Alarms and timers now use Slide to Stop on the Lock Screen, making accidental dismissals less likely while tapping snooze.
UI and utilities have been polished: Subtler Liquid Glass effects, left-aligned headers and folder titles, updated wallpapers and Photos menu, Calendar rollback, new Display Borders option, external mic input gain on iPad, and an auto-install toggle for security improvements.

This is important because: Apple is tuning the things people use every day. Custom workouts can help more people stay on plan, and Slide Over’s return makes iPad multitasking feel quicker without extra complexity.

Custom workouts enable targeted training and fewer third-party workarounds, which can boost consistency.
Slide Over, alongside windowed multitasking, speeds up quick peeks and replies so you stay in flow.
UI updates may spell the difference between an unintentional click or getting to where you want to go.

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Why should I care? These are upgrades you’ll actually feel. If you train with your iPhone, custom workouts should make Fitness a one-stop shop. If you work on an iPad, Slide Over is set to make multitasking faster. The rest of the updates polish the OS, or are testing incremental quality-of-life improvements.

Build the exact session you want in Fitness, from duration and effort to calorie targets.
Swipe in a single app on iPad to reply, reference, or control music, then flick it away.
You can set it and forget it with background security improvements that auto-download and install.

Okay, so what’s next? Apple might have few betas to go before the public release of iOS 26.1 and iPadOS 26.1, so expect more polishing. Developers and public testers will find more bugs while Apple fine-tunes the UI and features.

If you rely on Slide Over or plan to use custom workouts, this is a good opportunity to try them and send feedback.
Watch for more design tweaks, especially Liquid Glass intensity and accessibility options.
If you’ve only recently updated your iPhone, here are 4 things to do first on iOS 26.

News Writer

Paulo Vargas is an English major turned reporter turned technical writer, with a career that has always circled back to…

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