Apple releases iOS 26.6 beta 1, which surprisingly has a new feature

Surprisingly, the initial iOS 26.6 beta includes a new feature

Tweet reveals the new feature found on iOS 26.6 beta 1. | Image by X

It isn’t a well-known feature, but Apple limits the number of contacts that an iPhone user can block. This isn’t a number that you will probably come close to with some reports stating that an individual iPhone unit can have as many as 20,000 blocked contacts and numbers on more recent versions of iOS. Some have complained of having issues with the performance of their iPhone when they reached 8,000 blocked contacts stating that the phone was sluggish and lagging.

With iOS 26.6 beta 1, users reaching the maximum number of blocked contacts will get a notification that says: “You’ve reached the maximum number of blocked contacts. To block additional callers, remove a blocked contact in Settings.” Considering that most of us have well under 1,000 contacts on our phones, this is a feature that most of us will never need.

Apple releases the initial iOS 26.6 beta. | Image by PhoneArena

Siri 2.0 could appear on the first iOS 27 beta, expected to be released on June 8

Yes, I’ve been writing about using Gemini as my Pixel’s assistant for some time, and once again let me run off the big improvements:

• More in-depth answers.
• Gemini can correctly answer your questions on what feels like a never-ending number of topics.
• You can ask follow-up questions without having to state your original question.

Siri will instantly become smarter in iOS 27

Siri should become an AI chatbot in iOS 27 with the help of a custom 1.2-trillion-parameter Gemini model. No longer will Siri ask you if you want your query pushed off to ChatGPT, or tell you to read an excerpt from a website. For this custom model, Apple is reportedly paying Google $1 billion a year.

Siri 2.0 will know what is on a user’s screen and understand the user’s context. It also will be able to answer a question like, “What time should I pick up my mom at the airport?” Siri will search your contacts list, Mail, Notes, and Messages apps to find information about the airline your mom is flying on, and the flight number. Siri extracts that data, and uses the iOS native live flight-tracking system to give you an up-to-date arrival time.

If you want to install the first iOS 27 beta when it is expected to be released on June 8 (following the keynote), keep in mind that beta software is not stable. Some features that you rely on every day might not work, and battery life is usually greatly reduced.

How to join the Apple Beta Software Program

To install the first iOS 26.6 beta on your phone, if you are a subscriber to the Apple Beta Program, go to Settings > General > Software Updates and follow the directions.