- The iOS 26 beta contains a brand-new ringtone
- The tune has been posted online, where it has divided opinion
- It’s unknown whether it will be included in the final iOS 26 release
The iOS 26 update is full of new features, and beta users are discovering lots that Apple didn’t mention at its WWDC event – including a new ringtone buried in the operating system’s code, and it’s already dividing opinion among iPhone devotees.
The ringtone was noticed by X user @8810cfwwho posted a screen recording of the audio in action. Other users, like MacRumors contributor Aaron Perrisconfirmed that the ringtone was genuine and posted their own clips of it.
Titled ‘ReflectionAlt1-EncoreRemix,’ the tone sounds like it is being played on a xylophone or similar instrument. Perris described it as “glassy” – which could be one reason for its inclusion in iOS 26 alongside the Liquid Glass redesign.
A polarizing melody
The ringtone, though, has seemingly split opinion on social media. Many users enjoyed it, with reactions like “That is an actual banger,” “Oooo I like this,” and “I love it!” filling the comments sections.
Under Perris’s post, user @Rightcrown5 even went so far as to say “Woah, that actually sounds insanely good. It can be for future generations what Marimba had been for OG iOS users.”
But not everyone is enamored with Apple’s secret ditty. “Sounds creepy,” said one user, with another saying it “would make me depressed.” The ‘vomit’ emoji was used on at least one occasion.
It’s unclear whether Apple will actually include this ringtone in the final version of iOS 26 – we’re still in the developer beta phase, with the public beta set to launch in July and the full release coming later in the year.
Still, with iOS 26 making it easier to load your own custom ringtones onto your iPhone, perhaps you can pass that time by adding a different tune to your phone while you wait.