The next big update to Apple’s software will bring a huge new feature for fans of playback speed: you’ll be able to listen to shows in the Podcasts app at 3x the speed, Apple says in a press release about the new features of its services. Previously, the maximum speed was twice as fast.
You can switch to super speed from the podcast playback screen in the Podcasts app, but you’ll have to work a little harder to get there, based on my testing in the first iOS 26 developer beta. When you tap the playback speed button, a small pop-up appears that shows buttons for several different speeds: 0.8, 1, 1.3, 1.5, 1.8 і 2. To fine-tune the playback speed or to access speeds higher than 2x, you need to swipe the buttons to go to the dial.
There is also a new option in the pop-up window called “Amplify Dialogue” that can be turned on or off. “Using real-time audio processing and machine learning, users can turn on Enhance Dialogue to hear speech more clearly against background sounds,” Apple said in a press release.
With the new Apple update package, Apple News Plus subscribers will have access to a new daily puzzle game called Emoji Game. “Emoji Game brings to life one of the most beloved ways users communicate in a fun and engaging way: players need to use emojis to make three phrases to solve a puzzle in as few moves as possible,” Apple says. I’m not a subscriber to Apple News Plus, but I love emojis and puzzle games, so I may have to check it out.
In the press release, Apple also highlights some of the features that came out of Monday’s WWDC 2025 keynote, including updated boarding passes with Live Activities and the ability to make a “Digital ID” in your Apple Wallet with your US passport.
