Apple’s first developer build of iOS 26 hides a brand-new ringtone that no one can switch on, at least not officially.
Digging through the beta’s file system, independent researcher @8810cfw uncovered a track called “ReflectionAlt1-EncoreRemix”, an alternate take on Reflection, the default iPhone ringtone since the iPhone X launched in 2017. The tune may debut as an iPhone 17 exclusive later this year.
Because the file is buried inside the operating system, and absent from Settings > Sounds & Haptics. End-users can’t select it without jailbreaking or extracting the audio manually. Apple has occasionally shipped hidden sounds in past betas, but they usually surface in a later build once the company finalises hardware-specific features. That timing lines up with this year’s iPhone launch window in September.
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Found new Refrection ringtone from iOS26 Beta1 ipsw maybe this is experimentaly added. because macOS 26 doesnt included. pic.twitter.com/7t9vfNtRZ1
— はやと (@8810cfw) June 18, 2025
Early listeners describe the remix as “glassy” and “more orchestral” than the current ringtone, swapping the familiar marimba-style strikes for brighter synth layers. The tweak seems designed to freshen up a tone that many users mute by default, yet not so radical that long-time iPhone owners won’t recognise it. Apple used a similar strategy in 2014 when it replaced the original Marimba ringtone with Opening, but kept Marimba a tap away for purists.
Even if the hidden track never ships, iOS 26 is still making life easier for ringtone tinkerers. A separate change in the beta lets users assign any local audio file as a custom ringtone directly inside the Settings app, no detour through GarageBand required. That quality-of-life upgrade should roll out to everyone when iOS 26 ships alongside the iPhone 17 family in September.
For now, the only way to hear ReflectionAlt1-EncoreRemix is through the clips circulating on social media. But if history is a guide, Apple will flip the switch in a future beta. Just in time to give new iPhone buyers something novel (and slightly nostalgic) to ring in the 2025 holiday season.
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