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.
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.