If ready till the autumn to achieve entry to all of Apple’s iOS 26 options appears too distant, I’ve received excellent news. You may really give it a take a look at run now by downloading and putting in the general public beta. You can too try our preview of the iOS 26 public beta launch, which exhibits off the contemporary house and lock display redesign we have been asking to see for years. Known as Liquid Glass, the brand new translucent look will prolong throughout all of Apple’s upcoming working methods. The overhaul is certainly one of a number of huge adjustments coming to iOS, macOS, iPadOS and the remainder of Apple’s software program suite, all of which have been showcased through the firm’s WWDC keynote on June 9.
After overpromising on AI plans final yr, Apple stored its iOS roadmap centered extra on primary high quality of life enhancements this yr. There are a number of helpful additions coming to the Telephone and Messages apps in your iPhone, as an example: Apple execs outlined the flexibility to weed out spam texts or different unknown senders and an choice to carry your spot on a cellphone name whenever you’ve been ready for a consultant to select up. Plus, a treasured characteristic that we took without any consideration is coming again (trace: it is within the Pictures app).
Siri, in the meantime, is in a holding sample. Apple has beforehand specified that its smarter voice assistant — first promised at WWDC 2024 — is delayed till some level “within the coming yr,” so that you should not count on any main adjustments within the present betas. However there are studies that Apple is aiming to present Siri an even bigger mind transplant by basing it on third-party synthetic intelligence fashions like OpenAI’s ChatGPT or Anthropic’s Claude, which may make 2026 a pivotal yr.
With every beta, it looks as if extra new enhancements are popping up, like a newly found FaceTime characteristic that’ll freeze your video if it detects nudity. Most newer iPhone fashions are eligible to obtain iOS 26 (each the betas and ultimate model). Wish to see the total checklist of recent options coming this fall? Learn on.
What’s iOS 26?
The present iPhone working system is iOS 18, and Apple remains to be actively updating it — model 18.6 was only recently launched. However do not count on to see iOS 19. As an alternative, Apple is skipping the numbering forward to iOS 26 later this yr. The corporate has determined to line up its iOS model numbers with a year-based system, much like automobile mannequin years. So whereas iOS and its sibling working methods can be launched in late 2025, they’re all designated “26” to replicate the yr forward. (In the meantime, iOS 18 remains to be getting new variations this summer season, too.)
What’s Liquid Glass design?
Let’s be sincere. Out of every part introduced at WWDC this yr, the new Liquid Glass design was the star of the present. The iPhone’s house and lock screens have regarded just about the identical yr after yr — the final thrilling factor (in my view) was the choice so as to add your individual aesthetic to your own home display by customizing your apps and widgets. So seeing the house and lock screens’ new facelift is refreshing.
So what precisely is Liquid Glass? Apple calls it a “new translucent materials” since, nicely, the apps and widgets are clear. Nevertheless, the display can nonetheless adapt to darkish and lightweight modes, relying on environment. You will additionally discover buttons with a brand new floating design in a number of apps, like Telephone and Maps. They’re designed to be much less distracting than the present buttons, however are nonetheless simple to see. Whereas the design overhaul has confirmed to be controversial since its announcement, some — together with Engadget’s personal Devindra Hardawar — like the brand new path, even when it is considerably paying homage to Microsoft’s translucent Home windows Vista Aero designs from almost twenty years in the past.
That mentioned, as of the discharge of the iOS 26 beta 2, Apple has already integrated some person suggestions into the design, dialing again the transparency in not less than some locations. And whereas it’ll proceed to evolve, Apple customers will not be capable to escape it: Liquid Glass was designed to make all of Apple’s OSes extra cohesive. This is a have a look at how the translucent aesthetic will look with the brand new macOS Tahoe 26 in your desktop.
What are the brand new and notable options of iOS 26?
iOS 26 has a laundry checklist of recent options. Among the many most worthwhile:
Telephone app redesign: You will lastly be capable to scroll by means of contacts, latest calls and voicemail messages all on one display. It additionally comes with a brand new characteristic referred to as Maintain Help that’ll notify you when an agent involves the cellphone so you’ll be able to keep away from the elevator music and proceed on with different duties.
Stay Translation in Telephone, FaceTime and Messages: iOS 26 is bringing the flexibility to have a dialog by way of cellphone name or textual content message with somebody who speaks one other language. Stay Translation will translate your dialog in actual time, which leads to some stop-and-go interactions within the examples Apple shared throughout its presentation.
Polls in group chats: Uninterested in sorting by means of what looks as if a whole bunch of messages in your group chat? You and your pals will quickly be capable to create polls in group messages for deciding issues like which brunch spot you are consuming at or whose automobile you take on a highway journey.
Filtering unknown senders in Messages: If you have not acquired spam texts about unpaid tolls or different citations, you are fortunate. For these of us who’ve, these annoying messages will quickly be filtered away in a separate folder.
Visible Intelligence: Much like a reverse Google picture search, this new characteristic will help you seek for something that is in your iPhone display. As an example, for those who spot a pair of footwear somebody is sporting in an Instagram picture, you’ll be able to screenshot it and use Visible Intelligence to search out these footwear (or related ones) on-line.
Pictures tabs are again: For anybody who’s nonetheless pissed off with the Pictures adjustments made final yr, you will be glad to know that your tabs are coming again. Library and Collections can have their very own separate areas so you do not have to scroll to infinity to search out what you are in search of.
FaceTime “Communication Security” characteristic: A more moderen addition to iOS 26 seems to be the FaceTime “Communication Security” characteristic that pauses communications if and when nudity is detected. The characteristic seems to be a baby security characteristic that makes use of on-device detection, thus obviating any cloud-based privateness points.
Which iPhones will be capable to improve to iOS 26?
Just a few iPhone fashions that run the present model of iOS — iPhone XR, XS and XS Max — will not be appropriate with the newest improve. However any iPhones launched in 2019 or later can be eligible for the iOS 26 replace.
Not listed below are the presumed new iPhone 17 fashions (or perhaps iPhone 26?) which are all however sure to be introduced and launched in September.
The right way to set up iOS 26 beta
The iOS 26 public beta is now obtainable to obtain by way of the Apple Beta Software program Program. Should you’re not already a member, you will want to enroll to check out all the newest options. Simply go to beta.apple.com and enroll along with your cellphone quantity or e mail deal with. It is free.
When you’re in, you’ll be able to set up it by going to Settings > Basic > Software program Replace and choosing iOS 26 public beta.
A phrase of warning: Do not enroll along with your most important iPhone until you are OK with any dangers that happen with utilizing an OS that is not finalized.
When will the ultimate model of iOS 26 be launched?
iOS 26 can be launched to the general public this fall. It normally is available in September, inside per week of the Apple iPhone occasion. Final yr, it rolled out to iPhone customers on September 16 — precisely one week after the iPhone 16 lineup was introduced.
Should you’re extra within the Apple Intelligence options coming, this is every part Apple revealed for iOS, macOS and extra throughout WWDC. Additionally, try how iOS 26 screenshots may very well be an intriguing preview of Apple’s delayed Siri rework.
Replace, July 31: Famous that iOS 18.6 is now obtainable.
Replace, July 24: Famous the iOS 26 public beta is now obtainable.
Replace, July 3: Famous new FaceTime characteristic discovered within the developer beta.
Replace, June 30: Famous ongoing iOS 18 releases, and studies that Apple is contemplating extra exterior LLMs for Siri.
Replace, June 25: Famous adjustments added in iOS 26 beta 2.
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