As is tradition, Apple released beta versions of its new operating systems to developers on the first day of WWDC on June 9. That first beta release had all the major features Apple demonstrated in its WWDC keynote: Liquid Glass, the new Phone app and features, the new Camera and Photos experience, and more.
Subsequent releases have focused on refining the interface, improving performance and quality, and squashing bugs. There are still plenty of unrefined areas, as you would expect with a major iOS update still weeks from release. Not everything is working as it should, so you might think twice about running the beta on a critical device.
You can read all about all the new features in our iOS 26 superguide and find out the latest information about the iOS beta including when it will launch and how to install it in a separate story.
Latest developer beta release: What’s new
On August 11, Apple released iOS 26 beta 6 to developers. Here are the most significant changes found so far.
- Liquid Glass gets further refined, with new effects when you change toggles, refinements to the lock screen, and more.
- Apps launch faster and have faster launch animations.
- The Camera app has reverted the swipe direction for changing modes back to to the old direction (reversed, like a physical dial).
- There are multiple new ringtones in this release.
- Several new onboarding screens and videos explain the new interface and features of iOS 26.
There was another update, still labeled beta 6, on August 14. It’s not yet clear what has changed since the release on August 11.
Public beta 3 is essentially the same as this new beta 6 release.
iOS 26: How to install the public beta
The iOS 26 public beta because available to download on July 24.
- Click Sign Up on the Apple Beta page and register with your Apple ID.
- Log in to the Beta Software Program.
- Click Enroll your iOS device.
- Open the Settings app, tap General, then Software Update.
- In the Beta Updates section, select the iOS Public Beta.
It may take a few moments after registering for the beta option to appear in Software Update.
iOS 26: How to install the developer beta
You’ll need to be registered as an Apple developer, but a free developer account will do. You can get one via Xcode or the Apple Developer app in iOS. Here’s how to do it via the Apple Developer app:
- Download the Apple Developer App from the App Store.
- Open the app.
- Tap on Account.
- Sign in using your usual Apple ID.
Find out everything you need to know about iOS 18 in our iOS 26 superguide.