New public beta available

Apple releases the fourth public betas of iOS 26, iPadOS 26, and macOS Tahoe for testers ahead of a September launch.

Apple Releases Fourth Public Betas of iOS 26 and More

Apple today released the fourth public betas of iOS 26, iPadOS 26, and macOS 26 to testers registered on Apple’s site. The betas arrive ahead of the September launch window and follow the seventh developer betas released earlier today. Public testers can download the updates by opening Settings > General > Software Update and selecting the iOS 26, iPadOS 26, or macOS 26 Public Beta option.

iOS 26 and iPadOS 26 introduce a Liquid Glass design with translucent UI elements, light reflections, and rounded corners. Apple highlights new features such as Visual Intelligence for screenshots, improved Wallet order tracking, Reminders enhancements, and Live Translation across Messages, Phone, and FaceTime. Other additions include Image Playground with AI style options and Genmoji for combining multiple emoji. 2D photos gain a more three dimensional look with Spatial Scene, Safari gets a refreshed navigation, and the Phone app gains Call Screening and Hold Assist. macOS Tahoe shares the same visual language and extends it to the Dock, Menu Bar, Control Center, and folders, with a revised Safari and a new Games app. Developers also gain access to Metal 4 for graphics testing.

The rollout shows Apple pushing to unify design across devices while layering more AI features into everyday apps. The Liquid Glass look and cross app tools aim to create a consistent feel from iPhone to Mac and set the stage for a more AI driven workflow in messaging, photos, and calls.

At the same time, the beta cycle invites scrutiny of performance and privacy as features expand. If the software ships with unstable elements or unexpected changes to core apps, early users could grow frustrated ahead of the official release. For developers, the move to Metal 4 and deeper ecosystem ties will be a test of compatibility and optimization across hardware.

Highlights

The beta season offers a window into the company’s next software era without locking in a final image.