Public betas for iOS 26 and iPadOS 26 released

Apple opens the door to broader testing with the second public betas for iOS 26 and iPadOS 26 ahead of a September rollout.

Apple Releases Second iOS 26 and iPadOS 26 Public Betas

Apple today released the second public betas of iOS 26 and iPadOS 26, inviting testers ahead of a September launch. The updates arrive two weeks after the first public betas and align with the fifth developer betas. Public testers registered on Apple’s site can download the updates by opening the Settings app, selecting General, then Software Update, and choosing iOS 26 or iPadOS 26 Public Beta. iOS 26 and iPadOS 26 introduce a Liquid Glass design focused on transparency. Icons, navigation bars, and other UI elements reflect and refract light with subtle animations. There are pop out menus in some areas, tab bars shrink, and the overall feel is more rounded. The release also adds new Apple Intelligence features like Visual Intelligence for screenshots, updated order tracking in the Wallet app, renewed features in Reminders, and Live Translation across the Messages, Phone, and FaceTime apps. Image Playground includes ChatGPT style options, and Genmoji allows mixing two or more emoji characters to create something new. 2D photos gain depth with Spatial Scene, Safari navigation is refreshed, and the Phone app gains Call Screening and Hold Assist. Messages adds customizable backgrounds and polls, Apple Music introduces AutoMix, CarPlay gets an overhauled interface, a new Apple Games app appears, and Preview arrives on the iPhone for the first time. Apple points readers to dedicated roundups for iOS 26 and iPadOS 26 and confirms a September launch for both updates.

The release signals Apple is prioritizing polish and practical AI tools ahead of a new hardware cycle. Public betas broaden feedback and help smooth compatibility across devices, but they also raise expectations about stability. The breadth of changes across core apps suggests Apple wants to weave new capabilities into daily life rather than rely on a single headline feature. If the updates perform well in tests, they could push rivals to accelerate their own design and AI efforts; if not, the company risks early friction with users who encounter bugs or interoperability issues.

Highlights

The coming weeks will show how well these features hold up in real life use.