Apple has released the first public betas for iOS 26, iPadOS 26, macOS 26, watchOS 26, and tvOS 26. The software features Liquid Glass, a translucent redesign, and a year-based numbering system, making it easier to communicate in Messages, FaceTime, and Phone. The Phone app includes Hold Assist, which listens to Muzak, and offers personalized backgrounds and polls.
The most significant update this year is iPadOS 26, which makes the iPad more of a workhorse with desktop-like window management, Menu Bar dropdown entries, and familiar features like Preview app and Exposé. Mac software adopts the “26” branding without ditching California landmarks, adding the Phone app and Live Activities from the iPhone. The update also introduces a more advanced Spotlight that allows users to take actions directly from the launcher.
WatchOS 26 adds Workout Buddy, a virtual fitness coach that learns from users’ fitness history to identify meaningful insights in real time. Although the public betas are less risky than installing a developer beta on day one, it is still pre-release software, and users should be comfortable with the inherent risks, such as buggy apps and unpredictable battery life.
Installing any beta at your own risk and thinking carefully before doing so with daily devices is crucial. It is also important to back up any device you want to test software on before downloading it. The latest version of iOS will arrive officially this fall, but users can start testing the software on their iPhone through Apple’s public beta rollout.
