Apple releases iOS 26 public beta with big Liquid Glass redesign
The company is one major step closer to rolling out the next version of iOS to consumers
📲 Apple has released the first iOS 26 public beta for testers
4️⃣ The beta comes after four rounds of developer preview builds
🫧 The new version of iOS includes Apple’s big Liquid Glass redesign, a new Phone app, upgrades to Messages, and more
📅 Apple is expected to release iOS 26 sometime in late September
Apple is making progress towards the eventual release of iOS 26. Today, the company started rolling out the first public beta of the new software, nearly two months after the first developer beta was released following WWDC 2025. Over the past few weeks, Apple has improved the system and tweaked its big Liquid Glass redesign to be easier to use and see, as well as patch up some of the bugs in the system.
There are a lot of features in iOS 26 worth mentioning. I went over a lot of them in my initial iOS 26 hands-on, and I’ve highlighted a few of my favorites below.
🫧 Bubbly, morphing glass. There is Liquid Glass everywhere in iOS 26, and using it makes the system feel refreshed in a way you won’t get from a flat 2D interface like iOS 18. The three-dimensional nature of iOS 26 helps it feel much more alive, which is also thanks to all the bubbly animations. Menus pop out of buttons, orbs float between toggles when you select them, and the entire UI is more reactive to your touches and swipes.
🔓 A wild new lock screen. You can just stretch the clock halfway down your screen if you want in iOS 26, which looks sick. You can also add widgets, and notifications and Live Activities will still pop up at the bottom.
☎️ The new Phone app rocks. Apple rarely updates the Phone app on iOS, but with iOS 26, it decided to completely revamp it with a new combined interface that lets you see your voicemails, missed calls, and more all in one pane. What’s more, Apple also includes Call Screening to help you avoid picking up the phone if a scammer calls you, and Hold Assist for times when you’re on hold and don’t want to keep your ear to your phone.
⬆️ Handy improvements to apps you use every day. Every major app you can think of is essentially getting an upgrade with iOS 26;
📸 The Camera app has been significantly overhauled with a simpler interface;
🏞️ Photos gets an updated layout that looks miles better than what we had with iOS 18;
💬 Messages lets you change the background to your conversations, start polls with your friends, and screen messages from unknown senders;
🎵 Apple Music gets an upgrade with Lyrics Translation, Lyrics Pronunciation, AutoMix for blending songs together, and the ability to pin your favorite music to the top of your library;
📍 Apple Maps supports a feature called Visited Places to remember where you go during trips;
💳 Apple Wallet has been upgraded with nicer boarding passes and a digital passport for domestic travel;
📖 Journal now supports multiple journals and a new map view;
🚗 CarPlay gets Liquid Glass and features like Live Activities;
✅ Reminders gets Apple Intelligence integration for suggesting tasks, grocery items, and follow-ups based on emails and other text on your phone
🤖 A few AI upgrades. Apple didn’t neglect Apple Intelligence with iOS 26. It was by no means the focal point (what with the Siri AI upgrade delay), but the company does include Live Translation for Messages, FaceTime, and Phone to help you talk to people in different languages. It also included a Visual Intelligence upgrade that lets you use ChatGPT to learn more about what you’re looking at on your screen, similar to Google’s Circle to Search feature on Android. You can also remix emojis and use AI in Shortcuts.
iOS 26 release date and supported devices
Apple is releasing iOS 26 to the general public this fall, likely around the time of the iPhone 17 release date. Today’s public beta is available for those enrolled in Apple’s iOS public beta program. I don’t recommend installing betas since it can lead to data loss and other device issues, but if you want to take a chance and try out all of these neat features ahead of time, it’s at least better than running one of the older iOS 26 developer betas.
Here’s a list of all the iPhones that will support iOS 26 when it starts rolling out:
iPhone 16e
iPhone 16
iPhone 16 Plus
iPhone 16 Pro
iPhone 16 Pro Max
iPhone 15
iPhone 15 Plus
iPhone 15 Pro
iPhone 15 Pro Max
iPhone 14
iPhone 14 Plus
iPhone 14 Pro
iPhone 14 Pro Max
iPhone 13
iPhone 13 mini
iPhone 13 Pro
iPhone 13 Pro Max
iPhone 12
iPhone 12 mini
iPhone 12 Pro
iPhone 12 Pro Max
iPhone 11
iPhone 11 Pro
iPhone 11 Pro Max
iPhone SE (2nd generation and later)
More: iPhone 17 Air battery could be smaller than we thought, says rumor
Max Buondonno is an editor at The Shortcut. He’s been reporting on the latest consumer technology since 2015, with his work featured on CNN Underscored, ZDNET, How-To Geek, XDA, TheStreet, and more. Follow him on X @LegendaryScoop and Instagram @LegendaryScoop.