The public beta for Apple’s next major iPhone operating system, iOS 26, is now available for users to download. The new name reflects a change in Apple’s versioning strategy, skipping sequential numbers to adopt a year-based system for its fall 2025 release.
A key feature of iOS 26 is a new system-wide design aesthetic called “Liquid Glass,” which gives apps, widgets, and other interface elements a translucent appearance. The new look, which extends to macOS and other Apple operating systems, includes redesigned “floating” buttons in some apps and adapts to both light and dark modes.
The update also introduces several functional changes. The Phone app has been redesigned to combine contacts, recent calls, and voicemail on a single screen and adds a “Hold Assist” feature to notify users when a call is taken off hold. The Messages app gains the ability to create polls in group chats and a new filter for spam texts from unknown senders. Other new features include system-wide Live Translation for calls and texts, a “Visual Intelligence” feature for searching based on on-screen content, and the return of separate “Library” and “Collections” tabs in the Photos app.
The update does not include the major Siri overhaul previously promised by Apple, which has been delayed. The iOS 26 update will be compatible with the iPhone 11, iPhone SE (2nd generation), and all later models. Support will be dropped for the iPhone XR, iPhone XS, and iPhone XS Max.
The final public version of iOS 26 is scheduled for release this fall, while the public beta is available now through the Apple Beta Software Program.
