iOS 26 public beta could launch around July 23, per Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman.  iOS 26 was unveiled earlier this year at WWDC and has since gone through multiple developer beta versions fairly quickly. General users will be able to experience the redesigned interface and added features prior to the official release, projected for September alongside the iPhone 17 lineup. Users keen on testing new features can enroll in the Apple Beta Software Program free of charge, but backing up the device beforehand seems prudent.
iOS 26 Public Beta: Release Timeline and Compatible Devices
Older devices are being phased out, with the iOS 26 release dropping support for phones like the iPhone XR and iPhone XS entirely. If you have an iPhone 11 or anything newer — including the 2nd or 3rd gen iPhone SE — you’ll be able to get the iOS 26 update soon. You’ll need an iPhone 15 Pro or a model from the current iPhone 16 lineup to try Apple Intelligence, Apple’s new suite of AI features. Users can sign up on Apple’s beta site and activate the beta version via phone settings, likely after the public beta launches this week. Keep this in mind since it’s still somewhat experimental, and bugs along with performance issues may lurk beneath the surface.
Top New Features in iOS 26
With the debut of iOS 26, Apple introduces a striking Liquid Glass design that enhances the interface with refined animations, overhauled app icons, and a host of personalization tools. Apps like Camera and Safari now sport revamped layouts for enhanced user experience and markedly better overall usability. iOS has undergone its most significant visual revamp since iOS 7, now sporting a modern, sleek design with simplicity and elegance in equal measure.
The Apple Intelligence upgrade rolls out built-in AI functionalities like instantaneous language translation and smarter on-screen suggestions, with ChatGPT integrated for more robust assistance. New fun features include Genmoji for creating custom emojis and Image Playground for generating AI images effortlessly. Users benefit from AI-powered shortcuts cleverly tailored to their typical device usage patterns and habits.
Enhancements have been introduced in both the Phone and Messages applications. The Phone app now offers a unified view of recent calls and favorites, alongside a Call Screening feature for a smoother calling experience. Custom chat backgrounds can be set in Messages, and polls can now be created in group chats with typing indicators visible. iOS 26 introduces automatic filtering of unknown senders in Messages into a separate tab. The new Apple Games app makes game discovery faster, and CarPlay now includes useful upgrades like home screen widgets and a minimized call interface for better in-car navigation.
