Apple has finally flipped the switch: the iOS 26 public beta is live and ready for anyone enrolled in the free Apple Beta Software Program to download—bringing the shimmering Liquid Glass redesign and the first consumer wave of Apple Intelligence to millions of iPhones ahead of the autumn release. The build mirrors this week’s fourth developer seed (with a minor revision pushed this morning), so public testers are getting Apple’s most polished preview yet.
Once you’ve signed in at beta.apple.com, head to Settings → General → Software Update → Beta Updates and select iOS 26 Public Beta; the ~2–3 GB download will appear and install after a reboot. Back up first—via iCloud or Finder—because early betas can nuke battery life, crash apps and occasionally corrupt data.
So what’s waiting on the other side of that progress bar? First, Liquid Glass: Apple has draped Control Center, widgets, tab bars and notifications in translucent layers that refract wallpaper colours and ambient light. Developer feedback already pushed tweaks to translucency levels and Control Centre legibility, and those changes carry into today’s public build. Second, Apple Intelligence features begin to surface in daily use. Live Translation pipes near-real-time captions into Phone, FaceTime and Messages calls; Genmoji turns quick prompts into sticker-quality emoji; and AI Notification Summaries regroup alerts with clearly labelled “Summarized by Apple Intelligence” badges and opt-in controls. You’ll also notice a new Games app hub, adaptive power-saving tuned for older batteries, refreshed Safari/Photos layouts and smarter CarPlay widgets.
Device Eligibility
Public beta supports: iPhone 11 and newer.
Full Apple Intelligence suite supported on: iPhone 15 Pro and newer.
Dropped from compatibility: iPhone XS/XS Max and XR (A12 Bionic) no longer eligible
How to Install
Enrol in the Apple Beta Software Program via beta.apple.com.
On your iPhone: Settings → General → Software Update → Beta Updates.
Verify your device is backed up (iCloud or Finder) before tapping “Download and Install” .
Beta Caveats
Expect bugs, battery quirks and app instability.
Notification Summaries, disabled in earlier builds, are back with user toggles and banners noting possible inaccuracies .
Some real-time AI features won’t appear on older devices, even if the beta installs.
This is a rare opportunity to be months ahead of the official autumn launch, you can test Apple’s next-generation interface and AI depths first-hand. Just go to Settings, opt into the public beta, and prepare to explore Liquid Glass, live translations, smarter notifications, a revamped Games hub, and enhanced CarPlay—all while standing watch for bugs that Apple still needs to fix.
Paul Balo is the founder of TechBooky and a highly skilled wireless communications professional with a strong background in cloud computing, offering extensive experience in designing, implementing, and managing wireless communication systems.
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