Apple has released the sixth public betas of iOS 26, iPadOS 26, macOS 26, and tvOS 26, aligning these builds with the ninth developer betas and signaling that the software lineup is entering the late stages of testing. Public testers can enroll for free and try the features ahead of the wider rollout while providing feedback that helps refine performance and reliability.
What’s new in iOS 26 and iPadOS 26
The headline change is Liquid Glass, a systemwide visual overhaul described by Apple as a transparency-forward design language. Icons, navigation bars, and menus now subtly refract and reflect ambient colors, with pop-out menus and shrinking tab bars lending a more tactile, rounded feel. It’s the boldest aesthetic pivot on iPhone and iPad since the jump to flat design years ago, and it’s meant to feel cohesive across Apple’s platforms.
Apple Intelligence powers several marquee features. Visual Intelligence can interpret screenshots to extract useful details, while Live Translation in Messages, Phone, and FaceTime helps break language barriers during calls and chats. The Wallet app expands order tracking, Reminders gains smarter organization, and Image Playground lets users generate whimsical, cartoon-like images from text prompts. Genmoji goes a step further by mixing two or more emoji into a single, shareable creation.
Photos get a depth boost with Spatial Scene, lending certain 2D images a more dimensional appearance. Safari sports streamlined navigation, and the Phone app introduces Call Screening and Hold Assist aimed at saving time with unknown callers and support lines. Messages supports customizable backgrounds and polls for group decision-making. Apple Music adds a DJ-style AutoMix for uninterrupted blends, CarPlay debuts a refreshed interface, a dedicated Apple Games app gathers titles and progress, and the longstanding Preview app arrives on iPhone for the first time.
macOS Tahoe 26 gets a cohesive redesign
On the Mac, macOS Tahoe 26 applies Liquid Glass across the desktop: app icons, folders, Dock elements, in-app controls, menus, Control Center, and the Menu Bar all adopt the new look. Personalization runs deeper, with options to customize Control Center modules, tweak the Menu Bar, and tailor folder, app icon, and widget styles to match workflow preferences.
Safari introduces a cleaner tab design and a refreshed sidebar for quicker access to bookmarks, Reading List, and profiles. A new Phone app lands on the Mac, enabling Wi‑Fi calling and integrating the same Call Screening and Hold Assist capabilities found on iPhone. Spotlight gets a major upgrade as well, improving search quality and enabling hundreds of quick actions—like setting timers, starting workouts, or toggling system controls—without opening an app.
For gamers and developers, the new Games app features a Game Overlay, and the platform adds support for Metal 4, Apple’s latest graphics framework. While Apple hasn’t shared performance numbers, developer documentation typically details shader compiler, rendering pipeline, and debugging improvements that have tangible effects on frame pacing and battery efficiency in real titles.
tvOS 26 and the broader ecosystem
tvOS 26 is available to public testers alongside the other platforms, helping Apple maintain feature parity and design consistency across screens. While this build doesn’t highlight a single headline change, tvOS updates often focus on media reliability, controller support, and Home integration—areas that matter most for living room devices and multi-user households.
How to install the public betas
iPhone and iPad: Register for Apple’s public beta program, then go to Settings > General > Software Update > Beta Updates and choose the iOS 26 or iPadOS 26 Public Beta channel. The update should appear after a short check.
Mac: Open System Settings > General > Software Update, select Beta Updates, and switch to the macOS 26 Public Beta. Follow the onscreen steps to download and install.
Apple TV: Head to Settings > System > Software Updates and enable Get Beta Updates to see the tvOS 26 public beta when it becomes available for your model.
As always, back up before installing pre-release software. Betas can affect battery life, third‑party app compatibility, and accessory behavior. Apple’s release notes indicate ongoing bug fixes—including issues surfaced by early testers—and numerous security patches; installing on secondary devices is the safest route.
Why this build matters
This sixth public beta corresponds to the ninth developer beta, a stage that historically suggests feature sets are largely locked and attention shifts to polish, stability, and accessibility and localization work. That’s meaningful for developers who need dependable targets to finalize app updates, and for enthusiasts deciding whether the new Liquid Glass design and Apple Intelligence features are ready for everyday use.
Apple previewed much of this release family during its annual developer conference, and developer notes reinforce the breadth of changes across the stack—from UI refreshes to graphics and search. Analytics firms like Mixpanel have historically tracked rapid adoption of major iOS releases once they ship, often crossing the 50% mark within the first month, which underscores why these late-stage betas are critical: they set the tone for the experience most users will encounter at launch.
For now, this round gives testers a refined look at the next generation of Apple’s platforms—unified by a new design language, deeper intelligence features, and under‑the‑hood upgrades aimed at making daily tasks faster and more expressive across iPhone, iPad, Mac, and Apple TV.
