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Title: Apple iOS 26 beta is available: Everything you need to know about the
new iPhone update

Date: Wed, 06 Aug 2025 20:30:11 +0000
Link: https://www.engadget.com/mobile/apple-ios-26-...

Liquid Glass is a huge new change coming to iOS 26. (Apple)

The wait for upgrading your iPhone to iOS 26 keeps getting shorter, but we're
still over a month out from the release, which is expected this fall. But if
you want to start testing out the new features today, you can download and
install Apple's public beta, which CEO Tim Cook recently said is (along with
the other current beta operating systems) "by far the most popular developer
betas weΓÇÖve had," 9to5Mac reports. You can also take a look at our preview
of the iOS 26 public beta release, which shows off the fresh home and lock
screen redesign. Called Liquid Glass, the new translucent look will extend
across all of Apple's upcoming operating systems. The overhaul is one of
several big changes coming to iOS, macOS, iPadOS and the rest of Apple's
software suite, all of which were showcased during the company's WWDC keynote
on June 9.

After overpromising on AI plans last year, Apple kept its iOS roadmap focused
more on basic quality of life improvements this year. There are multiple
useful additions coming to the Phone and Messages apps on your iPhone, for
instance: Apple execs outlined the ability to weed out spam texts or other
unknown senders and an option to hold your spot on a phone call when you've
been waiting for a representative to pick up. Plus, a treasured feature that
we took for granted is coming back (hint: it's in the Photos app).

Siri, meanwhile, is in a holding pattern. Apple has previously specified that
its smarter voice assistant ΓÇö first promised at WWDC 2024 ΓÇö is delayed
until some point "in the coming year," so you shouldn't expect any major
changes in the current betas. But there are reports that Apple is aiming to
give Siri a bigger brain transplant by basing it on third-party artificial
intelligence models like OpenAI's ChatGPT or Anthropic's Claude, which could
make 2026 a pivotal year. The company is also reportedly working on a
'stripped-down' AI chatbot to rival ChatGPT.

With each beta, it seems like additional new improvements are popping up,
like this FaceTime feature that'll freeze your video if it detects nudity.
Now that iOS 26 developer beta 5 is available, we're seeing more added
features, like a new bouncy animation on the passcode screen and in the
Control Center, MacRumors reports. Some or all of those changes will likely
soon migrate into the separate public beta (see below). Most newer iPhone
models are eligible to download iOS 26 (both the betas and final version).
Want to see the full list of new features coming this fall? Read on.

What is iOS 26?

The current iPhone operating system is iOS 18, and Apple is still actively
updating it ΓÇö version 18.6 was just recently released. But don't expect to
see iOS 19. Instead, Apple is skipping the numbering ahead to iOS 26 later
this year. The company has decided to line up its iOS version numbers with a
year-based system, similar to car model years. So while iOS and its sibling
operating systems will be released in late 2025, they're all designated "26"
to reflect the year ahead. (Meanwhile, iOS 18 is still getting new versions
this summer, too.)

It's official, we're moving to iOS 26. (Apple) What is Liquid Glass design?

Let's be honest. Out of everything announced at WWDC this year, the new
Liquid Glass design was the star of the show. The iPhone's home and lock
screens have looked pretty much the same year after year ΓÇö the last
exciting thing (in my opinion) was the option to add your own aesthetic to
your home screen by customizing your apps and widgets. So seeing the home and
lock screens' new facelift is refreshing.

So what exactly is Liquid Glass? Apple calls it a "new translucent material"
since, well, the apps and widgets are clear. However, the screen can still
adapt to dark and light modes, depending on surroundings. You'll also notice
buttons with a new floating design in several apps, like Phone and Maps.
They're designed to be less distracting than the current buttons, but are
still easy to see. While the design overhaul has proven to be controversial
since its announcement, some ΓÇö including Engadget's own Devindra Hardawar
ΓÇö like the new direction, even if it's somewhat reminiscent of Microsoft's
translucent Windows Vista Aero designs from nearly twenty years ago.

That said, as of the release of the iOS 26 beta 2, Apple has already
incorporated some user feedback into the design, dialing back the
transparency in at least some places. And while it will continue to evolve,
Apple users won't be able to escape it: Liquid Glass was designed to make all
of Apple's OSes more cohesive. Here's a look at how the translucent aesthetic
will look with the new macOS Tahoe 26 on your desktop.

What are the new and notable features of iOS 26?

iOS 26 has a laundry list of new features. Among the most worthwhile:

Phone app redesign: You'll finally be able to scroll through contacts, recent
calls and voicemail messages all on one screen. It also comes with a new
feature called Hold Assist that'll notify you when an agent comes to the
phone so you can avoid the elevator music and continue on with other tasks.

Live Translation in Phone, FaceTime and Messages: iOS 26 is bringing the
ability to have a conversation via phone call or text message with someone
who speaks another language. Live Translation will translate your
conversation in real time, which results in some stop-and-go interactions in
the examples Apple shared during its presentation.

Polls in group chats: Tired of sorting through what seems like hundreds of
messages in your group chat? You and your friends will soon be able to create
polls in group messages for deciding things like which brunch spot you're
eating at or whose car you're taking on a road trip.

Filtering unknown senders in Messages: If you haven't received spam texts
about unpaid tolls or other citations, you're lucky. For those of us who
have, those annoying messages will soon be filtered away in a separate
folder.

Visual Intelligence: Similar to a reverse Google image search, this new
feature will allow you to search for anything that's on your iPhone screen.
For instance, if you spot a pair of shoes someone is wearing in an Instagram
photo, you can screenshot it and use Visual Intelligence to find those shoes
(or similar ones) online.

Photos tabs are back: For anyone who's still frustrated with the Photos
changes made last year, you'll be happy to know that your tabs are coming
back. Library and Collections will have their own separate spaces so you
don't have to scroll to infinity to find what you're looking for.

FaceTime "Communication Safety" feature: A newer addition to iOS 26 appears
to be the FaceTime "Communication Safety" feature that pauses communications
if and when nudity is detected. The feature appears to be a child safety
feature that uses on-device detection, thus obviating any cloud-based privacy
issues.

Apple's Hold Assist will be nifty for those pesky services that put you on
hold for 10 or more minutes. (Apple) Which iPhones will be able to upgrade to
iOS 26?

A few iPhone models that run the current version of iOS ΓÇö iPhone XR, XS and
XS Max ΓÇö won't be compatible with the latest upgrade. But any iPhones
released in 2019 or later will be eligible for the iOS 26 update.

iPhone SE (second generation or later)

iPhone 11

iPhone 11 Pro

iPhone 11 Pro Max

iPhone 12

iPhone 12 mini

iPhone 12 Pro

iPhone 12 Pro Max

iPhone 13

iPhone 13 mini

iPhone 13 Pro

iPhone 13 Pro Max

iPhone 14

iPhone 14 Plus

iPhone 14 Pro

iPhone 14 Pro Max

iPhone 15

iPhone 15 Plus

iPhone 15 Pro

iPhone 15 Pro Max

iPhone 16e

iPhone 16

iPhone 16 Plus

iPhone 16 Pro

iPhone 16 Pro Max

Not listed here are the presumed new iPhone 17 models (or maybe iPhone 26?)
that are all but certain to be announced and released in September.

How to install iOS 26 beta

The iOS 26 public beta is now available to download via the Apple Beta
Software Program. If you're not already a member, you'll need to sign up to
try out all the latest features. Just visit beta.apple.com and sign up with
your phone number or email address. It's free.

Once you're in, you can install it by going to Settings > General > Software
Update and selecting iOS 26 public beta.

A word of caution: Don't sign up with your main iPhone unless you're OK with
any risks that occur with using an OS that isn't finalized.

When will the final version of iOS 26 be released?

iOS 26 will be released to the public this fall. It usually comes in
September, within a week of the Apple iPhone event. Last year, it rolled out
to iPhone users on September 16 ΓÇö exactly one week after the iPhone 16
lineup was announced.

If you're more interested in the Apple Intelligence features coming, here's
everything Apple revealed for iOS, macOS and more during WWDC. Also, check
out how iOS 26 screenshots could be an intriguing preview of Apple's delayed
Siri rework.

Update, August 6: Noted the release of iOS 26 beta 5 and the new bouncy
feature on passcode screen and Control Center.

Update, August 4: Noted that Apple is reportedly working on a ChatGPT rival.

Update, August 1: Added quote from Tim Cook about iOS 26.

Update, July 31: Noted that iOS 18.6 is now available.

Update, July 24: Noted the iOS 26 public beta is now available.

Update, July 3: Noted new FaceTime feature found in the developer beta.

Update, June 30: Noted ongoing iOS 18 releases, and reports that Apple is
considering additional external LLMs for Siri.

Update, June 25: Noted changes added in iOS 26 beta 2.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at
https://www.engadget.com/mobile/apple-ios-26-...
need-to-know-about-the-new-iphone-update-135749850.html?src=rss

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