iOS 26 Beta Review: Top Features, Compatibility, and What’s New in Apple’s Biggest Update
Apple’s iOS 26 public beta landed in late July 2025, offering early access to one of the most dramatic updates ever. For anyone curious about what to expect from this futuristic operating system, this post breaks down the biggest features of iOS 26 beta: Liquid Glass design, Apple Intelligence, improved core apps, compatibility, and what it means for everyday users.
Liquid Glass: A Visual Overhaul
With iOS 26 beta, Apple introduces Liquid Glass, a sweeping redesign that uses translucent, glassy interface elements across your iPhone. App icons, Control Center, lock screen widgets and menus all adopt a fluid, refractive style inspired by visionOS. Icons shift appearance in light and dark modes, adapt to wallpaper, and respond to movement for a dynamic, immersive feel.
This is arguably Apple’s biggest visual shift since the iOS 7 redesign, aiming to unify the look and feel across iPhones, iPads, Macs, Apple Watch and Apple TV.
Apple Intelligence and Visual Intelligence Tools
iOS 26 beta brings a powerful suite of intelligent features under Apple Intelligence. On‑device AI now enables real-time translation for phone calls, FaceTime, and Messages. You can speak in one language and the other person hears a translated version on the spot.
Visual Intelligence goes further: you can tap a screenshot or image, ask questions, translate text within it, and even create calendar events. This makes your iPhone smarter in everyday tasks like travel, planning, and multitasking.
Communication Tools: Smarter Phone, Cleaner Messaging
Communication apps get smart upgrades with iOS 26 beta. A new Call Screening feature prompts unknown callers to identify themselves before you answer, helping filter spam calls. A Hold Assist feature notifies you when a waiting representative becomes available.
In Messages, group chat gains polls and custom backgrounds. You can also filter messages from unknown senders to limit spam. Support for sending Apple Cash within group chats is now integrated, easing peer‑to‑peer payments.
Apps and Multimedia Enhancements
iOS 26 beta also updates apps like Camera, Photos, Apple Music, Maps, and introduces a new Apple Games app as a gaming hub.
Apple Music debuts AutoMix, an AI‑powered DJ feature that blends tracks smoothly. Despite its creativity, some users report the feature cuts several seconds of songs, skipping parts unexpectedly.
AirPods users get related upgrades via beta firmware support: new features include sleep detection, studio‑quality audio recording, and using AirPods as a camera remote. These work only on AirPods Pro 2 and AirPods 4 models running iOS 26 beta.
Compatibility and Performance
iOS 26 beta supports devices from iPhone 11 onward—meaning iPhone XS, XS Max, and XR are dropped. Apple Intelligence features specifically require newer models with A‑series chips like iPhone 15 Pro or iPhone 16.
Even though the beta appears stable on recent devices, users report greater battery drain, occasional overheating, and performance hiccups on older iPhones. Apple and several sources strongly advise installing this beta only on secondary devices, not your primary iPhone. Always back up data before proceeding, as beta software can cause crashes or trouble.
Timeline and Beta Popularity
Developer betas first launched on June 9, 2025 at WWDC, with public beta arriving around July 24–25, 2025. Apple’s upcoming beta updates—Developer Beta 5 or Public Beta 2—are expected in early August. Final release is likely in September 2025, in line with new iPhone launches.
According to Apple CEO Tim Cook, iOS 26 developer beta is the most popular yet, with record installs even before the public beta opened up.
Conclusion and Practical Takeaways
Trying iOS 26 beta gives you a sneak peek at Apple’s future design direction and advanced AI tools. If you are excited by visual design and smarter workflows, installing on a backup device can be rewarding. But if you rely on your iPhone daily, it’s wise to wait for the final stable release in September.
For now, the standout features include the Liquid Glass design, real‑time translation, smarter call and message screening, and multimedia enhancements like AutoMix. Whether you're an Apple enthusiast or a curious user, iOS 26 beta offers a glimpse into a more immersive, intelligent iPhone experience.
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