Apple releases iOS 26 todayandiPadOS 26’s second public beta, allowing the public to test these updates before their official release in September. The second public beta was released two weeks after the first, with updates to correspond with the fifth developer beta.
Beta testers who have registered on Apple's official website can download the iOS 26 and iPadOS 26 updates by opening the Settings app, going to the General section, clicking Software Update, and selecting the iOS 26 or iPadOS 26 public beta option.
iOS 26 and iPadOS 26 feature Apple’s Liquid Glass design, a visual aesthetic focused on transparency. Icons, menu buttons, navigation bars and other elements reflect and refract light with subtle animations. Menus pop up in some areas, the tab bar shrinks, and all elements take on a more rounded appearance.
Apple Intelligence introduces several new features, such as Visual Intelligence for taking screenshots, updated order tracking in the Wallet app, new functionality in Reminders, and real-time translation for Messages, Calls, and FaceTime apps. Image Playground provides ChatGPT style options, and Genmoji supports mixing two or more emojis to create new emoticons.
2D photos take on a more realistic 3D look with Space Scenes, and Safari has updated navigation. The "Phone" app has new "Call Screening" and "Hold Assist" features to save you time; the "Messages" app supports custom backgrounds and voting functions. Apple Music has added a DJ-like automatic mixing function, CarPlay has a completely new interface, a new Apple Games app has been launched, and the "Preview" function has also landed on iPhone for the first time.
iOS 26 and iPadOS 26 will launch in September.