How to Install the iOS 26 Public Beta on Your iPhone

[MacRumors]

Apple has made available the first public beta of iOS 26, bringing the new software to a wider audience following initial testing by developers. Keep reading to learn how to prepare your device for the beta software and how to install it.

Signing up to get the ‌iOS 26 or ‌iPadOS 26 public beta is simple, and can be done by enrolling an iPhone or iPad in Apple's free Apple Beta Software Program. The steps you need to complete to install the software on your device are provided towards the end of this article, but before you jump ahead, here are a few things worth considering.

Is My iPhone Compatible With iOS 26?

iOS 26 is compatible with the iPhone 11 series and newer. In other words, the following models are supported:

• iPhone 16e
• iPhone 16
• iPhone 16 Plus
• iPhone 16 Pro
• iPhone 16 Pro Max
• iPhone 15
• iPhone 15 Plus
• iPhone 15 Pro
• iPhone 15 Pro Max
• iPhone 14
• iPhone 14 Plus
• iPhone 14 Pro
• iPhone 14 Pro Max
• iPhone 13
• iPhone 13 mini
• iPhone 13 Pro
• iPhone 13 Pro Max
• iPhone 12
• iPhone 12 mini
• iPhone 12 Pro
• iPhone 12 Pro Max
• iPhone 11
• iPhone 11 Pro
• iPhone 11 Pro Max
• iPhone SE (2nd generation and later)

Should I Install iOS 26 Public Beta?

Great question! Before downloading the update, it's worth noting that Apple does not recommend installing iOS 26 beta updates on your main iPhone, so if you have a secondary device, use that. This is beta software, which means there are often bugs and issues that pop up that can prevent software from working properly or cause other problems. Apple undoubtedly has plenty of fixes to make before the final release.

Make an Archived Backup of Your Device First

Before installing the beta, make sure to back up your iOS device before installing the software using the following method, otherwise you won't be able to revert back to iOS 18 if things go wrong.

1. Plug your iPhone into your Mac using the supplied cable.
2. Allow the accessory to connect by clicking Allow in the dialog prompt.
3. Open a Finder window by clicking the Finder icon in the Dock.
4. Click your iOS device's name in the sidebar.
   
   
   
   If this is the first time connecting your device to your Mac, click Trust in the Finder window.
   
   
   
   Tap Trust on your device when prompted, then enter your passcode to confirm.
5. In the General tab, click the circle next to where it says Back up all of the data on your iPad to this Mac.
6. If you want to encrypt the backup, check the box next to Encrypt local backup, then enter a password to protect your data.
7. If you don't want to create an encrypted backup, or you've already set up encrypted backups, click Back Up Now.
   
   

When the backup is finished, you can find the date and time of the last backup in the General tab, just above the Manage Backups button. Remember that this backup will not be overwritten when you manually or automatically back up your iPhone in the future, so you can restore it at any time by using the Restore Backup... option in the same Finder screen.

How to Download iOS 26 Public Beta

Downloading and install the iOS 26 Public Beta is very straightforward. Simply follow these steps:

1. Head over to Apple's Beta Software Program website and sign up using your Apple Account credentials.
   
   
   
   Now go to Settings ➝ General ➝ Software Update on your iPhone.
2. Tap Beta Updates. If you don't see the option, try switching off Download iOS Updates (Automatic Updates ➝ Download iOS Updates), then tap Back and it should appear.
3. Select iOS 26 Public Beta in the list, then tap Back.
   Wait for the Software Update screen to check Apple's servers. When the iOS 26 Public Beta appears, tap Download and Install, then follow the instructions and wait for installation to complete.
   
   

iOS 26 Features

iOS 26 introduces a striking system-wide redesign built around Liquid Glass, a translucent material that reflects and refracts ambient content and dynamically responds to user input. The new aesthetic applies across the Lock Screen, Home Screen, toolbar controls, navigation elements, app icons, and widgets.

The update also brings new Apple Intelligence features. With Live Translation available in Messages, FaceTime, and Phone, conversations across languages are now seamless and entirely on-device to ensure privacy. New Visual Intelligence capabilities mean you can ask questions about screen content. There are also smarter Shortcuts with intelligent actions to make automation easier.

Communication apps gain smart upgrades too. The revamped Phone app now combines Favorites, Recents, and Voicemails in one view, adds Call Screening, and includes a clever Hold Assist feature. Messages gains filtered inboxes for unknown senders, typing indicators in group chats, custom backgrounds and polls, and Apple Cash transfers.

CarPlay gets a visual refresh aligned with the Liquid Glass design and now includes compact call notifications, tappable Message reactions, pinned conversations, widgets, and Live Activities support.

Apple has also updated some of its key apps: Apple Music adds Lyrics Translation and Pronunciation plus AutoMix DJ-style transitions; Maps introduces privacy-protected "Visited Places" and smarter route preferences; Wallet supports installment/rewards payments, refreshed boarding passes with Live Activities, and deeper integrations with Maps and Find My. Lastly, a new Games app debuts as a central hub for mobile gaming, featuring a... Click here to read rest of article

Article Link: How to Install the iOS 26 Public Beta on Your iPhone

 

[macfacts]

So much for "it just works"😁

 

[Digital Dude]

I ditched the iOS beta program years ago and haven’t looked back. iOS is bad enough without me adding fuel to the fire. 🫩

 

[Madonepro]

This is beta software, which means there are bugs and issues that pop up that can prevent software from working properly or cause other problems.

Apple has plenty of fixes to make before the final release.

Public Service Announcement, read the above clearly...

P.S. MacRumors forums seems to have a death wish, although I can how this benefits the business, the volume of traffic must increase.

 

[Plutonius]

I usually consider any Apple software Beta until at least .1 of its final release.

 

[Populus]

Is there a way to install the public beta restoring the iPhone through Finder using an IPSW file? Thank you.

 

[Populus]

I usually consider any Apple software Beta until at least .1 of its final release.

Yeah, me too. I’ll test the new OS for a while, and then I’ll return to 18.6, and stay there until at least iOS 26.3

 

[antonrg]

Absolutely not! I am not installing that mess on my 13 mini. No way.

 

[antonrg]

I usually consider any Apple software Beta until at least .1 of its final release.

I wait for at least 2 versions after the .0 release. It's getting worse every year though.

 

[darkcompass]

I have reduced transparency turned on now, is it's all a distraction. Lord only know how it's going to look with this new version. No plans to see before proper release.

 

[scrapesleon]

never added a beta on my devices since iOS 14 I have enough stress already

 

[TechnoMonk]

Don’t do it if you think a beta just works. Save the pain, beta shouldn’t be on your main devices.

 

[Ctrlos]

1. Go to 'Software update' in settings

2. Turn off Automatic Updates

3. Never touch it again. Ever.

 

[JWD]

That weather app looks horrendous, I’d hope you can swap it out. Not sure if I’d like or hate that CarPlay Ultra tbh, not sold on it yet but I do like some of the added functionality

 

[CharlesShaw]

Thank you everyone who tests betas and reports the issues.

The annual cycle sure keeps lots of people busy doing their jobs, so I hope it's worth it. I've lost count of how many times I've updated iOS 18, and it's still not finished for the year.

 

[Nomad-X]

I really hope they aren't going to 'pressure' people into upgrading this via their usual nag notifications. Such a dramatic change and reduction in usability and accessibility should be optional - at least for a few years whilst it's refined.

They should have kept this under wraps for at least another year whilst working on making it usable in the real word.

 

[Liquid Galaxy]

I haven't been involved in betas since iOS7, but took the risk and installed B4 on my 16 Pro main daily driver and either I don't use my phone as much as some of the people here, or B4 is just a very stable, very usable beta, aside from some very minor stuttering here and there. All the apps I use still work fine, battery life is great, really liking the liquid glass changes, all my accessories still connect without issues, call screening works great. Not saying people here are lying / trolling / being overly pedantic but....yeah...

 

[DEMinSoCAL]

I haven't been involved in betas since iOS7, but took the risk and installed B4 on my 16 Pro main daily driver and either I don't use my phone as much as some of the people here, or B4 is just a very stable, very usable beta, aside from some very minor stuttering here and there. All the apps I use still work fine, battery life is great, really liking the liquid glass changes, all my accessories still connect without issues, call screening works great. Not saying people here are lying / trolling / being overly pedantic but....yeah...

With the name "Liquid Galaxy", did you really have any choice but to install "Liquid Glass"?

 

[veetor]

Just wondering if anyone else has installed the beta and found that it crashed during install? I tried to install it yesterday and it got stuck in the reboot so I ended up having to restore my phone to factory settings and restore from my cloud backup.

 

[victorvictoria]

Best practices for installing Beta software on your devices if you're not a developer:
1) Don't
2) Wait until the official release

 

[vertsix]

No thanks. iOS 18.6 though, that's the exciting thing. I am on the RC and it's been rock solid.

Stable software is underrated.

 

[Yimbaz]

So much for "it just works"😁

What is this comment supposed to mean, exactly?

 

[slavipz]

I installed this this morning on my Iphone 16 pro max. Everything works like a charm.

 

[Gunner49]

Tempting ... but I'd rather not tempt fate!
lol

 

[stiligFox]

Installed it on my iPad and iPhone last night - absolutely loving it so far! The Liquid Glass works a lot better in motion than in static screenshots. So far everything I use my devices for has been working. This is the first time in quite a few years that I’ve run a beta, I’m pretty pleased so far how smooth it is.