iOS 26 beta

1 for iPhone is now available for developers. Apple announced the next major software update for iPhone on Day 1 of its annual developers conference Worldwide Developers Conference. As always, Apple announced the updates to its software as part of its keynote for the event. iOS 26 follows iOS 18 as each Apple operating system replaces the incremental version number with a reference to the year ahead. This means, there is no iOS19 this year, it is now called iOS 26. This unified naming convention goes for all its operating systems, across devices. iOS 26 is defined by a major redesign, replacing the look introduced in iOS 7 with a new design language called Liquid Glass. The software update will be available on iPhone 11 and later this fall. For now, Apple has started publicly testing iOS 26 through its beta program, starting with developers.Reports suggest that the size of the iOS 26 Developer Beta 1 is 15GB.

In 2023, Apple announced a significant change to its developer beta access policy, allowing iPhone users to download and install Developer Beta without enrolling in the paid Apple Developer Program. As of 2023, users can access developer betas by simply joining the free

Apple Beta Software Program

with their Apple account.To enroll, users can sign in with their Apple ID and enable the developer beta option in the Settings app. Once enrolled, the iOS 26 Developer Beta 1 can be installed via an over-the-air update. On an iPhone, users can navigate to Settings > General > Software Update > Beta Updates to select and install the latest beta version.

Apple cautions that iOS 26 Developer Beta 1, as a pre-release version, may lack some announced features, exhibit instability, or cause compatibility issues with third-party apps. The company recommends installing beta software only on secondary devices dedicated to testing and advises users to back up their devices before proceeding. Users interested in exploring iOS 26 Developer Beta 1 are encouraged to proceed with caution and ensure their devices are backed up to avoid potential data loss or performance issues.For those hesitant to experiment with developer Betas, Apple also offers a public beta program, which provides more stable pre-release versions for early adopters eager to test new features and provide feedback.