You Can Download iOS 26 Beta on Your iPhone Right Now. Here's How

With more than a decade of experience, Nelson covers Apple and Google and writes about iPhone and Android features, privacy and security settings, and more.

Apple wrapped up WWDC 25 earlier this week, and the very first developer beta of iOS 26 is now here. This early release gives developers (and the most impatient enthusiasts) their first hands-on encounter with features the company previewed on stage at Apple Park: a major redesign and AI upgrades for the iPhone software.

The biggest new feature is Liquid Glass, Apple's new cohesive design language across all its devices, with a transparent, lenslike aesthetic. Live Translation is integrated into Messages and FaceTime to help you communicate across languages. Call Screening, an evolution of Live Voicemail, picks up unknown numbers on your behalf, asks why callers are calling and shows a live ...