iOS 26, iPadOS 26, macOS 26 developer betas now available

Apple’s hardware getting the 26-generation update – Image Credit: Apple

Apple has doled out its second round of developer beta builds for iOS 26, iPadOS 26, macOS 26, watchOS 26, tvOS 26, and visionOS 26 for testing.

The second round follows after the initial wave of betas, including iOS 26, iPadOS 26, watchOS 26, tvOS 26, macOS 26 Tahoe, and visionOS 26, which Apple introduced on June 9, after the WWDC keynote.

The second iOS 26 and iPadOS 26 developer betas are build 23A5276f, replacing 23A5260n for iPadOS and 23A5260u for iOS following a quiet update, while the second macOS 26 build 25A5295e takes over from 25A5279m. The second watchOS 26 build is 23R5296f, up from 23R5280m, the second tvOS 26 build is 23J5295e, moving from the first build’s 23J5279m, and the second visionOS 26 build is 23M5279f, replacing 23M5263m.

The list of updates for the operating systems is extensive, but one all-encompassing change is Liquid Glass, a new UI asthetic that uses transparency. The aesthetic has spread to all of Apple’s first-party apps.

For iOS 26, the changes includes a new battery management system, a refined camera app, refinements to its ChatGPT integration, and AirPods feature updates too.

The revisions in iPadOS 26 make it more of a productivity device, including a better Files app, Preview for the first time, and significant window management changes. Among the macOS changes are the Phone app, Clipboard History, and a reworking of Spotlight.

The ’26 betas aren’t the only ones Apple is currently testing. It has a second track, trialling the current-gen operating system updates, including iOS 18.6 and macOS 15.6.

AppleInsider and Apple strongly advise against users installing test operating systems or beta software onto primary or “mission critical” hardware. The higher likelihood of major issues in these early beta releases can potentially result in the loss of data.

Testers should use secondary or non-essential hardware, and ensure they have sufficient backups of their critical data at all times.

Members of the public keen to try out the features of the inbound generation should ideally wait until the initial public betas are issued, due to the significantly lower risk they present to your data.

Find any changes in the new builds? Reach out to us on Twitter at @AppleInsider or @Andrew_OSU, or send Andrew an email at andrew@AppleInsider.com.

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