iOS 26 – the confusingly named follow-up to iOS 18 – was announced back at WWDC 2025 in June, and it launched into developer beta shortly after that. But as that name suggests, this very early version of the software was only really intended for developers – so while anyone could download it, for most people it wouldn’t be advisable.
Now though, the first iOS 26 public beta has launched, and this one is much easier to recommend, as it’s actually intended for non-developers, and will likely be more stable than the first betas.
It still comes with the same general caveats though – this is incomplete software, so it may be buggy, features might be missing, and some things may not work as intended. So if you have a low tolerance for software quirks and tech issues, we’d suggest maybe only downloading this onto a secondary phone – or simply waiting for the finished release, which will probably land in September, alongside the iPhone 17 series.
Still, there’s a lot to like in iOS 26, including a completely redesigned interface with a more glass-like appearance, so you might not want to wait.
With that all said then, here’s how to download the iOS 26 public beta.
How to install the iOS 26 public beta on your iPhone
Before you start, it’s worth making sure you have a compatible iPhone, but you likely do, since all models from the iPhone 11 onwards support iOS 26. You should also back up your iPhone, just in case you run into issues installing the beta.
With that done, actually getting the iOS 26 public beta is quite a quick and easy process. First, if you’re not already enrolled in the Apple Beta Software Program then head to the Apple beta page, and hit the ‘Sign up’ button, at which point you’ll be prompted to log into your Apple account – if you have multiple Apple accounts, make sure you use the one your iPhone is signed into.
If you’re already signed up for the Apple Beta Software Program then you can skip this step, but if in doubt, head to the above link and select the ‘Sign in’ option. If you’re already a member, then you’ll be able to sign in, if not then go back and select ‘Sign up’.
With that done, it’s now time to download the iOS 26 beta onto your iPhone. To do this, head to Settings > General > Software Update > Beta Updates, and select the beta you want. There may be multiple options, especially if you’ve also enrolled into the developer beta program, but the one you want in this instance is ‘iOS 26 Public Beta’.
Hit the back button to return to the ‘Software Update’ page, and you should see details of the relevant beta. Then just tap ‘Update Now’ or ‘Update Tonight’ to download it either immediately or overnight.
Once the update starts, simply wait for the beta to install, and then you’ll be able to try out all the iOS 26 goodies, which as well as a new look include a new Apple Games app, reworked Camera and Phone apps, improvements to Live Translation and the Shortcuts app, and many other things.
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