iOS 26 is official and there is a lot to be enthusiastic about. With its unveiling on Monday at Apple’s Worldwide Developer Conference, a brand new developer beta is obtainable to put in for, properly, builders, but in addition anybody else keen to make the leap into potential unstable territory.
iOS 26 brings a model new Liquid Glass design language to your iPhone, providing a slick person interface that might be in step with the remainder of Apple’s software program and that was impressed by the VisionOS software program for the Vision Pro headset. And that is on prime of the entire visible enhancements that we acquired in iOS 18, final yr’s launch. (Apple is bypassing 19, leaping immediately from 18 to 26 in its numbering system.)
While some fans might be unfazed by the warnings, we’ll go over what you possibly can anticipate when you choose to put in the brand new iOS 26 developer beta in your iPhone.
For extra, make amends for the entire new bulletins at WWDC 2025.
Watch this: I’m Impressed With iOS 26. Apple Just Made iPhones Better
There’s nothing secure in regards to the ‘Developer beta’ builds
The polished iOS that Apple confirmed off on stage at its WWDC keynote on Monday was not the identical as what’s now obtainable within the developer construct. The developer construct will, undoubtedly, ship with bugs. That’s each anticipated and nice, for one purpose.
Developer betas are simply that — builds for builders to check their apps for compatibility — and much from one thing an finish person would be capable of dwell with on a day-to-day foundation. That’s additionally why Apple breaks its betas into developer builds and public beta builds — the latter of which might be extra usable for on a regular basis folks.
Exactly what may very well be damaged within the beta construct is anybody’s guess. Last yr, the iOS 18 Developer Preview had a number of points, together with sure apps refusing to open or force-closing, notifications not displaying up, and different normal points that may considerably put a damper on your complete cellphone expertise. Once we get our palms on the newest construct, we’ll do the soiled be just right for you, so you do not have to. If you intend on putting in the developer beta anyway, you possibly can take a look at our information now that it is dwell.
Watch this: Introducing iOS 26 at WWDC25
If you are going to set up the developer beta, make a backup first
If you determine to put in the developer beta, there’s an opportunity {that a} bug or efficiency problem will considerably impair your capability to make use of your cellphone, and also you may need to attend till the following beta launch for fixes. If you run right into a state of affairs like this, you will in all probability simply need to return to iOS 18 till the general public beta arrives — and when you do not need to make that stroll again an arduous mission, you must simply do your self a favor and make a backup of your iPhone earlier than putting in the developer beta.
Be warned that one of the best path to again up your iPhone could be iCloud and never your pc. While it ought to technically work, some bugs within the iOS 18 beta prevented their iPhones from being acknowledged on their computer systems, so some who made a backup by way of this technique had been unable to return to a extra secure model. That’s what can occur with the developer betas: vital points may need you ranging from scratch.
With that out of the way in which, this is how one can make a backup in your iPhone by way of iCloud:
- Settings
- Tap your identify
- Find and choose your system from the record
- Select iCloud Backup
- Tap Back Up Now
When to anticipate the iOS 26 public beta
Now that you’ve got been warned about what may occur with putting in the developer beta, you may need to save your self some stress by holding off for the general public beta — when you can climate the FOMO.
You can anticipate the iOS 26 public beta to go dwell someday in July.
For extra, take a look at what’s new in iPadOS 26.
