Apple wrapped up WWDC 25 last week and then dropped the first developer beta of iOS 26. This early release gives developers (and the most impatient enthusiasts) their first hands-on encounter with features and settings 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 transcript so you can decide whether to jump in or let it roll to voicemail. Its sidekick, Hold Assist, listens to the hold music for you and pings you the instant a real person comes on the line. And there’s a lot more.
By jumping straight from iOS 18 to iOS 26, Apple is syncing its mobile OS naming with the rest of its platforms and signaling a generational leap rather than the usual annual tune-up. It’s the biggest OS update since iOS 7, with updates and enhancements to pretty much every part of the iPhone.
If you want to try out any of these features, you can do so right now. Here’s how you can download iOS 26.
Watch this: I’m Impressed With iOS 26. Apple Just Made iPhones Better
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A quick warning before you download iOS 26
Yes, the iOS 26 developer beta is free, but remember it’s meant for developers, not day-to-day use. Early builds often carry bugs that can crash apps, drain your battery, overheat your phone and generally make your device feel sluggish. Unless you need to test software against Apple’s next release, it’s smarter to stick with the public beta, which will be released next month, on your main iPhone.
The iPhone 17, when it’s announced, will support iOS 26.
Which iPhone models support iOS 26?
As long as you own an iPhone 11 or newer, you can download iOS 26. That means the iPhone XR/XS generation is out, while every A13 Bionic handset forward, including the forthcoming iPhone 17 models, are included. Here’s the full list of compatible iPhone models that can run iOS 26:
Apple Intelligence works only on compatible phones, which include any iPhone 16 model and the iPhone 15 Pro and Pro Max.
What you need to know before you download the iOS 26 developer beta
Before you get too excited and start installing the iOS 26 developer beta, there are a few things you need to do:
- Check your hardware first. This beta runs only on iPhone 11 and newer. If you want the headline Apple Intelligence features, you’ll need an iPhone 15 Pro, 15 Pro Max or anything in the forthcoming iPhone 17 lineup.
- Update to the latest public release. Make sure your phone is already on the most current stable build (right now that’s iOS 18.5). This helps prevent any issues that arise from updating with outdated software.
- Have a good Wi-Fi connection. You want the install to go flawlessly, which means you should be connected to some pretty decent Wi-Fi.
- Have enough space on your phone. You need at least 15GB of space on your phone to download the iOS 26 developer beta.
- Archive a backup. A normal iCloud backup can be overwritten; you need one that can’t. On your Mac, connect your iPhone, open Finder, select your device, hit Back Up Now > Manage Backups, right-click the new backup and click Archive. On Windows, it’s pretty similar. Open iTunes, click Back Up Now, locate the backup in Preferences and archive it.
- Know the escape hatch. If the beta breaks your phone for any reason (this has never happened to me), you’ll have to put the phone in Recovery Mode, restore iOS 18.5, and then pull that archived backup back onto the device.
Once you’ve followed these steps, you’re pretty much ready to go.
How to install the iOS 26 developer beta on your iPhone
Apple now lets anyone install developer betas without paying the $99 annual fee. To do so, visit the Apple Developer site on the device you plan to update, open the ☰ menu, choose Account, and sign in with that device’s Apple ID. Agree to the terms, tick the required boxes, and tap Submit. You may also need to enable Developer Mode in Settings > Privacy and Security.
Now you can install the iOS 26 developer beta on your phone as an over-the-air update:
- After you sign up for the Apple Developer program, you should see the option to download the iOS 26 developer beta in your settings.
- On your device, open Settings > General > Software Update > Beta Updates and choose the iOS 26 Developer Beta.
- Go back and tap Download and Install under the new “iOS 26 Developer Beta” option that appears.
The iOS 26 developer beta is 15.28GB in size.
Finally, punch in your passcode, accept the T&C, and let the installer do its thing. On a decent Wi-Fi connection, the download-and-reboot routine should take roughly 10 to 15 minutes, but that may vary. When your iPhone powers back on, you’ll be running the iOS 26 developer beta.
