Apple will launch iOS 26 in three phases: the developer beta, public beta, and finally, the official “general” release.
Developer beta
The first developer beta of iOS 26 was released on June 9 during WWDC 2025. Following this, subsequent developer betas, including beta 3, were released.
Public beta
The public beta is expected to start in mid-July.
Apple typically opens its public beta program a few weeks after WWDC. For instance, last year’s iOS 18 public beta went live in mid-July. This program lets anyone — not just registered developers — test early software, helping Apple identify and fix bugs or performance issues before the final release.
General release
Apple officially released iOS 18 out of beta on Sept. 16, just one week after its “Glowtime” event.
Likewise, once iOS 26 completes its developer and public beta testing this summer, Apple is expected to roll out the final version to everyone this fall.
