Apple releases new beta builds of all its flashy new Liquid Glass-ified OS updates
No "public beta" yet, but these are usually more usable than the first betas.
As with any operating system that ushers in a major new look and feel, this year's Apple operating systems and their new Liquid Glass aesthetic will likely merit some extra attention from power users who want to see all the new stuff and developers who suddenly need to acclimate to a new design language. Apple put out one early beta build of all of its new operating systems after its Worldwide Developers Conference keynote a couple of weeks ago—these updates are the first to standardize on year-based version numbering, making them all version 26—and today the company has formally released the second developer betas of iOS 26, iPadOS 26, macOS 26, and most of its other updates.
For those who don't normally dabble in Apple's beta programs, the company offers two tracks: a developer beta and a public beta. The developer beta builds are offered earlier but tend to be buggier and less stable, and they change more from release to release. The public betas, which typically hit in mid- to late-July, are usually roughly the same code as the third or fourth developer beta and represent a nearer-to-final, more stable experience. Once the public betas begin, both developer and public beta builds are usually updated more or less in lockstep, though the developer betas are still usually available slightly earlier.
Apple used to gate its developer betas behind a $99-per-year developer program paywall. While app developers who want to distribute apps on Apple's App Stores still need to pay that fee, two years ago Apple began making developer betas available to anyone who signed up for a free developer account.
