As we edge closer to the official release of iOS 26, which should happen sometime in September, Apple is busy working on its beta.
Whether you’ve already downloaded iOS 26 beta 6, you’re debating whether or not to take the plunge, or you just want to see what you should expect from the official release, you’re in luck.
We’ve detailed the new features found on iOS 26 beta 6 below. For a more comprehensive overview of the operating system, visit our dedicated iOS 26 guide.
What’s new on iOS 26 beta 6?
The iOS 26 beta 6 aims to refine the operating system by fixing bugs and issues while improving the overall experience. One of the standout features of iOS 26 is its new Liquid Glass design, and there are also plenty of tweaks that make the interface more usable.
Introductory video
Once you update to iOS 26 beta 6, you’ll be greeted with an Introductory Video which gives an overview of the new features found within the operating system.
New toggles
iOS 26 beta 6 has slightly updated the classic toggle design that’s found across the iPhone Settings app. Now when turning a toggle on or off, you’ll see a small glass-like dome over. This is purely a design update, and shouldn’t necessarily affect how you interact with your phone.
Updated Liquid Glass translucency
This is an update which will likely divide users. Firstly, although it still has a frosted effect, the clock on the Lock Screen is now more transparent than before. Similarly, the passcode buttons are now also more transparent.
Moving away from the Lock Screen, you’ll find the navigation bars across apps are also more transparent. However, these bars should adapt according to the background to help improve readability.
While there isn’t a way to turn off Liquid Glass completely, you can reduce the transparency level via your iPhone’s Accessibility Settings.
A total of seven new ringtones
If you’re anything like me, then you haven’t heard your phone actually make a noise since the early 2010s. However, Apple wants to change this with seven additional ringtones to choose from.
They’re not all new compositions, though; six are actually variants of the default Reflection ringtone. The new ringtones include:
- Buoyant
- Dreamer
- Tech
- Pop
- Reflected (a renamed version of Alt 1 that launched with the second beta of iOS 26)
- Surge
There’s also a brand new ringtone called Little Bird.
Revert on the Camera app
If you’ve been keeping up with the iOS 26 betas, then you’ll be well aware that Apple previously changed the swipe direction for shooting modes in the Camera app. This was a seriously controversial decision, which led Apple to create a toggle in its last beta that allowed users to revert the camera app to its original form manually.
Now, the whole incident has been erased, with shooting mode back to the way it’s always been.
Faster app openings
A small but not insignificant update with iOS 26 beta 6 is the speed at which apps now open on your Home Screen. While the contents of the app won’t necessarily load any faster, opening the app is now undeniably faster than before.
How to get the iOS 26 beta?
Although fall is just around the corner, you might be starting to feel impatient and are keen to get your hands on iOS 26. Our guide on how to download iOS 26 beta details the steps you need to follow in order to try iOS 26 ahead of its official release.
However, as iOS betas can be quite temperamental, we’d recommend that you don’t install it on your main iPhone. If you’re still willing to take the risk, then just make sure you back up all your data beforehand.
