After a month of exclusive beta testing for developers, Apple is now opening up the gates for iOS 26 public beta testers. While this update has arrived a few days after the fourth test version of the developer’s build, you shouldn’t forget that this build is also a work in progress, and the experience might not be as smooth as you’d hope.
That said, if you’re adventurous enough to try iOS 26’s upcoming features before everyone else, you’ll find there are a lot of new things to take advantage of, including the new Liquid Glass design, improved Apple Intelligence capabilities, and several little tricks Apple didn’t tell you about during the WWDC 2025 keynote.
With that in mind, don’t forget to backup your iPhone and read our guide on how to download the public beta. After that, you should read on to find out about eight iOS 26 features that are worth checking out as soon as you join the Apple Beta Software Program for iOS 26.
iOS 26 features you should try right now
Of course, the first new feature you should test out is the new Liquid Glass design. While it has been generating a lot of debate online due to its transparency, Apple has been tweaking it with every new test build. iOS 26 public beta testers get their a first look at this revamped UI in action. Apple calls it “beautiful, delightful, and instantly familiar.” Users will get a unique experience everywhere on the phone, including the Lock Screen, Home Screen, Control Center, apps, icons, and more.
If you have an iPhone 15 Pro or newer, you’ll be pleased to know that Apple now offers onscreen ChatGPT awareness. You can now ask the AI questions about what’s on your screen. Another important AI change available in the iOS 26 public beta is the Live Translation functionality. On Messages, Phone, and FaceTime, you can automatically receive translated text and audio when talking to your international friends.
One of the features I like the most in the iOS 26 public beta is the ability to use an Apple Intelligence-powered chatbot. Here’s how to create yours. If you’re an Apple Music user, you’ll discover that Apple gave it a revamp with iOS 26 public beta, and my favorite feature is the ability to auto-pin your favorite songs; you can have up to six shortcuts of artists, albums, songs, and playlists ready to be played in a tap.
For Messages app users, Apple is adding a series of exciting new features, including polls, wallpaper support, and the ability to screen new senders, which adds a new folder for unknown numbers that message you.
iOS 26 supported devices
As of iOS 26, Apple will no longer support the iPhone XR and iPhone XS lineup with major software updates. These are the models that will receive iOS 26 when it launches this fall:
- iPhone 11
- iPhone 11 Pro and 11 Pro Max
- iPhone SE (2nd gen)
- iPhone 12 mini and iPhone 12
- iPhone 12 Pro and iPhone 12 Pro Max
- iPhone 13 mini and iPhone 13
- iPhone 13 Pro and iPhone 13 Pro Max
- iPhone SE (3rd gen)
- iPhone 14 and iPhone 14 Plus
- iPhone 14 Pro and iPhone 14 Pro Max
- iPhone 15 and iPhone 15 Plus
- iPhone 15 Pro and iPhone 15 Pro Max
- iPhone 16 and iPhone 16 Plus
- iPhone 16 Pro and iPhone 16 Pro Max
- iPhone 16e
Alongside iOS 26 public beta 1, Apple is also making the first public beta versions of iPadOS 26, macOS Tahoe, watchOS 26, and tvOS 26 available to iPad, Mac, Apple Watch, and Apple TV owners.
