iOS 26 beta 1 now available to developers ahead of fall release

Image: Apple Inc.

Following the WWDC 2025 keynote, Apple has just made iOS 26 beta 1 available to developers. The company is also releasing the first beta of iPadOS 26, macOS Tahoe, watchOS 26, tvOS 26, and visionOS 26 to developers.

With iOS 26 beta 1, users can expect an all-new design. Apple says it “makes apps and system experiences more expressive and delightful, while keeping iOS instantly familiar.”

For example, the Phone app offers a unified layout that combines Favorites, Recents, and Voicemails in one place. In Messages, users can now screen messages from unknown senders. iOS 26 beta 1 also brings a poll feature and the ability to generate unique backgrounds taht fit their conversation with Image Playground.

Apple Music got a new Lyric Translation feature, which helps users understand the words to their favorite songs. With Lyrics Pronunciation, everyone can sing along, regardless of language. A new AutoMix feature uses intelligence to transition from one song to the other like a DJ would.

iOS 26 beta 1 will also start adding new Apple Intelligence features, including Genmoji and Image Playground updates, as it will be possible to mix emoji, Genmoji, and descriptions together to create something new.

How to download iOS 26 beta 1

With a public beta expected to be available in July, the iOS 26 beta 1 can only be downloaded by developers. If you are a registered developer, follow the steps below:

On your iPhone, open the Settings app
Tap on General and then Software Update
Tap on Beta Updates and change the iOS 18 Developer Beta to iOS 26 Developer Beta

Make sure your added Apple Account is registered as a developer. Then, you’ll see iOS 26 beta 1 appear on your device as an option to install, and you’ll be able to download it.

Compatible devices

The back of Apple’s iPhone 16 Pro Image source: Christian de Looper for BGR

Apple dropped support for iPhone XR, iPhone XS, and iPhone XS Max. That said, these are all compatible iPhone models with iOS 26 beta 1:

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

Don’t Miss: iOS 26 unveiled with new Liquid Glass design language and major app updates

This article talks about:

José Adorno Tech News Reporter

José is a Tech News Reporter at BGR. He has previously covered Apple and iPhone news for 9to5Mac, and was a producer and web editor for Latin America broadcaster TV Globo. He is based out of Brazil.