iOS 26 Public Beta with Liquid Glass UI & Apple Intelligence Eligible iPhones & Install Guide

Apple’s Biggest iOS Redesign Since iOS 7

Apple has officially launched the iOS 26 Public Beta as of July 24, 2025, marking a major design overhaul called Liquid Glass, along with powerful new Apple Intelligence features. If you're eager to experience next‑gen UI, live translation, smarter AI tools, and more—before the stable release in September—this guide has you covered.

What Is the Liquid Glass UI?

Design Language: Liquid Glass is a new translucent, glass‑like interface inspired by visionOS, applied across iOS, iPadOS, macOS (Tahoe), watchOS, and tvOS

Visual Effects: Menus, icons, buttons, and Control Center elements now reflect and refract light dynamically, with layered translucency that adapts to environment, motion, and content 

Usability Adjustments:

Beta 3 rolled back transparency to improve readability due to mixed user reactions 

Beta 4 reinstates more of the original glassy visual feel in key areas like App Store and Photos, while balancing legibility 

Reception: Visuals receive praise for innovation, while some criticize reduced contrast. Consensus: it's bold, evolving, and divisive 

Which iPhones Support iOS 26 Public Beta?

Model	iOS 26 Support	Apple Intelligence Features
iPhone 11 Series and newer	✅	❌ (basic features only)
iPhone SE (2nd gen) and up	✅	❌
iPhone 12 / 13 / 14 Series	✅	✅ on Pro/Pro Max? limited
iPhone 15 / 16 Series	✅	✅ Full support

Official compatibility begins with iPhone 11 and later, including iPhone SE 2022 

Apple Intelligence (AI) features like Live Translation, Visual Intelligence, and Genmoji require an A17 Pro chip or newer—currently found in iPhone 15 Pro/Pro Max and iPhone 16 series 

Key New Features Beyond UI

Major enhancements homeowners and early testers will notice:

Call Screening and Hold Assist: Screen unknown calls and have your device queue on hold for you 

Live Translation: Real‑time, on‑device translation during calls, Messages, and FaceTime if you have the supported hardware 

Genmoji & Image Playground: Create AI‑powered emoji mashups and custom visuals, integrated with ChatGPT support 

Games App: A centralized hub for game updates, Apple Arcade, leaderboards, and social features

Upgraded Messaging: Custom chat backgrounds, in-chat polls, typing indicators delivered on Messages and group chats 

Redesigned Built‑in Apps: Updates across Camera, Photos, Safari, Music, FaceTime, and more aligned with Liquid Glass design 

Why Try the Public Beta?

Early Access: Get a preview of iOS 26 ahead of the official public release, currently expected in September 2025 

More Stable Than Developer Beta: No developer account or fee needed, improved stability, fewer crashes than Developer Betas 

Feedback Opportunity: Report bugs and issues to Apple via Feedback Assistant, helping shape the final product.

Note: Betas can be buggy. It's advised to backup and consider using a secondary device for testing 

How to Install iOS 26 Public Beta

Backup Your Device: Use Finder (Mac) or iTunes (Windows) to create a full backup.

Enroll in Apple's Beta Program:

Visit beta.apple.com via Safari and sign in with your Apple ID 

Install Beta Profile: Follow prompts to enroll your device—no developer account required.

Enable Beta Updates:
Go to Settings > General > Software Update > Beta Updates.

Select iOS 26 Public Beta when available 

Download & Install:

Go to Settings > General > Software Update.

Tap Download and Install, ensure Wi‑Fi and battery ≥ 50% or plugged in.

Update size ranges around 7 GB and typically takes 15–30 minutes to install 

Restart & Set Up: Follow on-screen prompts; once rebooted, you'll be running iOS 26 Public Beta.

Tips & Best Practices

Use a Secondary Device: Don’t install on your main iPhone if you rely on it for daily use; beta bugs can disrupt.

Adjust Readability: If transparency makes text hard to read, toggle accessibility or contrast settings.

Provide Feedback: Use Apple’s Beta Feedback Assistant to report bugs or UI glitches.

Stay Updated: Monitor regular Beta updates—Beta 4 has already refined transparency and added stability and personalization tweaks including lock screen and icon options

A Bold Leap Forward

Apple’s iOS 26 Public Beta delivers a dramatic visual shift with Liquid Glass, plus powerful AI enhancements and revamped apps. While opinions on the design are mixed, Apple is clearly listening—refining opacity and accessibility through beta iterations. For users with eligible iPhones, this is a rare opportunity to shape the future of iOS—and to experience the next wave of interface design and intelligence before September’s full release.

TL;DR Summary

iOS 26 Public Beta launched on July 24, 2025 with Liquid Glass UI, Apple Intelligence features, and revamped apps 

Supports iPhone 11 and newer, Apple Intelligence features limited to iPhone 15 Pro / Pro Max and newer devices 

Install via Apple Beta Software Program—easy, free, and available via Settings > Software Update 

Experience Liquid Glass—see-through, dynamic UI; may require fine-tuning for readability 

New Features: real-time translation, Genmoji, smarter calls, redesigned Game app, messaging upgrades, and more