Testing with developer and public beta versions went smoothly for even the oldest supported models. But there are safety measures if upgrading to the beta or release version goes awry.

iOS 26 brings a new translucent "Liquid Glass" look, the latest on-device Apple Intelligence perks (real-time translation and a smarter Visual Intelligence search ), and phone and text upgrades like built-in call screening and in-chat polls.

Next, you’ll need to start the update. Visit Settings > General > Software Update. If you’re not new to beta updates, you may immediately see the iOS 26 Beta (or iPad OS 26 Public Beta) selection. In that case, you can skip the next two steps. Otherwise...