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.

Back in 2024, we described how the then-new iOS 18 enabled you to tint your homescreen icons, allowing you to tweak the look of your iPhone’s display. Now, with Apple’s introduction of its Liquid Glass design for iOS 26, you can make your icons completely clear ( assuming you’re a fan of the new invisible look).

Apple’s first iOS 26 public beta offers an early taste of a major software overhaul. Here are the biggest changes and features we tested.

OS 26 isn't quite ready to launch yet, but we're far enough along in the testing process that Apple is seeding the update out to millions

Get early access to the new translucent design, the latest Apple Intelligence tricks, call-screening tools and other goodies.

Beyond Liquid Glass, Apple is making giant updates to Control Center in a href=" title="iOS 26" data-kpt="1">iOS 26 that make this always handy iPhone feature become a powerhouse — once you learn how to use it to its fullest.

The fourth developer beta of iOS 26 introduces 12 new CarPlay wallpapers. The new CarPlay wallpapers are based on the official iOS 26 wallpaper

Apart from the selection tool, other interesting iOS 26 updates for the Messages app include Polls, Live Translation with Apple Intelligence, typing indicators for group chats, updated message filters, and natural language search.