As expected, Apple has finally released the iOS 26 public beta for users eager to test the upcoming iOS release but prefer not to install the developer beta. Following its announcement at the WWDC opening keynote, Apple rolled out the iOS 26 developer beta. Since then, the tech giant has released a total of four developer beta builds. Finally, iOS 26 is now available in public beta.
Apple usually follows a consistent pattern with its beta rollout schedule. So it was expected that the iOS 26 public beta would arrive a week later after the third developer beta. But this time, we also got to see a fourth beta just before the Public beta. Also, the fourth developer beta is re-released to match the build number with the first public beta.
Today, Apple released the public beta of iOS 26 along with the iOS 26 Beta 4 re-release. Talking about eligibility, iPhone 11 and later models are eligible for iOS 26.
Both the iOS 26 public beta and Beta 4 re-release are available with build number 23A5297m. Since it’s the first public beta release, the update size exceeds 9GB, which also varies depending on your iPhone model. It’s recommended to use Wi-Fi for downloading the update smoothly.
iOS 26 introduces several new features, including the new Liquid Glass design, which you may have already seen on the Internet. The first developer beta was shipped with more bugs than we’ve seen in the last few years, but it’s improved a lot after the developer beta 4 release. This means that the first public beta of iOS 26 is also almost free of major bugs. Since the OS is still in testing phase, you’ll come across some bugs.
If you previously skipped the developer beta due to bugs but still want to try iOS 26, the public beta is now available as a more stable option. To join public beta, go to Settings > General > Software Update > Beta Updates. Here you need to select the iOS 26 Public Beta and go back to Software Update. The iOS 26 public beta should appear on your device.
Following the same method, users on the developer beta can also switch to iOS 26 public beta.
Before you decide to install the iOS 26 public beta, it’s recommended to back up your device, either locally or to the cloud. This is important in case you want to roll back to a previous version later.
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