iOS 26 is here for early adopters. Apple has released the iOS 26 developer beta right after hosting the WWDC 2025 keynote. If you’re eager to try out the next iOS release early, here is a guide to download and install iOS 26 Developer Beta on your iPhone.
iOS 26, also known as iOS 19, comes with a new design language featuring a translucent design, which Apple calls Liquid Glass. It is similar to glassmorphism but not polished enough. Not just the UI, the new iOS 26 also brings various new features like more personalization tools, new animations, live translation, and more.
With the major changes, anyone would be tempted to try out the new iOS 26 before its official public release. However, not all devices are eligible for this iOS 26 update. Unfortunately, a few iPhone models have been dropped from the new iOS release. Here’s the list of supported iPhone models.
- iPhone 16e
- iPhone 16
- iPhone 16 Plus
- iPhone 16 Pro
- iPhone 16 Pro Max
- iPhone 15
- iPhone 15 Plus
- iPhone 15 Pro
- iPhone 15 Pro Max
- iPhone 14
- iPhone 14 Plus
- iPhone 14 Pro
- iPhone 14 Pro Max
- iPhone 13
- iPhone 13 mini
- iPhone 13 Pro
- iPhone 13 Pro Max
- iPhone 12
- iPhone 12 mini
- iPhone 12 Pro
- iPhone 12 Pro Max
- iPhone 11
- iPhone 11 Pro
- iPhone 11 Pro Max
- iPhone SE (2nd generation and later)
How to Get iOS 26 Dev Beta Early
If your iPhone is on the list, you’re eligible for the iOS 26 Developer Beta 1. While everything seems promising on the announcement side, you should not install the first beta immediately, as it has many bugs and not everyone likes the new iOS design. But if you have an iPhone as a secondary device or you don’t care about the bugs, you can proceed with the installation guide below.
Luckily, you don’t require a developer account to test the iOS 26 developer beta. This means anyone can get the iOS 26 dev beta on their iPhone.
- First, backup your data to iCloud or locally. Ensure your device has enough space, which is at least 20 GB, for safe installation.
- On your phone, navigate to Settings > General > Software Update.
- Tap on Beta updates, if it isn’t available, refresh the page.
- Under beta updates, choose iOS 26 Developer Beta and go back to the software update.
- It will search for new updates, wait for it. Once iOS 26 Beta shows up, you can download and install it on your iPhone.
It will take a lot of time during installation, and it may even restart multiple times. Don’t panic, this is normal.
While Apple allows everyone to get iOS 26 Developer Beta by removing the requirement of a developer account, I suggested waiting for the public beta, which is expected to be released in the next few weeks. It will be more polished and free of major bugs.
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