Apple announced in June that the release of iOS 26 would first appear as developer betas as usual, with the first public beta set for July. When it reaches general release it will be on the 2025 releases, iPhone 17 series, as well the iPhone 16 series and plenty of much earlier models.

With iOS 26, Apple is introducing a refreshed interface, deeper personalisation options, and a series of AI-powered features under the new Apple Intelligence banner.

After that, navigate to Settings > General > Software Update on your compatible iPhone, and choose “iOS 26 public beta”. You should then see the option to download and install the beta software. You can read about our first experiences with iOS 26 here.