People with Apple developer accounts have had all the fun with the iOS 26 beta so far (and yes, if you missed it, there’s a new naming system now), but now that the public betas are out, anyone can try the new features.
Setting up the public beta is slightly less involved than setting up the developer beta but just as free. And if you’re looking for help with the iPadOS 26 beta, you’re in the right place: the setup process is the same.
You should understand what you’re getting when you try a beta, though. For one, you won’t get all the new features at once; many of them will come later. Also, the fun of trying early features comes with the thrill of potential stability issues and excessive battery drain. And it’s rare these days, but Apple’s betas can break things, so be sure to back up your data before installing the beta.
What new features does iOS 26 have?
There’s a new design language called Liquid Glass, which means that you won’t be looking at a lot of items on your screen, but rather looking through them. There’s already some negative feedback on it, so Apple has made some changes from the developer version. Other improvements include updates to group chats, a call screening feature, and live translation, among others.
Which devices support iOS 26?
iOS 26 and iPadOS 26 will work with these devices:
iPhone
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 (second-gen or later)
iPad
iPad Pro (M4)
iPad Pro 12.9-inch (third-gen and later)
iPad Pro 11-inch (first-gen and later)
iPad Air (M3)
iPad Air (M2)
iPad Air (third-gen and later)
iPad (A16)
iPad (eighth-gen and later)
iPad Mini (A17 Pro)
iPad Mini (fifth-gen and later)
How to install the iOS 26 public beta
Getting set up to run the beta is a straightforward process. (And, as mentioned at the top, all of these steps work for iPadOS 26, too.)
First, make sure you’re on at least iOS / iPadOS 16.4 by going to Settings > General > About and checking your iOS version.
Sign up — and be sure to use the same Apple ID as the device you want to run the beta on. Once you’ve signed up, you can click on the tab for the OS you want to run a beta of (26 in this case), and you’ll see details on doing so. You’ll need to be signed up for the Apple beta program. If you’re not, visit this link and click— and be sure to use the same Apple ID as the device you want to run the beta on. Once you’ve signed up, you can click on the tab for the OS you want to run a beta of (26 in this case), and you’ll see details on doing so.
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...
Look for a new Beta Updates option and tap it. Check for the list of updates for your Apple ID — if you don’t see the one you want, tap the ID and pick Use a different Apple ID .
Choose iOS 26 Public Beta (or iPadOS 26 Public Beta ).
Go back to the previous screen and tap Update Now (or Update Tonight if you’d rather wait).
And you’re done!