On Monday, Apple launched its second developer beta for iOS 26. Whereas the replace is usually right here to repair bugs and glitches discovered within the first beta, Apple did take the chance to incorporate some new options and modifications that weren’t prepared for beta 1—not less than eight, actually.
To be clear, iOS 26 is presently in beta testing, and isn’t typically out there to the general public but. What’s extra, that is the developer beta, which is supposed for software program builders to check their apps inside Apple’s new OS. Whereas anybody can set up the beta on their iPhones, I don’t suggest it, because it’s nonetheless too unstable. You might discover your iPhone unusable or lose knowledge in the event you uninstall the beta and not using a correct backup.
Whether or not you are operating the beta otherwise you’re simply interested in what’s new, listed below are eight of my favourite options and modifications I’ve seen reported from Apple’s second iOS 26 beta.
Management Middle’s Liquid Glass impact
The very first thing you will most likely discover if you set up iOS 26 in your iPhone (or any of Apple’s upcoming updates, actually) is the brand new Liquid Glass design. It is exhausting to overlook: The entire UI parts—together with menu bars, home windows, and buttons—now tackle a “glassy” impact that exhibits the weather behind them, albeit blurred and distorted.
Whereas there are many opinions about this redesign, I feel it is fairly cool, and it is refreshing to see Apple combine up its design in a serious method for the primary time in over a decade. That stated, the preliminary design that rolled out with the primary iOS 26 beta wasn’t excellent. Management Middle, specifically, was a little bit of a large number: As typical, it incorporates a grid of tiles, solely now they’re fabricated from “glass,” letting in an excessive amount of of the background. It is troublesome to see; it is messy; it is simply not very Apple.
The corporate clearly went again to the drafting board for beta 2, as a result of Management Middle now seems to be method completely different. Apple considerably lowered the transparency impact, to the purpose the place I would not blame you for considering nothing had modified from iOS 18 in any respect.
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It is objectively simpler to see the tiles now, however I do surprise if Apple might strike a greater stability right here. I recognize the necessity for visibility and ease, however I do like the brand new glassy look, and it would be a disgrace if that design was compromised by the necessity to cut back the impact too usually. It is nonetheless early but, so we’ll see the place Liquid Glass finally ends up on the finish of beta testing.
The transparency will be lowered much more
Earlier than Apple toned down Management Middle’s Liquid Glass impact in beta 2, beta testers had been in search of methods to cut back the impact on their very own. Because it occurs, “Scale back Transparency,” an present accessibility characteristic, will get the job executed, reducing down on the clear results all through iOS.
With the most recent beta, Apple has boosted Scale back Transparency’s results much more. It looks like that is going to be the official workaround for limiting Apple’s new design, not less than at this level.
A brand new ringtone
Apple final up to date its ringtone choice with iOS 17 again in 2023. Earlier than that, its tones had stayed the identical since iOS 7, save for “Reflection,” the ringtone Apple shipped with the iPhone X in 2017.
Reflection is now the default ringtone on all iPhones, and whilst you can change it to any of Apple’s different tones (and even certainly one of your individual), the corporate would like you may have one other model of Reflection to work with. With beta 2, Apple added Alt 1 as an choice beneath Reflection, with the unique ringtone now labeled as “Default.” Because it occurs, the brand new ringtone was noticed within the IPSW file of the primary beta, however Apple solely added it to the ringtone settings with this newest replace.
You may hear the brand new ringtone under. I feel it is fairly nice, although I am undecided why Apple was dead-set on calling this an alternate model of Reflection. It sounds completely different sufficient to me that it might have been its personal ringtone.
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Apple Music has a brand new Residence Display screen widget: Reside Radio. When you continuously take heed to Apple Music’s varied radio stations, you possibly can add this widget to your iPhone’s Residence Display screen to pick out a station with no need to open Apple Music first.
What do you suppose thus far?
Safari’s tab choices are again
With the primary iOS 26 beta, Apple’s redesigned Safari additionally moved the location of the tab buttons. When you’re utilizing an iPhone with iOS 18, you are possible used to those choices being on the underside of the display screen. That is not the case with iOS 26, as Apple moved them to the highest.
Maybe Apple obtained one too many complaints from beta testers whose muscle reminiscences failed them whereas looking the net, as a result of these buttons are actually again on the underside.
We now know what Low Energy Mode actually does
You may use Low Energy Mode to eke out as a lot time as doable when your iPhone’s battery begins to die—however do you actually know what the characteristic is doing?
We have solely been capable of speculate up till this level, as the present description in iOS 18 says: “Low Energy Mode quickly reduces background exercise like downloads and mail fetch till you possibly can totally cost your iPhone.” But it surely clearly does greater than this, as anybody with a high-refresh fee iPhone can attest that Low Energy Mode cuts the refresh fee of 120Hz to 60Hz.
iOS 26 beta 2 provides us a lot extra element, per MacRumors. The outline now reads: “iPhone will quickly cut back some background actions, processing velocity, show refresh fee and brightness, and restrict sure options corresponding to 5G, iCloud syncing, mail fetch, and extra.”
Whereas this nonetheless won’t cowl all bases, Apple is now confirming that Low Energy Mode not solely stops apps from operating within the background, but in addition does issues like cut back processing velocity and restrict demanding mobile connections.
Order monitoring in Apple Pockets is now dwell
Apple initially introduced the power to trace your orders in Apple Pockets throughout WWDC, however as of beta 2, the characteristic is now dwell. Whenever you replace, you will see an choice to scan the Mail app for orders from firms, which is able to then seem in Pockets. You may see which orders have been positioned, which have shipped, and that are out for supply.
Apple confirms you possibly can restore your iPhone and not using a Mac or PC
As MacRumors studies, the preliminary iOS 26 beta contained the power to revive your iPhone and not using a separate pc—a primary for Apple. However with beta 2, Apple confirmed the change in its launch notes, saying: “Restoration Assistant is a brand new solution to recuperate your system if it would not begin up usually. It could actually search for issues and try to resolve them if discovered.”
