Apple Unleashes iOS 26, macOS Tahoe 26 Public Betas: Experience “Liquid Glass” & Major OS Overhauls

Apple has officially released the first public beta versions of iOS 26, iPadOS 26, macOS Tahoe 26, watchOS 26, and tvOS 26, granting the broader public early access to a reimagined operating system experience. Among the highlights are the introduction of a striking new design language called “Liquid Glass” and a suite of features aimed at enhancing usability and productivity.

One of the most significant updates since iOS 7, the new interface overhaul introduces “Liquid Glass,” a sleek and translucent visual aesthetic that evokes a futuristic sense of interaction while harmonizing the design language across all Apple platforms.

In a notable departure from tradition, Apple has also abandoned its numerical versioning in favor of a year-based naming scheme, simplifying the understanding of its release cadence—hence, this year’s iteration is labeled simply “26.”

In iOS 26, users can now personalize their lock screen with customizable backgrounds and messages. The iMessage experience has also been elevated with the addition of polling features and Live Translation, enabling seamless multilingual communication across Messages, FaceTime, and voice calls.

Apple’s ongoing investment in “Visual Intelligence” sees further advancement in this release, allowing users to interact directly with on-screen content, now augmented by on-device AI inference. The update also introduces “Call Filtering” and “Hold Assist” features, empowering users to screen unfamiliar calls and delegate hold times to their device, thereby refining the calling experience.

iPadOS 26 is being hailed as the most transformative productivity update for iPad in years, finally bringing desktop-style window management to the platform. Features include advanced multitasking, a collapsible Menu Bar, and the long-awaited arrival of macOS staples such as Preview and Exposé, significantly narrowing the functionality gap between iPad Pro and MacBook devices.

Continuing its tradition of naming macOS versions after American landmarks, Apple has christened the new release “macOS Tahoe 26.” The update integrates the iPhone’s Phone app and Live Activities for real-time updates, while an enhanced Spotlight now allows direct app execution, streamlining everyday tasks.

On the wearables front, watchOS 26 introduces “Workout Buddy,” a virtual fitness coach that uses AI to analyze users’ workout history and provide real-time vocal encouragement and tips—for example, “You’ve hit your activity goals six days in a row—amazing work!” This further cements the Apple Watch’s role as a personalized health and fitness companion.

While these public beta releases are relatively stable, Apple cautions that they remain in preview and may contain bugs or cause increased battery consumption. Users interested in trying them are strongly advised to back up their data beforehand to prevent potential data loss due to instability.

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• iOS 26 Unveils Enhanced Apps with “Liquid Glass” & Apple Intelligence