Apple has released the second developer betas for iOS 26 and iPadOS 26, two weeks after the initial betas were seeded following the WWDC keynote. These updates introduce Apple’s new “Liquid Glass” design, which emphasizes translucency and glass-like elements across the Lock Screen, Home Screen, Control Center, and within app menus and buttons.
Key new features in iOS 26 and iPadOS 26 include enhancements to Messages, Phone, and Apple Music, along with new Apple Intelligence capabilities. iPadOS 26 also brings a redesigned multitasking system, allowing for multiple app windows to provide a more Mac-like user experience.
In the second developer betas of iOS 26 and iPadOS 26, 9to5Mac has highlighted several key changes and new features:
What’s New or Changed in Beta 2 (According to 9to5Mac):
- Control Center’s transparent background has been adjusted for improved legibility, now featuring a darker color and significantly more blur.
- The “Alt 1” ringtone is now present under “Reflections” in Settings, a feature that was previously discoverable in code but not visible in the UI.
- Unknown sender notifications in the Phone app now utilize a blue notification badge, distinguishing them from other alert badges that typically appear in red.
- ChatGPT now differentiates between request types, categorizing them as “Image Limit” and “Other Requests”.
- Apple Music has gained a new Live Radio widget, which 9to5Mac suggests is great for CarPlay.
- The stock iPhone wallpaper collection makes a return in Beta 2. This collection includes wallpaper options unique to each iPhone model, which couldn’t be restored in Beta 1 if they were deleted.
- Safari controls within the “More Menu” (…) have been reorganized, featuring a different sort order and updated icons, though their functionality remains the same.
While currently restricted to registered developers, a public beta of iOS 26 and iPadOS 26 is expected in July, with the official release slated for the fall.
Did you find something new that we haven’t reported on? Comment down below or tag us on X @appleosophy.
