Apple rolls out iOS 26 beta; Are you eligible to get it?

After announcing it was launching its new operating system, Apple has already started rolling out the iOS 26 beta for developers, and there are ways to find out if you’re eligible to use it and how you can get your hands on it.

Indeed, the tech giant has just previewed the upcoming software update on WWDC 2025, which includes a new Liquid Glass interface design and changes in the apps themselves, including the Phone, Messages, FaceTime, and CarPlay apps – just to name a few. According to Apple, the upgrade is coming this fall.

Can you get the iOS 26 beta?

That said, the company has also released an iOS 26 developer beta – for which you don’t even need to have developing skills to get access, thanks to a change in policy a few years ago that allows anyone with an Apple ID to download developer betas like the one for iOS 26.

In other words, if you have an Apple ID, you can get started with iOS 26 beta. The only other thing you need is to enroll in Apple’s developer program through the enrollment page on Apple’s developer website. Simply sign in with an Apple ID associated with the iPhone where you intend to install the beta.

Then, visit the Apple beta program website on your iPhone and tap the ‘Sign Up’ option, select ‘Enroll your iOS device,’ and then press the ‘Open Beta Updates’ button. A screen in your Settings app will appear, prompting you to turn on beta updates so you can download them to your phone.

Another thing to note if you plan to download the iOS 26 beta is that your phone has to support it. This includes the current iOS 18 on all devices except the iPhone XR, iPhone XS, and iPhone XS Max, which are outside Apple’s support window, given that they first shipped in 2018.

Also, you’ll need an iPhone 11 or later which has at least an A17 Bionic chipset required by Apple Intelligence features in iOS 26, which means an iPhone 15 Pro, iPhone 15 Pro Max, or any iPhone 16. 

How to download the iOS 26 beta?

After enrolling in the developer program, make sure to back up your iPhone. Then, open the Settings app on your phone, and select ‘General’ and then ‘Software Update.’ Choose ‘Beta Updates’ and select the ‘iOS 26 Developer Beta,’ then press the ‘Back’ button.

The iOS 26 beta will show up as a downloadable option, so tap ‘Update Now’ and follow the provided instructions. And that’s it. Just remember that this is still a beta version of the final product, so there might be lots of glitches and bugs (which is why you should back up your phone first, just to be safe).

Elsewhere, Apple also extended its Tap to Pay payment service on iPhone to users in eight more European countries in late May, including Belgium, Croatia, Cyprus, Denmark, Greece, Iceland, Luxembourg, and Malta, allowing millions of merchants to securely accept in-person contactless payments via iPhone.