iOS 18.6 Release Candidate Beta Released Alongside macOS 15.6 RC and More for Both Public and Developers

As everyone debates over the opacity of Liquid Glass coming to iOS, iPadOS and other Apple operating systems this fall, the Cupertino tech giant has seeded the release candidate builds of iOS 18.6, macOS 15.6 and others to both developer and public channels. The updates aren't big on features and apart from some changes addressing the EU, there don't seem to be any new features coming to the various operating systems.

According to 9to5Mac, the arrival of the iOS 18.6 RC beta does indicate that the final build will be seeded within a week's time. The list of software updates being seeded on both developer and public channels include RC versions of OS 18.6, iPadOS 18.6, macOS 15.6, tvOS 18.6, watchOS 11.6 and HomePad 18.6. Meanwhile, the Vision OS 2.6 is only available to developers.

Given that Apple is also working on the bigger and more important iOS 26 builds for iPhone simultaneously, the new iOS 18.6 beta does not have any new or noticeable features. The updates mainly address the EU-related concerns for the third-party app marketplaces for app downloads.

Meanwhile, many Apple fans await the company's decision about its all-encompassing Liquid Glass theme, which has been the topic of major debates online, with one camp rooting for clear glass-like transparency while the other is happy with the translucent design of the last developer beta 3 update. The upcoming public beta (although not final) kind of attempts to lock down on certain features before adding more to the developer builds, so all eyes are on what Apple decides to do with its Liquid Glass theme.

Apple's iOS 26 update, aside from the Liquid Glass design interface, also brings plenty of changes to the software interface. Key among these is a smoother or more animated interface with a feeling of fluidity, changes to the lockscreen's design, and updated icons in terms of cosmetic changes. Other changes or upgrades include a new Live Translation feature in Messages, a more useful and accessible Visual Intelligence search, Call Screening, and more.