Apple says iOS 26 will be offered as a free over-the-air (OTA) update for iPhone later this year.
iOS 26 was previewed at WWDC 2025 on June 9
Photo Credit: Apple
Apple on Monday released iOS 26 Beta 3 for iPhone. The latest update brings several visual tweaks over the previous iteration that was introduced in June. As per the Cupertino-based tech giant, there are more colour choices for the stock wallpaper for home and lock screens. The update is said to have also adjusted the appearance of the new Liquid Glass interface, which now has a darker colouration in several apps as compared to the iOS 26 Beta 2 update.
One of the key changes in iOS 26 Beta 3 is the appearance of the Liquid Glass UI. Introduced at WWDC 2025, Apple said it brings glass-like iconography to the iPhone. It is a translucent material design which reflects and refracts its surrounding visual elements.The company then rolled out the new design with the initial iOS 26 Beta 1 update, but feedback has been far from positive.
Some users complained about text being unreadable when a light-coloured wallpaper was applied, while others simply didn't like it at all.
Since then, Apple has been changing the appearance of the UI with every succeeding beta update, and iOS 26 Beta 3 is no different. The latest update for iPhone brings a slightly darker appearance to the design language which could potentially increase legibility. This is said to be the most noticeable in media player in Apple Music and Podcasts apps.
Meanwhile, users also have a more diverse set of colours to choose from when applying stock wallpapers. They can select between Shadow, Sky, Halo, and Dusk. The differences between the four wallpaper options are even more prominent when Dark Mode is applied.
Further, the icons in the iPhone dock will still be centred even if less than four are placed. Previously, they aligned to the left. Other changes include minor tweaks to icons for Files and Photos apps.
According to Apple, iOS 26 Beta 3 is offered as a free over-the-air (OTA) software update to registered Apple developers and beta testers on iPhone 11 and later models. However, the Apple Intelligence features are limited to the iPhone 16 series as well as the iPhone 15 Pro and iPhone 15 Pro Max.
iOS 26 is expected to be released publicly in September alongside the iPhone 17 lineup.
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