Apple has wasted no time moving on from iOS 26.0. Just a week after its public release, the company has rolled out the first developer beta of iOS 26.1 for iPhone.
Alongside it, developers can also grab iPadOS 26.1 beta 1, as well as early builds of macOS 26.1, watchOS 26.1, tvOS 26.1, and visionOS 26.1.
What’s new in iOS 26.1 and iPadOS 26.1?
At this stage, Apple has not shared any official changelog, so the updates appear to be focused on bug fixes and under-the-hood improvements. With iOS 26 introducing a major redesign through Liquid Glass, it makes sense that Apple is now fine-tuning the experience.
We’re still installing the betas and will share details on any changes or hidden features in a follow-up post. For now, you can expect these builds to be mostly about polish and stability.
How to Download iOS 26.1 or iPadOS 26.1 beta 1
If you’re a registered developer, you can grab the updates over the air:
- Open Settings > General > Software Update
- Make sure Beta Updates are turned on
- Download and install the update directly on your iPhone or iPad
Alternatively, you can also download the IPSW files from developer.apple.com and install them via Finder on Mac or iTunes on Windows.
What’s Next?
Alongside iOS 26.1 beta, Apple is expected to release iOS 26.0.1 soon for all iPhone users. That update will likely address some early bugs in iOS 26.0, including reports affecting the iPhone 17 lineup.
We’ll keep an eye on what changes are found in iOS 26.1 and iPadOS 26.1, so check back soon for updates.
Comments