Apple has finally released iOS 26 beta 6 and iPadOS 26 beta 6 to developers for testing. The updates expand personalization, enhance responsiveness, and extend the Liquid Glass design language across more system elements. On iPad, Apple also introduces Recovery Assistant and deeper Apple Intelligence integration, among other features.
Everything new in iOS 26 beta 6 and iPadOS 26 beta 6
Refined onboarding
On iPhone, the onboarding experience now opens with animated screens that spotlight Liquid Glass and customization options. These sequences set a more engaging tone for first-time setups and upgrades.
Liquid Glass improvements
Systemwide, Liquid Glass has been tuned for improved clarity, including a more translucent, floating lock-screen clock, sharper tab bar text over busy wallpapers, and toggle switches that shimmer with subtle rainbow reflections on touch.
Faster app launch animation
Tapping an app now triggers a snappier, more fluid opening animation. The change improves perceived responsiveness, complementing broader performance tweaks in the update.
New ringtone variants
The “Reflection” ringtone family grows with six new options—Buoyant, Dreamer, Pond, Pop, Reflected, and Surge—expanding personalization without requiring third-party tones.
Camera navigation change
The option to restore classic swipe navigation in the Camera app has been removed, making the loupe-style mode introduced in earlier betas the default and only method.
Recovery Assistant for iPad
The new Recovery Assistant provides a built-in way to diagnose and resolve startup issues without immediately needing to connect to a Mac or PC. It can identify problems and attempt automatic repairs, streamlining recovery in cases where an iPad fails to boot normally.
App Store Accessibility nutrition labels
App Store product pages now include an Accessibility section, making it easier for users to see if an app supports features they rely on. Developers can highlight accessibility options directly, helping customers make informed download decisions.
Apple Intelligence foundation models
Developers now have direct access to the on-device large language model at the heart of Apple Intelligence through the Foundation Models framework. The update supports prompt pre-warming for faster responses, multi-language content tagging, improved guided generation guardrails, and better error handling when using tools and structured prompts.
Wallet order tracking
With Apple Intelligence enabled, Wallet can now automatically detect shipping and delivery updates from merchant and carrier emails, organizing order information in one place.
HealthKit medication and workout APIs
HealthKit gains new APIs for reading a user’s logged medications and dosage events, plus support for HKWorkoutSession and HKLiveWorkoutBuilder on iPad, enabling richer fitness and health tracking in third-party apps.
Chart3D for swift charts
Swift Charts introduces Chart3D, a new API for building immersive 3D data visualizations powered by RealityKit, expanding how apps can display complex datasets on iPad.
Public beta and release timing
The public beta of iOS 26 has been available since late July 2025 and is expected to launch alongside the iPhone 17 lineup in the fall.
