iOS 26 Beta 2 Now Available: What’s New & Improved?
Apple just dropped iOS 26 Beta 2 for developers, and it’s already turning heads. If you’ve been testing the first beta, you probably ran into a few bugs or glitches—nothing unusual for an early release. But with Beta 2, Apple is already smoothing things out. iOS 26 Developer Beta 2 can't be jailbroken at this time.
This update isn’t just about bug fixes, though. There are a few new features and small design tweaks that make things feel a bit more polished. Whether you’re testing on your main device (brave!) or just curious about what’s coming, here’s a look at what’s new and what’s been improved in iOS 26 Beta 2.
To get iOS 26 Developer Beta 2 on your device, here’s a friendly reminder: Apple’s process hasn’t changed much since Beta 1. If you already had the beta profile installed, all you need to do is open Settings → General → Software Update and let it guide you to Beta 2.
For a complete walkthrough—including how to set up the profile, back up your device, and install the update—check out this trusted guide: How to install iOS 26 Beta. We have laid out everything clearly, just follow those steps! Remember to always make a backup to restore all settings.
If you hit a wall with iOS 26 Beta and want to return to a stable iOS 18 setup, you'll need a computer. There’s no mobile-only method—downgrading requires connecting your iPhone to a Mac or PC and using recovery mode, and it only works if Apple is still signing iOS 18.
For the full guide—covering everything from checking signing status to wiping your device and restoring—the best resource is the detailed walkthrough on OneJailbreak: How can I go back to iOS 18 from iOS 26?. That page lays out every step clearly, so you can follow along safely.
Bugs & Glitches in iOS 26 Developer Beta 1
Users widely reported general slowness and laggy performance after installing Beta 1. Animations stutter, the Control Center is unresponsive at times, and the keyboard can feel sluggish, especially during fast typing or app switching.
Battery life also took a hit for many testers. A user on AppleVis wrote that battery drain was “horrible” even on a relatively fresh iPhone 15 Pro Max, and Low Power Mode didn’t help much.
Specific features also misbehaved. Control Center sometimes got “stuck,” and users couldn’t exit it properly. Screen brightness was limited on certain models, and personal hotspot stopped working for some Bluetooth, Wi‑Fi, CarPlay, and Safari showed connectivity glitches, including random tab loss and bookmark sync failures.
Accessibility and UI issues were also flagged. VoiceOver speech output broke on some voices, requiring users to redownload voices to restore speech. The new Liquid Glass design was criticized as cluttered, with transparency making Control Center hard to navigate and text difficult to read.
One tester also found MagSafe charging unreliable—it would randomly stop or refuse to start charging at all.
All in all, Beta 1 felt rough around the edges—slow performance, battery drain, broken features, and UI hiccups. If you're using it, you’ve likely run into at least one of these annoyances. These reports underscore why Apple released Beta 2—it’s meant to smooth out the rough spots.
What changes with iOS 26 Beta 2 Release
iOS 26 Developer Beta 2 just hit the scene (build 23A5276f, released June 23, 2025), and it brings a solid round of refinements built on user feedback from Beta 1. This isn’t a flashy overhaul—it’s a quieter update focused on smoothing over the rough edges.
You’ll notice the system feeling a bit snappier. Apple tightened performance, cut down crashes, and ironed out animation kinks, so transitions and multitasking just flow better. Battery life gets a boost, too, thanks to tweaks under the hood that delay draining background tasks.
The new Liquid Glass look remains, but Beta 2 brings practical upgrades like sharper contrast in Control Center and notifications, so the interface looks great without sacrificing clarity. Animations feel more responsive, too, which makes the whole experience more polished.
Control Center got extra polish. It’s more customizable now, with options to rearrange controls and personalize the layout for faster access. Plus, between improved dynamic wallpapers, richer widget setups, and expanded font and color choices, Beta 2 offers more ways to make your device look and feel like yours.
Apple keeps the full iOS 26 changelog up to date on its official site, where you'll find detailed notes on every tweak, fix, and update included in Beta 2 and beyond.
iOS 26 Beta 2 Compatible iPhones
The iOS 26 Beta Developer Beta 2 is compatible with the following devices:
- iPhone 16e, iPhone 16, iPhone 16 Plus, iPhone 16 Pro, iPhone 16 Pro Max
- iPhone 15, iPhone 15 Plus, iPhone 15 Pro, iPhone 15 Pro Max
- iPhone 14, iPhone 14 Plus, iPhone 14 Pro, iPhone 14 Pro Max
- iPhone 13, iPhone 13 mini, iPhone 13 Pro, iPhone 13 Pro Max
- iPhone 12, iPhone 12 mini, iPhone 12 Pro, iPhone 12 Pro Max
- iPhone 11, iPhone 11 Pro, iPhone 11 Pro Max
- iPhone SE (2nd generation and later)
