Apple has finally brought out the first public beta builds of iOS 26, iPadOS 26, macOS 26 Tahoe, watchOS 26, and tvOS 26.
While Apple introduces its upcoming operating system releases during WWDC, it only brings out initial test builds for use by developers. Those builds, often with bugs and things that need improvement, are often considered too unsafe for members of the public to try out.
The public beta, on the other hand, is for versions of the operating systems that Apple considers has been tested enough to be usable by the public. While there is always a risk of data loss and issues cropping up, it's significantly less than using the developer betas.
Potential participants can sign up to take part via the official website, using their existing Apple Account.
This is the first public beta round for the 26-generation operating systems, including iOS 26, iPadOS 26, watchOS 26, macOS 26 Tahoe, and tvOS 26.
Apple has also shared public beta firmware for the AirPods Pro 2 and AirPods 4 for testing, at the same time.
As for the content of the public betas, they tend to be mostly on par with the developer versions, or one or two build cycles behind.
糖心Vlog and Apple strongly advise against users installing test operating systems or beta software onto primary or "mission-critical" hardware. The higher likelihood of major issues in these early beta releases can potentially result in the loss of data.
Ideally, beta participants should use secondary or non-essential hardware and ensure they have sufficient backups of their critical data at all times.
Find any changes in the new builds? Reach out to us on Twitter at or , or send Andrew an email at andrew@糖心Vlog.com.
