When can I download iOS 26? iPhone update timeline as beta and general release dates near

Apple has unveiled iOS 26, its new operating system for the iPhone. The new software brings many changes and advancements with it, including an all-new transparent design language called Liquid Glass, which allows background colors of content on your iPhone’s screen to show through interface elements like buttons and toolbars.

iOS 26 is also introducing other useful features, including major improvements to the way the iPhone handles phone calls, a dedicated gaming app, enhancements to its artificial intelligence offerings, updates to Messages and Maps, and more.

However, while Apple has now showcased iOS 26, not everyone can get their hands on it yet. Some can download iOS 26 today, while others will need to wait until later in the summer—or into the fall. Here’s when and how you can download iOS 26.

iOS 26 developer beta: download it now

Apple unveiled iOS 26 at its annual Worldwide Developers Conference (WWDC) on Monday, June 9. That day, the company made what is known as the iOS 26 Developer Beta immediately available for download onto iPhones.

However, as the “developer beta” moniker suggests, this version of iOS 26, which is now available, is only accessible to registered Apple developers. The good news is that anyone can register for the Apple Developer Program (membership costs $99 per year). But unless you’re an actual developer, it’s best to stay clear of the iOS 26 Developer Beta.

The reason for this is that developer betas are notoriously buggy. In fact, one of the primary purposes of a beta program is to allow users to identify and report bugs, enabling Apple to fix them before the software is released to the general public. And some bugs can be nasty—leading to lost data or even damaged devices.

That’s why, unless you are an actual developer making apps for iOS, it’s best to steer clear of the iOS 26 Developer Beta.

iOS 26 public beta: download it in July

The good news is you don’t have to be a developer to beta test iOS 26. Apple also offers a public Apple Beta Software Program that allows anyone who signs up for it to get early access to beta software, including iOS 26.

This iOS 26 beta, released through the Apple Beta Software Program, is colloquially known as the “iOS 26 Public Beta.” This beta is generally safer to use than the Developer Beta, but Apple releases it after it has had the chance to fix some of the critical bugs that developers report finding in the Developer Beta.

That bad news about the iOS 26 Public Beta is that Apple won’t release it to the public until July. The public beta is also updated a few weeks later than the Developer Beta, which means developers get any beta improvements first, while public beta testers will have to wait a while longer (again, this is primarily done to protect public beta testers from any critical bugs).

Anyone can sign up for the Apple Beta Software Program for free, which will then enable you to install the iOS 26 Public Beta when Apple releases it next month.

iOS 26 general release: download it in September

If putting potentially buggy software on your phone doesn’t appeal to you, then you’ll want to wait for what is referred to as the iOS 26 general release. This is the finished version of iOS 26.0 that Apple will release to iPhone owners everywhere in the fall.

The general release is a thoroughly tested piece of software that has (at least in theory) all of the critical bugs fixed and most of the minor bugs, too. It’s the safest version of iOS 26 to put on your iPhone and is the release that Apple considers the “finished” version.

Apple has historically made the general release of the latest iOS available for download in September, and we expect Apple to continue that trend this year.