A day after the wide release of iOS 26.1, Apple released the first beta of iOS 26.2. This release is again expected to focus primarily on polish, tweaking, while adding quality-of-life enhancements rather than any big new features.
Update December 8, 2025: Apple has issued a rare (but not unheard-of) second release candidate for iOS 26.2. We still expect the wide release in the next day or two.
iOS 26.2: What’s new
We will continually update this list as the beta progresses and more changes are added and discovered by the community.
AirDrop code: A new section in the AirDrop Settings allows you to “Manage Known AirDrop Contacts” and specifies that you’ll appear for 30 days for those you have shared a one-time code with. There does not appear to be a way to generate such codes yet, though.
Measure app: The Measure app gets a new Liquid Glass design.
Games app: New library filtering, improved controller navigation, and challenge scores that update in real time.
Updated Sleep Score ranges: Apple has adjusted what the various Sleep Score ranges mean, making it require higher scores for the better descriptions. For example, “High” used to be a score of 70-89, and is now 81-95.
Lock Screen Liquid Glass slider: The clock control for the Lock Screen how has a slider to adjust how transparent/glassy the time readout should be. This replaces the old “clear or tinted” toggle.
Apple News design: The design of Apple News has been tweaked, with four quick-select categories at the top. These appear to be based on your previous activity.
Podcasts improvements: The Podcasts app gets auto-generated chapters along with the ability to more easily follow mentioned podcasts or follow up on links mentioned in a podcast episode.
Set Alarms and Timers for Reminders: If you set a reminder as “urgent” you will be asked if you wish to create and alarm or timer for it.
Freeform app: You can now insert tables into your boards.
iOS 26.2: How to install
If you want to test the iOS 26 beta releases but are not a registered developer, follow these steps:
- Click Sign Up on the Apple Beta page and register with your Apple ID.
- Log in to the Beta Software Program.
- Click Enroll your iOS device.
- Open the Settings app, tap General, then Software Update.
- In the Beta Updates section, select the iOS Public Beta.
It may take a few moments after registering for the beta option to appear in Software Update.
iOS 26.2: How to install the developer beta
You’ll need to be registered as an Apple developer, but a free developer account will do. You can get one via Xcode or the Apple Developer app in iOS. Here’s how to do it via the Apple Developer app:
- Download the Apple Developer App from the App Store.
- Open the app.
- Tap on Account.
- Sign in using your usual Apple ID.
Find out everything you need to know about iOS 26 in our iOS 26 superguide.