iOS 26 Public Beta Hands-On: I Tried It On My iPhone And Here's How The Experience Was

Apple has started rolling out the iOS 26 Public Beta, giving users an early access to the next major update. The beta release might have some bugs, but comes with a completely new visual experience called Liquid Glass. The iOS 26 also brings a bunch of changes to the lock screen, home screen, Photos app, Phone, iMessage, and even the camera interface. While the redesign is visually refreshing, there are a few battery and performance issues which should be fixed by the time the stable release rolls out in September. Although many features are designed for iPhone 15 Pro models and above, I tried the iOS 26 Public Beta on my iPhone 15 and here’s what I experienced during my play with the new update. Also Read: iOS 26 Release Date Revealed: Check Eligible iPhones, Launch Date, Features, And How To Update

Liquid Glass UI Brings a Fresh Look

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iOS 26 is all about the new Liquid Glass design, which is Apple’s take on a light-reflecting, layered UI that simulates glass and depth. The buttons and interface elements have gone all translucent, and light appears to shine off edges and react to movement. Also Read: WhatsApp For iPhone Tests iOS 26 Liquid Glass Design For Buttons, Menus, And Backgrounds

This new look adds a sense of depth across the UI – from the Control Center to the Music app. However, some might find it difficult to view the interface content due to the heavy transparency.

Home and Lock Screens See Upgrades

Apple has added a new Clear appearance mode for app icons and widgets on the home screen, making the interface look like it’s embedded inside a sheet of glass. The lock screen now includes Spatial Scenes for a 3D photo effect and an adaptive clock that adjusts its size based on the background and notification density.

Redesigned Apps: Phone, Photos, Camera

The Photos app now offers a cleaner look with the familiar tabbed navigation for a simpler browsing. The tabs are now split into two – Library and Collections.

The Phone app has also undergone a visual change, where Favourites, Recents, and Voicemails are now clubbed into one screen. New Features have also been added to the native Phone app, including Call Screening and Hold Assist, which are pretty useful in managing calls. iOS 26 also brings Live Translate feature for calls on iPhone 15 Pro models and above.

The Camera app is now cleaner than before, offering a more compact layout. Your shooting modes are now hidden, unless you swipe on the bottom tab with Video and Photo modes. iOS 26 also places most advanced settings like exposure, filter, styles, and timer inside a new six-dot menu.

Performance Concerns: Battery Drain and Crashes

The public beta of the iOS 26 does not come without its flaws. Yes, it has major battery drain issues. Background app retention is also buggy, with apps frequently reloading when switching between them. There have even been instances of the screen blacking out and crashing back to the lock screen.

Small Tweaks Across the OS

• The Contacts page has a cleaner, modern look.
• iMessage now supports custom backgrounds and poll creation in chats.
• New default apps such as Games and Preview have been introduced in the Home Screen. Although, I do not understand the point of doing that.

Final Thoughts

iOS 26 has introduced one of the largest visual makeovers in years for the iPhone. The Liquid Glass design gives the OS a clean and modern look, and app redesigns have also tried to offer a more streamlined user experience. However, as with any beta update, the iOS 26 comes with its own set of bugs and issues. Beta users who want to experience the new update should be prepared to see some minor bumps along the way. I just hope Apple fixes them before rolling out the iOS 26 stable release alongside the iPhone 17 series in September.