iOS 26 public beta has been out for just a few days now, however I have been testing iOS 26 because the first developer beta. Apple has improved an important deal over the previous two months, however it’s nonetheless removed from being excellent, particularly if you wish to use the software program in your main system.
iOS 26 affords a number of new options, together with the all-new Liquid Glass design, deeper integration of ChatGPT, new Continuity options when you’ve got iPadOS 26, macOS Tahoe 26, or watchOS 26 put in, and extra. Nonetheless, profiting from these new options means it is advisable to be ready for all the bugs and points that include this beta. In any case, we’re speaking a couple of take a look at model, and most of the issues cannot be addressed till Apple releases the official model later this yr.
Whereas the expertise ought to change into exponentially higher over the course of the beta cycle, there is a cause that Apple does not simply roll this model out to most of the people. In reality, we have provide you with six causes to skip the iOS 26 public beta and anticipate the true deal later this fall.
Here is why you must skip the iOS 26 public beta
Whereas not everybody goes to run into the identical bugs, these are a few of the commonest points myself and different customers have encountered within the iOS 26 beta thus far:
Battery draining points: All the way in which as much as the latest beta launch, iOS 26 nonetheless drains the battery of my iPhone 16 Professional Max quicker than it ought to. If I’ve a little bit over 50% cost and I have to exit for greater than 5 hours, my battery will in all probability drop to zero earlier than I get residence. Generally, even the lightest duties will eat an enormous chunk of battery for no cause.
iPhone overheating: Alongside battery drain points, the iPhone would possibly overheat when opening Apple Maps, deciding on a background for an iMessage chat, or utilizing any Apple Intelligence characteristic in any respect. Generally, switching between apps will make the show dim, and direct solar publicity simply makes the show go darkish.
Unresponsive apps: The worst a part of the iOS 26 public beta is that third-party builders cannot deal with bugs we expertise of their apps, as an optimized model can solely be launched after the brand new software program is formally out. With that mentioned, I’ve seen my health club app show the tiniest QR code I’ve ever seen, my provider app cease figuring out of nowhere, and the keyboard being utterly damaged in messaging apps. You will not know which apps are going to battle till you put in the beta, so a simple repair is to only keep away from it.
Bugs are all the time going to plague beta releases
If that wasn’t sufficient to scare you off, listed below are just a few extra points we have encountered:
VPN incompatibility: In case you use a customized VPN for work, it is potential that it will not work in iOS 26. I’ve had this problem up to now with macOS updates, and it is one thing that may happen out of nowhere.
iPhone rebooting: Generally, an motion so simple as taking a screenshot could make your iPhone reboot. Why? I do not know. There is no particular motion that all the time triggers it, so be ready for random reboots at inopportune occasions.
Provider points: One other problem is that your eSIM can cease working otherwise you won’t have the ability to activate a brand new quantity as a result of your provider hasn’t made the required preparations for the software program replace. In case you’re planning on altering carriers or your cell plan any time quickly, we extremely suggest towards putting in the iOS 26 beta in your cellphone.
It’s technically potential to downgrade again to iOS 18, but when your Apple Watch is working watchOS 26, you’ll be able to’t return to watchOS 11. Due to this fact, your Apple Watch might be unpaired out of your iPhone till you reinstall iOS 26.
With all of that mentioned, it may be thrilling to check out these upcoming software program updates earlier than they launch. Nonetheless, you’ll solely know which bugs would possibly drive you loopy after you are within the beta. And, once more, the beta model is all the time anticipated to have bugs, however simply keep in mind that you needn’t cope with them, as you’ll be able to anticipate the steady launch as a substitute.
