Apple Releases First Developer Betas for iOS 26, iPadOS 26, watchOS 26 and More After WWDC 2025

Apple has officially released the initial developer betas of its upcoming software platforms after the WWDC 2025 announcements. The changes are iOS 26, iPadOS 26, watchOS 26, tvOS 26, visionOS 26, and the new moniker macOS Tahoe. These initial releases provide developers and Apple fans with a glimpse into the premium features to follow later this year. More thrilling is that Apple has now made these betas more accessible than ever even without a paid developer account.

Developer Betas Now Available Without Paid Account

In a democratized effort to make early software previews more accessible, Apple no longer limits developer beta downloads to those who pay for membership in the Apple Developer Program. Provided you have a compatible device and an active Apple ID, you can sign up for the Apple Beta Software Program and start testing right away. Introduced late last year, this shift frees up more users to contribute to helping craft the future of Apple's ecosystem through feedback and bug reporting.

How to Install the Developer Beta on Your Device

To begin using the new developer beta builds, you must go to beta.apple.com and authenticate using your Apple ID. Once you enroll your devices, the beta updates are available through the Software Update option on each platform. For instance, if you have an iPhone, go to Settings > General > Software Update > Beta Updates and choose the iOS 26 Developer Beta profile. The same procedure is for iPad, Apple Watch, Apple TV, and Mac, so it is a simple process throughout the Apple ecosystem.

As is usual with any such initial software, such developer beta builds are not final and are generally intended for testing and development work alone. Apple cautions that such releases might not contain all features discussed during the WWDC 2025 keynote. In addition, users should expect bugs, performance degradation, app incompatibilities, and higher battery consumption. Apple really recommends installing these betas on secondary devices only, particularly if you need your primary device for important tasks. In either case, always backup your device first before you install any beta software to prevent data loss.

Public Betas Coming in July 2025

If you don't feel like navigating the unreliability of a developer beta, you can hold off for the public beta, which Apple has stated will start rolling out during July 2025. Public builds tend to be more stable and will feature most of the main features introduced at WWDC. It will also be the first opportunity for the public at large to be exposed to enhancements driven by Apple Intelligence, the ambitious AI project that will be a major force in the future software ecosystem.

Although all the features might not be present in the initial developer beta, there will be some of the top-line changes on Apple platforms that will be experienced by testers. Most notable is the addition of Live Translation, which boosts real-time multilingual communication, and spatial widgets on visionOS, meant to bring user interaction to a more immersive level on the Apple Vision Pro. Siri too receives a dramatic enhancement with system-wide integrations across iPhone, iPad, Mac, Apple Watch, and Vision Pro, making Apple's virtual assistant more intelligent and intuitive than ever before.