First Beta of iOS 26.1, MacOS Tahoe 26.1 is Available for Testing
Apple has issued the first beta versions of iOS 26.1, MacOS Tahoe 26.1, iPadOS 26.1, and the rest of the OS 26 suite. The first betas are available for any user registered in the developer beta program, and soon after for public beta testers too.
It’s not entirely clear what the focus of iOS 26.1 beta, MacOS Tahoe 26.1 beat, and ipadOS 26.1 beta will be, but presumably it’s bug fixes and feature tweaks, perhaps to address some of the early complaints and issues reported about the new operating systems.
While iOS 26, iPadOS 26, and MacOS Tahoe 26 are big releases that are popular, they haven’t gone over troublefree with everyone who has installed them onto their devices. Some iPhone and iPad users have reported battery life isn’t as good, their devices feel slower, many don’t like Liquid Glass and its legibility issues, and a non-insignificant number of Mac users are actively avoiding macOS Tahoe for the time being as things get worked out.
How to Download iOS 26.1 Beta / iPadOS 26.1 Beta
For iPhone or iPad that is enrolled in the beta program:
- Open the “Settings” app on your device
- Go to “General” and then go to “Software Update”
- Choose to “Download & Install for iOS 26.1 beta / iPadOS 26.1 beta
How to Download MacOS Tahoe 26.1 Beta
If your Mac is enrolled in the Apple beta testing program:
- From the  Apple menu go to “System Settings”
- Select “General” and then select “Software Update”
- Choose to ‘Update Now’ for MacOS Tahoe 26.1 beta
Apple usually goes through several beta versions of an operating system release before issuing it to the general public. Since this is just the beginning of the OS 26.1 beta cycle, it’s likely the final versions won’t be released for at least a month.
