Apple Releases iOS 26 Beta 4 for iPhone to Developers

Apple has officially released iOS 26 developer beta 4, continuing its gradual refinement of the design and features introduced in earlier beta versions. The most prominent focus remains on the Liquid Glass UI, a translucent design theme Apple debuted earlier in the cycle. While earlier builds leaned heavily into transparency, beta 4 dials it back slightly in favor of improved readability and clarity.

This shift indicates Apple is actively fine-tuning the balance between aesthetics and usability as it moves toward a stable release. One notable addition in this build is the return of notification summaries for news apps, a feature that had been missing in recent betas.

Alongside this, there are several minor interface adjustments within the Liquid Glass treatment, and numerous behind-the-scenes optimizations have been made. As with previous versions, this beta is available to registered developers only, but it's widely expected that this release will form the foundation for the first public beta, which typically follows within a week of the third developer beta.

The evolution of iOS 26’s design has been steady over the past few builds. Beta 2 focused on layout and organization, improving elements like the Control Center and Safari’s menu structure, and enhancing accessibility options with clearer contrast borders. Beta 3 introduced more visible aesthetic changes, such as reduced transparency in tab bars.

With beta 4, Apple appears to be locking in its final visual language, hinting that it’s responding to tester feedback while getting closer to a consistent design direction. Despite the progress, some inconsistencies remain. For example, Notification Center still features full transparency when pulled down, which contrasts with the new, more opaque design seen elsewhere in the UI. Apple, however, continues to frame iOS 26 as a transformative update that combines a refreshed interface with deep integration of Apple Intelligence, plus updates to CarPlay, Apple Music, Maps, and Wallet. While the major features remain consistent, these betas serve to polish the experience ahead of the public release expected this fall.