Apple iOS 26 Update Brings Liquid Glass UI

Apple iOS 26 update: Apple has officially released iOS 26 Developer Beta 1. It features an amazing new look called Liquid Glass – the most significant change since iOS 7. The developer beta version is released one day after being introduced as part of the developer day at WWDC 2025 in Cupertino. It marked a new milestone for both iPhone consumers and application developers.

This beta from Apple is notable for iOS users but also for those keeping track of the advances in recent technology in India. Because Apple has so quickly expanded its user base. The software naming system of Apple is changing from the incremental versioning to a yearly naming convention. iOS 26 is the new thing, in alignment with the calendar year.

What Is Liquid Glass?

The primary feature of iOS 26 is the Liquid Glass user interface or Liquid Glass design language. With a slick new design language. Smooth transitions in animation, transparency layers, icons with more depth. It is an attempt to create a more fun and fresh experience. As Apple states that Liquid Glass is “The Next Step in Intuitive User Design”, and signifies a multi-year design shift for iPhones.

Although still in beta, Liquid Glass represents a much smoother transition, more attractive app interfaces, and an enhanced sense of spatial navigation.

Early users describe it as a mix of visual appeal and practicality, offering smooth visual experience but still usable.

Beta for Developers: What you need to know

iOS 26 Developer Beta is a true beta product mostly for developers to assess for their applications on the updated operating system. Daily use is not recommended as many features are not present or still in development. At this stage, crashes, bugs, and compatibility issues are expected.

Despite these warnings, the beta offers an exciting peek into the future, especially for users wanting to be the first to the newest software or developers wanting to plan for their applications for September.

How to get iOS 26 Developer Beta

If wanted to check out the new interface and features, here is how to get started:

Sign up as an Apple Developer:

Go to the Apple Developer Registration website or open the Apple Developer app. Sign in with your Apple ID and provide some personal information. Choose your entity type as “Individual”, and agree to the terms.

Use the Free Tier:

While you can pay for the full developer program, the free tier is sufficient for downloading and installing the developer beta.

Beta Version Installation:

To get the Beta version on your iPhone, go to Settings > General > Software Update > Beta Updates. Choose iOS 26 Developer Beta. Once you select it, the update will download.

You should use a different device for this setup since you could lose data, have stability issues, and more.

Public Beta Coming Soon

Apple has announced that next month a public beta of iOS 26 will be available for non-developers. This build will have a greater degree of reliability and various final features would also be included, making it a better option for regular users who get a taste of it without the potential pitfalls of a small software installation and updated apps.

What It Means for India

With Apple’s commitment to attaching more resources to the Indian market by ramping up retailing, local manufacturing, and consistency in a growing developer community, iOS 26 is a significant milestone in the Indian technology ecosystem.

The Liquid Glass UI will likely ignite the next wave of app redesign and improvements for most Indian developers, especially those who want to remain relevant with the Apple App Store; and the continued increase in public interest in Apple’s software updates puts India on track to becoming one of the fastest growing iOS developer markets.

Conclusion

iOS 26 Developer Beta is much more than a simple update; it is a redesign of the iPhone experience. With Liquid Glass, Apple is altering its established design principles and creating a new phase of mobile interaction. Although it is still highly premature, this release is already probably one of the most talked about technological advancements in the past several decades, maybe even worldwide, in India.

As we get closer to the public beta and then final release, expect developers and users to scrutinize every aspect of Apple’s biggest UI overhaul in over 10 years.