Apple on Tuesday released its sixth developer beta of its mobile operating system, iOS 26, along with updates for iPad, Apple Watch, Apple TV, Mac, and others. As the new software gets closer to its September public launch date, the changes and tweaks aren’t as significant, but there are still some surprises to be found. In beta 6, that includes a new selection of ringtones, a final decision on the Camera swiping direction controversy, a new onboarding experience, and other updates.
The addition of half a dozen new ringtones, all a variant of the “reflection” tune, was an unexpected addition that’s already getting attention on social media. Early adopters are particularly enthused about the “Dreamer” ringtone, which has been described as going “hard,” “crazy good,” and “such a bop,” among other things. It might even encourage some to take their phones out of silent mode for a change.
Also new in iOS 26 beta 6 is a new update on the controversial change to the Camera app.
There was quite a bit of backlash over the way Apple changed how the Camera mode switcher responds to touch. Users complained that the change, introduced in prior betas, broke their muscle memory, since the swipe gesture on this interface would reverse the scroll direction they were used to — which was the same design paradigm that all other native Apple apps use. In beta 5, Apple responded to these complaints by introducing a new Settings toggle that would allow you to switch back to “Classic Mode,” which would once again make the Camera app work like all others.
It wouldn’t have been surprising for Apple to go this route. When it wants to make a major user interface change, it often adds a fallback for those who don’t like the update. That’s why you can still toggle off “Natural scrolling” on the MacBook’s Trackpad, and you can move Safari’s address bar back to the top of the screen on iPhone. But in this case, Apple seems to have decided the Camera direction isn’t a fight worth having. In beta 6, it removed the Settings toggle and changed the scroll direction back to the way it was before.
Other notable updates in the new beta include faster transitions and the introduction of new open and close animations for launching apps.
Liquid Glass, the updated user interface for Apple devices, is also still being subtly tweaked for readability in some areas and more “glassiness” in others. This time, the changes have added more color dispersion as you move between an app’s tabs using the clear, magnifying glass-like selector. The Lock Screen and toggles also now offer Liquid Glass effects.
After you update the OS, you’ll see a new startup/onboarding experience, as well, which is used to introduce Liquid Glass and other iOS 26 features, like the dark and clear icons and redesigned interfaces in various apps.
As with other beta releases, you can expect some bug fixes, but you may come across new ones as Apple moves forward with the software development process. However, users report that overall, this beta feels more stable and much faster than prior releases, suggesting that Apple is nearing its public launch.
Now that the developer beta has been released, those testing the public beta should expect an update soon.
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