iOS 26 Beta 4 Released: Liquid Glass & AI News

Apple Releases iOS 26 Developer Beta 4

On Tuesday, Apple made available the fourth developer beta of its forthcoming major software iteration, iOS 26. This release incorporates subtle refinements to the Liquid Glass redesign and the reinstatement of AI-powered notification summaries for news content, alongside other enhancements.

Public Beta Imminent

This rollout preceded the anticipated launch of the iOS 26 public beta, scheduled for release later this week. The public beta program allows a wider audience to test the software before its official release.

Purpose of Beta Programs

Developer betas are primarily intended to provide mobile application developers with sufficient time to evaluate their applications' compatibility with Apple’s new software. This ensures readiness for the public launch of the operating system in the coming months.

Driven by consumer demand for early access, Apple has consistently offered public betas following its annual Worldwide Developers Conference in June. This initiative enables iPhone owners to experience updated software prior to its global release, albeit with a potentially higher incidence of instability and bugs.

What's New in Beta 4

The latest developer beta, iOS 26 beta 4, largely mirrors the features expected in the upcoming public beta. A new “Welcome” screen appears upon initial software update.

Introductory screens have been added for various features, including Siri and its AI-powered notification summaries and prioritization capabilities, as well as for the redesigned Camera application in iOS 26.

AI Summaries and Accuracy Concerns

Earlier in the year, Apple temporarily suspended its AI notification summaries following concerns raised by the BBC. The feature had inaccurately reported information in a headline.

Specifically, the AI-powered news summary incorrectly stated that Luigi Mangione, accused in the murder of UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson, had died by suicide – a claim that proved false.

Apple responded by announcing a software update to clearly indicate when text is generated through AI summarization.

Warning Message for AI Summaries

The setup screen for this AI summarization feature, currently in beta, now includes a warning message within the “News & Entertainment” section. Apple explicitly states that “Summarization may change the meaning of the original headlines” and advises users to “Verify information.”

Liquid Glass Refinements

Further refinement of the Liquid Glass user interface redesign is also evident in this beta.

While beta 3 reduced some of the transparency effects in certain applications, beta 4 reinstates them. Updates have been observed in apps such as the App Store, Photos, Apple Music, Weather, and others.

The Notification Center now incorporates a dynamic tint that changes as the user scrolls.

Additional Updates

The software update also introduces a new dynamic wallpaper that shifts colors, alongside new wallpaper options for CarPlay.

Further Improvements

As of the time of publication, release notes for beta 4 were not yet available on Apple’s Developer website. Consequently, additional changes, particularly minor bug fixes and performance enhancements, are likely present.

Other Beta Releases

In conjunction with today’s release, Apple also launched new beta versions of its other operating systems, including iPadOS 26 beta 4, macOS 26 beta 4, watchOS 26 beta 4, tvOS 26 beta 4, visionOS 26 beta 4, and Xcode 26 beta 4.