iOS 26 beta 2: All the new features and changes

Two weeks after releasing the first iOS 26 developer beta, Apple seeded the second build to testers. The new build packs several smaller but important changes.

More importantly, iOS 26 beta 2 addresses some of the readability concerns surrounding Apple’s new Liquid Glass design. Check out all the changes in iOS 26 beta 2 below.

iOS 26 and iPadOS 26 beta 2: What’s new and changed

iOS 26 beta 2 does not bring any radical changes. It likely won’t address every bug you reported from beta 1, either. You’ll see bigger changes arrive in developer beta 3, which should also be the first public beta.

Still, iOS 26 beta 2 packs several changes that improve the overall experience.

Tweaked Control Center blur

iOS 26 beta 2 tweaks the Control Center blur to improve readability. This change fixes a major complaint with the first developer beta, where the Liquid Glass design was widely mocked on social media. We even complained about it in our iOS 26 and Liquid Glass hands-on.

Apple fixed the Control Center!

iOS 26 Beta 1 vs iOS 26 Beta 2 pic.twitter.com/K2bYiOZaHt

— Brandon Butch (@BrandonButch) June 23, 2025

Relocated tab button in Safari

The new tab button in Safari has shifted to the bottom, on the left of the address bar in iOS 26 beta 2. In the first beta, it was located at the top left, making it hard to reach.

Long-pressing Safari’s address bar will bring up the “Close Tab” option even if there’s only one tab open.

Default wallpaper reacts to device movement

The stock iOS 26 wallpaper responds to your iPhone’s movement, with its elements subtly shifting as you move the device.

This feature only seems to be available on newer iPhones, though.

Back and forward buttons in Safari

In the first iOS 26 developer beta, Safari only had a floating address bar at the bottom. The second beta tweaks this, adding back and forward buttons to the left of the address bar.

New ringtone

iOS 26 developer beta 2 adds a new “Alt 1” ringtone. It was technically present in the first beta, albeit hidden.

This is the new iOS 26 beta 2 ringtone pic.twitter.com/5ZAMR2OruB

— iOS Pro (@iOS10Pro) June 24, 2025

Radio Widget for Apple Music

There’s a new Live Radio widget for Apple Music in the second iOS 26 developer beta.

Wallet gains package tracking

As Apple announced at WWDC25, the Wallet app in iOS 26 beta 2 can track your orders. It can do this by automatically pulling the relevant tracking information from the Mail app.

Improved Low Power Mode descrption

Apple has updated the Low Power Mode description in iOS 26 beta 2 to highlight what it does. The company now clearly mentions that the mode also affects 5G, iCloud syncing, etc.

Below is the updated description:

“iPhone will temporarily reduce some background activities, processing speed, display refresh rate and brightness, and limit certain features such as 5G, iCloud syncing, mail fetch, and more.”

Apple will start the iOS 26 public beta testing in early July, likely alongside the third beta. You can wait until then or install the iOS 26 developer beta on your iPhone right away if you can’t wait to try the new Liquid Glass design.