Latest news with #BetaProfiles
Express Tribune
5 days ago
- Express Tribune
iOS 26 beta released by Apple: All new features broken down, including new ringtones, camera updates, and more
Apple has released the sixth developer beta of iOS 26. The update introduces new ringtones, changes to the Camera app, interface refinements, and faster app performance. It comes as the software approaches its expected public release in September. Released on Tuesday alongside new betas for iPadOS, watchOS, tvOS, and macOS, the new beta focuses more on smaller refinements, as reported by TechCrunch. Among the most noticeable additions is a set of six new ringtones, all derived from the existing 'Reflection' tone. Early testers have shown particular interest in the 'Dreamer' tone, which has drawn praise on social media. The new "Dreamer" ringtone in iOS 26 Beta 6 is such a bop! — Beta Profiles (@BetaProfiles) August 11, 2025 In the latest beta, Apple has also reverted the Camera app's swipe behaviour to its original form. The change comes after a much-criticised modification altered the swipe direction for switching camera modes in earlier modes. Performance improvements are another highlight of the update, with faster transition times and new animations for opening and closing apps. iOS 26 beta 6 In the new beta, application opening animations are accelerated by 2x Now the animation of opening the application is the same as on iPadOS (perspective) It's very fast #ios26 #ios26beta6 — Yevhen (@pomnych) August 11, 2025 Apple's 'Liquid Glass' interface - which adds a translucent, glass-like effect across the system - has also been refined, featuring increased colour dispersion in tab navigation and more pronounced effects on the Lock Screen and toggle buttons. A redesigned onboarding sequence now greets users after updating, introducing Liquid Glass and other iOS 26 features, including refreshed icons and updated layouts for various native apps. iOS 26 Beta 6 ✨ Liquid Glass — Ben Geskin (@BenGeskin) August 11, 2025 A public beta update is expected shortly following the developer release.
Gizmodo
23-07-2025
- Gizmodo
iOS 26's Beta Doesn't Give Up on Liquid Glass, and Neither Should You
Almost all of Apple's new software betas are here, and naturally, there's one phrase on the tip of everyone's lips: Liquid Glass. If you haven't been keeping track of Apple's wholesale redesign, which was introduced at this year's WWDC, there have been some noticeable tweaks. Among those tweaks is a new design language that drastically shifts the look of the UI inside iOS 26. That look is Liquid Glass, and it has caused some severe reactions. Liquid Glass, as the name implies, makes a lot of the elements inside iOS look 'glassy,' which is to say semi-opaque and bubbly. Menus, when hovering over a web page, for example, still let some of the backdrop shine through and adaptively warp them, much like a piece of glass would. Reading the description, Liquid Glass may sound like a lot of fun, but critics have lampooned the redesign for being half-baked and borderline illegible, even despite the fact that all betas were still in developer preview. Liquid Glass Change: iOS 26 Beta 2 vs Beta 3 vs Beta 4. — Beta Profiles (@BetaProfiles) July 22, 2025At first, it looked as though Apple was ready to capitulate to that commentary and put Liquid Glass back in the bottle. In subsequent developer updates, it toned back the glassier elements in favor of a more conservative look. But if the latest public beta is any indication, it's reversed that course. Now, it looks like Apple isn't quitting on Liquid Glass quite yet, and I'm here to say that maybe you shouldn't, either—if only because watching Apple step out of its comfort zone will make for an interesting and refreshing change. One of the major critiques against Apple's redesign is that it lacked proper accessibility, and based on developer previews, I'm willing to say that critique is generally valid. It's not pervasive throughout iOS 26, but the emphasis on transparent menus did, in some circumstances, make certain elements harder to see or downright muddled. That's a problem, to say the least. As great as visionary design is, people still need to use their devices as a means to an end, and if a new look is preventing them from doing that, it's probably not succeeding in its goal. With that said, there's likely a middle ground to be struck here. As bad as accessibility issues are, running into a few doesn't necessarily mean that the hope of a functional Liquid Glass is shattered. Apple seems to think so, too, and in a way, it has to think that, not just because of the effort it has already poured into redesigning its platforms, but because it's high time for a change and Apple knows it. There hasn't been a major overhaul of iOS since iOS 7, and lots has changed since 2013. The look of iOS 7 has aged, and so too has Apple as a company. As iconic as the iPhone is, Apple's image as an innovator or purveyor of boundary-pushing design hasn't quite evolved with the company. It's clear, both from Apple's decision to redesign its platforms and the choices it's made in pushing into both AI and XR, that it's ready to reclaim that image. If it's going to do that, it needs to look the part, too. And, let's be honest, from a fan or consumer perspective, isn't that kind of Apple a lot more exciting? I'm all for Liquid Glass, warts and all, if only because it means we get to watch Apple do something. I'm leaving space for Liquid Glass to fall flat on its face, but if that ultimately means that Apple starts making bold moves again, it was worth it. Liquid Glass may very well be the start of a renewed Apple that's ready to lead the pack instead of resting on its iPhone laurels and pushing out more of the same.
Business Insider
08-07-2025
- Business Insider
Apple scales back the glassiness of its 'Liquid Glass' design in latest test version of the iPhone software
One month after its big WWDC event, Apple appears to be waffling about how glass-like its new "Liquid Glass" software aesthetic should be. Apple's newest beta of its iOS 26 iPhone software frosts over much of the transparent design. In the test version of its forthcoming software, Apple increased the contrast between the front display and background items, also boldening the bubbles' tints. The latest changes likely make iOS 26's interface more readable — but some critics questioned if Apple was getting rid of what they felt was so innovative about the redesign it first showed off. A few more comparisons showing how Liquid Glass has changed in iOS 26 Beta 3. — Beta Profiles (@BetaProfiles) July 7, 2025 Apple typically releases its new version of iOS in the fall alongside its new iPhone lineup. However, it makes early versions of the software available to the developer community in the months prior, often making adjustments and tweaks after receiving feedback. In June, Apple released its first beta version of iOS 26, opening it up to developer testing. While the Liquid Glass aesthetic has its fair share of fans, some early testers found the new design to muddle the user experience, with background text and colors shining through the glass bubbles. The iPhone's Control Center was a specific point of contention, with some saying the buttons were difficult to navigate given the level of shine-through. For its second beta release later that month, Apple began to tone down the glassiness. The Control Center got a darker blur, and a new High Contrast Mode allowed users to add a border to the glass bubbles. Beta 3, which premiered on Monday, is even less glassy. The new design adds a significantly bolder tint to navigation bars, notifications, and buttons. Bubbles in Apple Music are shaded to prevent background songs and album covers from bleeding through. Notifications and navigation bars are toned darker, increasing the contrast between the text and its background. the difference between beta 1 and beta 3 is CRAZY — System Settings (@app_settings) July 7, 2025 While Apple does not currently let testers control how glassy their displays are, users can enable reduced transparency, a pre-existing accessible feature that unifies the background color. Apple is still in developer testing, and it could decide to roll back some of the latest changes for the wide release of iOS 26 in September. Apple did not respond to a request for comment. Some developers and designers questioned whether Apple is removing what made Liquid Glass exciting. Some X users wrote that the newest version of the software "looks so much cheaper" and "barely looks any different from iOS 18." Others were excited about the design change. One X user wrote, "Frosted glass > Liquid Glass," while some Redditors applauded the accessibility: "It was pretty unreadable for anyone without perfect vision and this addresses that, which is ultimately more important than pretty glass graphics." Allan Yu worked as a designer for Shopify and Facebook before cofounding his own app, Output. He told BI that he found Apple's first iteration "foreign" and "tough to use" and thought that the second beta was a great improvement. Now, he said Apple may have over-corrected. "It took a step back to where design was anyways," Yu said. "Everything was floaty, and everything had that background blur. There's a little bit of transparency, but not really." In iOS 26 Beta 3, some Liquid Glass elements are now darker for better readability. — Beta Profiles (@BetaProfiles) July 7, 2025 Serhii Popov, a senior software engineer and design reviewer for app studio MacPaw, told BI that he was also disappointed by beta 3's update. He prefers the apps that remained largely unchanged in the latest version, like Stocks. "I got used to the new design language," Popov said. "As an Apple fan, I'd love to have a customized option so I can choose what effect to use." Both Popov and Yu expect Apple to continue testing and to land somewhere in between the transparent glass of beta 1 and the new frosted-over look.
