Technology

Apple Releases iOS 26 Beta 9 and macOS Tahoe Ahead of iPhone 17 Launch

Apple has rolled out the ninth developer beta of iOS 26, iPadOS 26, and its other upcoming software updates, just days before the iPhone 17 launch event on September 9. The release also extends to macOS 26 Tahoe, watchOS 26, tvOS 26, and visionOS 26.

The company seeded the previous beta on August 25, giving developers less than two weeks to test the earlier build. Anyone enrolled in Apple’s developer program can now download beta 9 directly through the Software Update section on their devices.

This latest release suggests Apple is close to finalizing iOS 26 and iPadOS 26 for public rollout. The iPhone 17 series is expected to ship with iOS 26 preinstalled, which means the software will likely reach all users shortly after the launch event.

According to Apple’s changelog, the newest beta focuses on stability and bug fixes rather than fresh features. Still, the broader update cycle brings some of the most noticeable design changes in years. iOS 26 introduces the Liquid Glass interface, a redesigned Camera app, tighter ChatGPT integration, and improvements across core apps.

On the iPad side, iPadOS 26 debuts a multi-window system aimed at making multitasking smoother and more flexible, marking another step toward bridging the gap between tablets and laptops.