Gurman: Apple launching iOS 26.2 beta ‘as soon as Tuesday,’ following iOS 26.1 debut

Apple’s next major update to iOS 26, version 26.2, could debut in beta as soon as Tuesday, per Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman. This would be immediately after the launch of iOS 26.1 to the public, which he reports should happen on Monday.

iOS 26.1 should launch to users on Monday, barring any “last-minute delays”, according to Gurman. With iOS 26.1, the company introduced a new ‘Tinted’ toggle for Liquid Glass, improving readability at the cost of aesthetic. Otherwise, it remained a relatively minor update.

Moving forward, though, iOS 26.2 should debut its first developer beta “as soon as Tuesday.” This should accompany 26.2 betas for Apple’s other platforms, as well.

Per the report, there might not be “major new features” in the first beta, though that could change over time. With the iOS 26.1 cycle, the Liquid Glass toggle didn’t come until beta 4 – the final beta before RC.

iOS 26.2 features

There aren’t many expectations for iOS 26.2. Apple insists that US passport support in Apple Wallet will debut before the end of the year, though that might not necessarily be tied to a new iOS version.

The company also promised end-to-end encryption with RCS in “future software updates.” This doesn’t necessarily mean that it has to launch before the end of the year, but iOS 26.2 would mark another opportunity for the feature to debut.

Outside of those two things, I don’t think there’s much to look forward to, though there’s always room for surprises. iOS 26.2 should launch to the public in December, based on previous years.

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