• A reputable source claims the first public iOS 26 beta will land on or around July 23
• That would be later in the year than usual
• There’s already an iOS 26 developer beta

It’s now over a month since iOS 26 was announced, and although it’s available in developer beta, the public beta is yet to launch. But we do now have a good idea of when the first public beta might land.

According to Apple watcher Mark Gurman in a reply to a post on X by @ParkerOrtolani, the first iOS 26 public beta will probably land on or around July 23.

That’s a bit unusual, as typically we’d have had the first public beta before then. For example, the first public beta of iOS 18 launched on July 15 last year, following its announcement on June 10. So this year, with iOS 26 having been unveiled on June 9, we’d if anything have expected to already have the first public beta.

A worthwhile wait

Still, if Gurman is right there’s not too much longer to wait, and it should be worth the wait too, as iOS 26 is a significant upgrade for Apple’s smartphone operating system.

It includes a completely new look, with more rounded and transparent elements, plus redesigned phone and camera apps, a new Apple Games app, and more.

Of course, we’d take the claim of it landing on or around July 23 with a pinch of salt, especially with that being later than normal. But Gurman has a superb track record for Apple information, and either way we’d expect it to land soon.

If you can’t wait a little big longer though, you can always grab the developer beta – the next version of which may well even land before July 23. To get that, check out how to install the iOS 26 developer beta.

You might also like

• iOS 26: new features, a new design, and everything you need to know
• iOS 26 is official – here are the 5 biggest new features coming to your iPhone
• iOS 26 compatibility – does your iPhone support it? Here’s the full list of supported devices

James is a freelance phones, tablets and wearables writer and sub-editor at TechRadar. He has a love for everything ‘smart’, from watches to lights, and can often be found arguing with AI assistants or drowning in the latest apps. James also contributes to 3G.co.uk, 4G.co.uk and 5G.co.uk and has written for T3, Digital Camera World, Clarity Media and others, with work on the web, in print and on TV.