Apple has put out iOS 26 Developer Beta 3, which is another step toward making its next-generation mobile operating system better. This update adds new features, improves performance, and makes things look better. It builds on what previous betas have done. Apple’s vision for a more seamless, user-friendly, and visually cohesive ecosystem can be seen in iOS 26 Beta 3, which is coming out soon as a public beta. Below, we’ll go over the most important changes, from design tweaks to performance improvements, and talk about what users can expect as Apple gets ready for the official release.
Changes to the design: Improving the look of liquid glass
Liquid Glass is the main design language for iOS 26. It is a neumorphic-inspired interface that adds glossy, see-through parts that look like glass. Beta 3, on the other hand, takes away some of the transparency that was added in earlier betas in order to make the text easier to read and use. Some users like the cleaner look, while others miss the bold, colorful distortions that were a big part of Beta 2’s style.
Important Design Changes
Less Clear Navigation Bars: The navigation bars in apps like Apple Music, Podcasts, and the App Store are now less clear. The bottom navigation bar of Apple Music, for instance, looks like frosted glass, which cuts down on the background color bleed-through that was present in Beta 2. This makes it easier to read buttons and text, especially when they are on colorful backgrounds.
Safari Tweaks: The URL bar in Safari is less see-through, and the threshold for switching between light and dark modes based on the content of the page is higher. The Compact View, which used to be the clearest, shows the biggest change.
Control Center and Notifications: The backgrounds in the Control Center are a little darker to make the text stand out more, and the notifications on the Lock Screen are a little more opaque to make the text easier to read. When you scroll, the search bar in the App Library now has sharp edges, which makes it easier to read suggestions.
New Wallpapers: Apple added four new default wallpaper styles: Shadow, Halo, Dusk, and Sky. You can use them in both light and dark modes. These wallpapers are made to work with the new icon-matching system, which makes the home screen look more unified.
Some people on X are unhappy with these changes because they think Apple is ruining the Liquid Glass look. One user said, “iOS 26 Beta 3 looks bland compared to the older versions,” but they did say that it runs more smoothly.
Better Performance: A Smoother Experience
iOS 26 Beta 3 fixes some of the problems that were present in earlier betas and improves performance in a number of ways. Users say that the experience is more responsive and smooth, with less lag and better app performance.
Important Performance Highlights
Better App Responsiveness: Apps load faster and do a better job of handling multiple tasks at once, even when they’re doing things that use a lot of resources, like gaming or video editing.
Battery Optimization: New algorithms for managing power better are meant to make batteries last longer, but some users still say their batteries drain quickly when they are used heavily.
Stability and Bug Fixes: Beta 3 fixes a number of bugs, such as the App Library freezing up from time to time, which makes the experience more stable on all supported devices.
Benchmark Gains: The first tests show that the benchmark scores are higher than those of iOS 18, which means that the system is better optimized and processes data more quickly.
Even with these improvements, there are still problems. Some users say that their devices get too hot when they play games or stream videos for a long time, and battery drain is still a problem for those who use the beta on their main devices.
New Features and Improvements
iOS 26 Beta 3 adds a number of functional updates that improve usability and integration across Apple’s ecosystem, in addition to design and performance.
Important Features
Dynamic Island Enhancements: The Dynamic Island can now monitor background file transfers, which means users can see how far along they are without stopping what they’re doing.
Markup tools now support HDR, which includes a liquid glass animation that lets you make precise changes to brightness and contrast for a better editing experience.
Haptic Feedback for Ringer: A new touch-based alert lets users know when the ringer volume is at its highest, giving them more control over audio settings.
Maps Improvements: The Maps app now lets you see fog warnings for offline maps and alerts you when your commute is delayed, making navigation more reliable.
Changes to the Safari Folders: The design of the Safari folders interface has been changed a little bit to make it easier to use.
Suggestions for Journaling: Apple Intelligence now gives smart suggestions for journaling based on where you are, what you do, or what happens in your life. This makes people want to use the Journal app more often.
Video Call Option: When you look for contacts, a new video call option pops up, making it easier to talk to people.
Integration across devices
iOS 26 Beta 3 adds improvements to other Apple platforms as well, such as iPadOS, macOS Tahoe, watchOS, and visionOS. For instance:
iPadOS 26 has a new Phone app, a Mac-like windowing system, and the Preview app, which lets you edit PDFs with an Apple Pencil. When you shake the cursor, it gets bigger so you can follow it more easily, just like in macOS.
macOS Tahoe: Adds a wallpaper based on Lake Tahoe and a new Spotlight that knows what you’re looking at and has new filtering options.
watchOS 26 makes health tracking and notifications better so that everything works better together.
visionOS 26: Makes Apple’s mixed-reality headset better at spatial computing.
These updates show that Apple is still committed to a unified ecosystem, which makes sure that the experience is the same on all devices.
Things to think about and problems
iOS 26 Beta 3 is a big step forward, but it still has some problems. Overheating when doing tasks that use a lot of resources and battery drain are big problems, especially for people who are using the beta on their main devices. Some users also think that the toned-down Liquid Glass design gives up the bold look that was promised at WWDC 2025.
Apple tells developers and early adopters to back up their devices before installing the beta because it can still be unstable. If you’re not sure about installing, the public beta, which is set to come out on July 14, 2025, will be more stable.
Looking Ahead
Apple has a planned release schedule that includes bi-weekly developer beta updates through August. Later in the month, these updates will switch to weekly ones. The public beta will start on July 14, and the official release is expected to happen in mid-September, around the same time as the iPhone 17 series. Apple can use this time to listen to users and improve the operating system so that the final version is stable.
In conclusion, iOS 26 Beta 3 strikes a balance between form and function by improving the Liquid Glass design for better readability while also adding new features and making the system run more smoothly. Some users miss the bolder look of earlier betas, but the focus on usability and cross-device integration shows that Apple is serious about making a polished ecosystem. iOS 26 looks like it will be a game-changing update as the public beta gets closer. However, people who are thinking about the developer beta should think about the pros and cons of possible instability. Apple is still working on its next-generation operating system, so stay tuned for more updates.
