iOS 26 And iPadOS 26 Beta 8 Now Available With New Features And Fixes

By José Adorno
iOS 26 Apple Music on iPhone 16 Pro Max Lock Screen José Adorno for BGR

As Apple enters the final stretch of beta testing for iOS 26 and iPadOS 26, the eighth developer betas of each upcoming OS update are now available. With iOS 26 beta 8 and iPadOS 26 beta 8, we expect Apple to continue polishing the software ahead of the Release Candidate versions, which should be available shortly after the iPhone 17 event in September.

With iOS 26 beta 7, Apple added a few new tweaks. The most notable was a redesigned Blood Oxygen feature — which is also available on iOS 18 — but Apple also added a new Drafts tab in the Messages app and a new toggle for the Adaptive Power feature, along with general improvements and stability refinements to have the updates ready for public consumption.

With the Release Candidate versions just around the corner, iPhone and iPad users are getting ready for one of the biggest upgrades to their devices in years. As we've noted multiple times in recent weeks, iOS 26 is the most notable upgrade to the iPhone's software since iOS 7, and iPadOS 26 brings the iPad one step closer to replacing your laptop.

iOS 26 and iPadOS 26 focus on Liquid Glass and multitasking

M4 iPad Pro with standard wallpaper and iPadOS 26 Clear icons José Adorno for BGR

Once users have access to the final versions of these operating system updates this fall, they will finally be able to see what all the fuss is about over Liquid Glass. This interface brings a new look to the Home Screen, Lock Screen, Control Center, app icons, and more. iPhone and iPad users will also gain access to a bunch of new Apple Intelligence features.

Beyond ChatGPT-powered Image Playground creations to onscreen awareness, Apple is also readying its own tools, including an innovative Live Translation feature that might make its way to AirPods Pro 2 and AirPods 4 in the near future. For iPadOS 26 specifically, Apple is adding a handful of new features, including a new window tilling mode, Mac-like menus, an improved Folder app, and an all-new Preview app made to be used with the Apple Pencil.

Alongside iOS 26 and iPadOS 26 beta 8, Apple is seeding the eighth beta versions of macOS Tahoe, watchOS 26, tvOS 26, and visionOS 26.

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