Ahead of the much-anticipated iPhone 17 unveiling, Apple has released the ninth developer beta of iOS 26, marking an unprecedented ninth version of a major iOS upgrade. Released on September 2, 2025, the beta continues Apple’s intensive testing of its biggest design change in years, bringing significant functionality improvements along with the company-wide Liquid Glass appearance.
Improved Integration Of Apple Intelligence
The most recent beta highlights the system’s enhanced Apple Intelligence capabilities. Now, the Reminders app uses machine learning to classify activities automatically and recommend pertinent reminders based on messages and mail content. Through connection with ChatGPT, Visual Intelligence has been improved to function with screenshots for the first time, enabling users to recognize items, search images, and pose queries regarding screen content.
The AI-powered capabilities go beyond productivity, according to MacRumors, as the Messages app can now recognize when users may benefit from making polls and recommend them automatically.
Innovative Features Of Phones
This is the most extensive update to the Phone app since the first iPhone. Make a call Devices can automatically answer calls from unknown numbers, ask the caller’s identification and purpose, and display this information before the user hears the first ring by screening for unknown numbers. With the iPhone keeping an eye out for live agents and alerting customers when someone becomes available, Hold Assist allows users to leave calls while they are on hold.
According to early testing, Apple’s Call Screening function is directly competing with Google’s well-established service. Both systems are intended to decrease spam calls and reveal caller information, according to Tom’s Guide.
Awaiting Customization Choices
Finally, after almost twenty years, iPhone users may set alarm snooze times longer than the standard nine-minute setting. Individual alarms can now have snooze lengths of one to fifteen minutes, according to MacRumors. A commonly sought function that hasn’t changed since the 2007 release of the original iPhone is addressed by this seemingly insignificant update.
Enhancement Of Liquid Glass Design
Apple’s Liquid Glass design language, which combines “optical qualities of glass with a fluidity only Apple can achieve,” is still being refined in beta 9. With the translucent interface features now included in iOS 26, iPadOS 26, macOS Tahoe 26, watchOS 26, and tvOS 26, Apple has achieved its most cohesive cross-platform design approach to date.
According to Apple’s developer notes, beta 9 fixes 52 bug categories, including issues with volume slider display and contact image alignment, as reported by Low End Mac.
The release candidate version is expected to emerge soon after next week’s presentation, as Apple’s September event draws near and the iPhone 17 announcement is anticipated. According to the lengthy beta testing cycle, Apple is putting reliability first in its most ambitious software revamp since the flat design principles were introduced in iOS 7.