iOS and macOS 26 Public Beta: Why I'm Tempted, and Why I'm Absolutely Not Installing It

Ah yes, it's that time of year again. The WWDC fog has cleared, Apple's chucked the latest public betas out into the wild, and everyone's either rushing to install them or warning you not to touch them unless you're feeling particularly masochistic. iOS 26. macOS 26, aka “Tahoe.” Supposedly smoother, shinier, and smarter than ever. The hype machine's in full swing, and as usual, I'm sat here trying to talk myself both into and out of pressing the damn “Install” button.

Because look — I want to. I really do. But I also like my phone not turning into a hand-warmer and my Apple Watch still functioning like a watch. So, here's a breakdown of why I'm even considering this ridiculous decision, and why I've decided (for now) that I probably shouldn't.

What's pulling me in

The Liquid Glass UI is gorgeous

Apple's designers finally seem to have had a bit of fun again. The new “Liquid Glass” aesthetic actually looks nice — soft transparency, depth, and that slightly surreal shine across the system UI. It's the biggest visual shift since iOS 7, but without the flat, clinical weirdness. For once, it looks like something designed for humans and not a sci-fi film set. macOS Tahoe gets it too, and it finally makes windows feel less like floating grey slabs. It's slick. It's shiny. I want it.

Don't get me wrong here, I love minimalist design. You probably know that from my website. Despite this, it has grown tiring in some respect. It's nice to have change sometimes, so Apple ushering in the next Era of Design that has a new flavour (glassmorphism, I guess?) is no unwanted change. I'm still going to stick to my current design language, it's satisfying for me.

More bloody customisation

Apple has somehow remembered that people like controlling how their devices look and work. We're getting more icon options, expanded Lock Screen tweaks, and some proper “make it yours” moments that don't require Shortcuts hackery or messing about with configuration profiles. It's still not Android-level control, but it's a hell of a lot better than it was. I'll take any crumb of personalisation they throw at this point.

Spotlight's actually useful now

They've done what they do best: sherlocked another feature (sorry, Launchpad) and made Spotlight the Swiss Army knife it always should've been. Clipboard history, inline actions, actual smart search that doesn't feel like it's running off a damp napkin — it's the kind of upgrade that quietly changes how you use your Mac day to day. Launchpad was already something I avoided like the plague, so I won't mourn it.

What's holding me back (and why you probably shouldn't install it either)

It's beta software, not magic

Let's just get this out of the way — it's beta. Which is a polite way of saying “mostly broken.” It's Apple's equivalent of handing you a cake half-baked and asking you to let them know if you get food poisoning. Things will crash. Features will vanish. Apps you rely on daily may decide to eat shit on launch. If that's your idea of fun, crack on. But I've done this dance before, and I'm not keen to do it again.

Battery life? What battery life?

I've seen enough reports to know that iOS 26 is chewing through batteries like a hungry rat in a cereal cupboard. My iPhone 15 normally lasts all day without issue, but I am not about to risk downgrading it into a glorified landline because Apple's background AI services decided to re-index every photo I've ever taken. Battery optimisation always comes dead last in beta cycles. Every bloody year.

It runs hot. Like, uncomfortably hot.

I'm not trying to carry around a portable heater in August. Multiple people on the beta say their devices are heating up to the point of discomfort, just sat on the lock screen. I don't fancy being the guy whose phone starts toasting itself in his pocket. I've already got anxiety — I don't need to add “is my phone about to melt” to the list.

Compatibility with my Apple Watch SE is a massive unknown

This one's properly annoying. My Apple Watch SE (first gen) is capped at watchOS 10.6.1. No further updates. Right now, it talks to iOS 18.6 just fine. But there's no guarantee iOS 26 won't randomly decide it's too good to talk to my watch anymore. If that breaks, I lose fitness tracking, notifications, timers, and all the other stuff I use it for every day. I'm not prepared to turn my wrist into a dumb bracelet just to try out some shiny menus.

Stability? Don't make me laugh

Sure, betas have gotten “better” over the years, but that's a low bar. I've seen entire sections of the UI break for no reason. Apps refuse to launch. Widgets go missing. Settings get reset. Notifications don't show up. And because you're on a beta, no one gives a toss. Developers won't fix bugs until the final release. You're on your own. Good luck.

So... why am I still tempted?

Because, goddammit, the UI looks amazing. And Spotlight looks like it might actually be useful. And I am a sucker for a fresh coat of paint — especially when the paint is this shiny. Apple's really nailed the aesthetics this year, and I can feel that pull in the back of my brain whispering “just install it, what's the worst that could happen?”

The worst? I end up with a phone that overheats, a Mac that crashes mid-compile, and a watch that no longer syncs my heart rate. And I don't have spare devices lying around to use as testing grounds. So, no — I'm resisting. For now.

TL;DR

Yes, I want to try iOS/macOS 26 because:

Liquid Glass looks absolutely fantastic

Customisation options are finally not a joke

Spotlight finally feels like it belongs in 2025

No, I'm not updating yet because:

Beta software is still beta software, no matter how shiny

Battery life on iPhone 15 tanks

Heat issues are real and annoying

Stability is a coin flip

I don't want to brick my perfectly functional watch

When the stable versions drop in September, I'll probably jump in with both feet. But until then, I'm sitting this one out. My devices work, my battery lasts, and my watch still does what I need it to.

That's more valuable than a shiny new Control Centre — no matter how bloody nice it looks.