Apple unveils iOS 26 beta 6, introducing fresh ringtones and additional features
Apple has unveiled a series of updates and enhancements in the latest beta version of iOS 26, focusing on UI improvements, performance boosts, and usability tweaks.
Liquid Glass Design Enhancements
The lock screen clock now sports a brighter, more transparent "liquid glass" look, allowing more of the background wallpaper to show through. This creates a floating effect with improved light reflections. Similarly, app icons on the home screen appear to float over the background [1][3][5].
Faster App Opening Speed
Animations for opening apps like Calendar and Clock are now much faster, making the apps launch almost instantaneously. This seems to be an intentional performance improvement rather than a bug [1][5].
New Onboarding Process
Upon installing Beta 6, users are greeted with a new onboarding video introducing the Liquid Glass design and guiding them through the new look and features of iOS 26 [2][3].
UI Animation Updates
The home screen edit overlay menu animation now slides down rather than moving to the right. All toggles in Settings have updated animations reflecting the new design language. The battery widget has a frosted glass look that responds when tilting the device [5].
New Ringtones Added
Six new ringtones, including one named "Dreamer", were added in this beta [1].
Improved Lockscreen Transparency
The lock screen background is more transparent overall, making it easier to see the wallpaper behind text and elements [1][3].
Camera App Mode Picker Swipe Fix
iOS 26 Beta 6 adjusts the Camera mode picker swipe direction back to the more traditional behavior, correcting a controversial change in previous betas [1].
AirPods Connection & Features (in re-release beta 6)
AirPods connect faster, and hints of a future live translation feature for AirPods were found in assets, though not yet active [4].
These changes highlight Apple's push for a more visually immersive interface with Liquid Glass and snappier performance while polishing animations and usability before the final iOS 26 release [1][2][3][5].
- With the new UI animations in iOS 26, the home screen edit overlay menu slides down, while all toggles in Settings have updated animations, reflecting the Liquid Glass design.
- In addition to the Liquid Glass design enhancements, Apple has also introduced smartphones and gadgets users to the new iteration of their operating system, iOS 26, through a new onboarding video that guides them through the latest features.
