First off, to enter the public beta test for any device’s upcoming operating system, you’ll have to sign up for Apple’s Beta Software Program to register your existing Apple ID as a beta-testing account. There isn’t much to it, and it’s not like the requirements are strict.
There’s no secret handshake. Or if there is, they didn’t tell me about it. You should apply, and then you’re notified of your acceptance. Then you can grab your device, be it Mac, iPhone, or iPad, and follow the directions below.
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where to navigate on your device
Wipe your sweaty hands, damp with the anticipation of playing in Apple’s sandbox three months ahead of iOS 26’s public release, so that your iPhone doesn’t shoot out of your mitts like a buttered bar of soap.
Then go into Settings. Click General, and then Software Update. There should be but two selections available here. The lower one is titled Beta Updates. Click it, and toggle it to On.
Select iOS 26 Public Beta. Don’t click iOS 26 Developer Beta. That’s for app developers who want to test out their apps on the upcoming iOS update, not for regular schmoes like you and me.
Not interested in the iPhone, but rather you’ve clicked onto this page to test out macOS 26 Tahoe or iPad 26? The process above is basically the same. Sure, on the Mac you’ll have to navigate to the upper left corner, click the Apple logo, and then System Settings to find General.
Click it and follow the rest of the instructions above, except instead of iOS 26 Public Beta, you’ll see macOS 26 Public Beta.
For the iPad, the instructions even more closely resemble those of the iPhone, since you’ve got a similar Settings app on the iPad. Once again, your target will be titled iPadOS26 Public Beta.
That’s it. Now you’ve got two or three months to play around with an early version of the upcoming Mac, iPhone, and iPad operating systems before most of the world begins using them.
Just, for your own sake and sanity, remember that beta testings are, by design, meant for discovering bugs, malfunctions, and other performance issues before a full release. You’ll likely run into some. If you do, report them to Apple so that they can address them for all of us.
If you’re easily frustrated, and that outweighs your curiosity and adventurous spirit, stick to the current operating systems until Apple releases the public version of the new ones. They’ll run more smoothly than the betas.
