Key Takeaways:
• iOS 26 beta 2 introduces “Liquid Glass” aesthetic with enhanced Control Center blur
• Phone app redesign unifies contacts, recents, and voicemail in scrollable interface
• Apple Intelligence features expand to Reminders and Photos with privacy-first approach
Swiping down from your iPhone’s corner now feels like touching the future. Apple’s iOS 26 beta 2 delivers the company’s most significant visual overhaul since the polarizing iOS 7 redesign, centered around something called “Liquid Glass“—basically, your interface now looks like it’s made of premium frosted glass instead of basic plastic wrap.
The Control Center Gets a Premium Makeover
The Control Center gets the biggest transformation, with blur effects so dramatically enhanced they make your current iOS look dated. That darker, more diffused background isn’t just eye candy—it creates better contrast for easier reading. Your accessibility settings work deeper with these new backgrounds too, proving Apple hasn’t forgotten about users who need higher contrast.
Phone App Ditches Tabs for Netflix-Style Scrolling
Your Phone app abandons its tired tab system for something more Netflix-like: one scrollable feed containing:
- Contacts
- Recent calls
- Voicemail
No more hunting through separate sections when someone calls back. The spam filtering improvements supposedly catch more robocalls, though we’ll believe it when telemarketers stop interrupting dinner.
Messages gets smarter about differentiating known contacts from random numbers through:
- Enhanced sender notifications
- Badge colors
Think of it as your iPhone developing trust issues—in a good way.
Apple Intelligence Expands Without the Privacy Trade-offs
Apple Intelligence quietly expands into Reminders and Photos, offering:
- Automated task suggestions
- Improved search capabilities that actually understand context
Your grocery list gets smarter categorization, while Photos search can find “that sunset picture from last summer” without you uploading memories to the cloud. The company emphasizes these AI operations happen on-device when possible, maintaining their privacy-first stance in an industry where competitors treat your data like their personal ATM.
Lock Screen widgets can now sit at the bottom of your display, accommodating different hand sizes and thumb reaches. Small change, huge ergonomic improvement for anyone who’s dropped their phone trying to reach the top corner.
Beta Reality Check: Beautiful but Buggy
Here’s the reality check: this is beta software with beta problems. Your banking app might crash, your battery could drain faster, and some features feel half-baked. Major Siri improvements got delayed beyond beta 2, disappointing anyone hoping for ChatGPT-level conversational abilities.
The spatial wallpaper effects with parallax motion look impressive in demos but might feel gimmicky after a week. Still, the overall package suggests Apple’s betting big on visual polish combined with practical AI integration—a combination that feels more TikTok-smooth than robotic.
Save this beta for your backup device unless you enjoy troubleshooting. When iOS 26 launches this fall, expect a more refined version that actually improves your daily iPhone experience rather than just looking prettier while doing it.