Apple seeded the first developer betas for iOS 26.5 and iPadOS 26.5 today. Arriving just a week after version 26.4 dropped, this incredibly quick turnaround is a pleasant surprise, even for Apple's usually brisk release schedule.

Moving quickly to 26.5

It took a mere seven days following the public debut of iOS 26.4 for Apple to push the next major beta. This gives developers an immediate head start on testing their apps against the newest system environments.

While the official release notes are still being picked apart, testers are already hunting for changes. Many developers are hoping 26.5 will finally activate the rumored AI-driven Siri upgrades and introduce much-needed refinements to the home screen customization tools we saw earlier this year.

We will continue to update our coverage as the community discovers more hidden features inside this first build.

How to get the beta

Registered developers can grab the new build right now by opting into developer beta updates via Settings > General > Software Update on a compatible iPhone or iPad.