Apple Revives AI News Summaries in iOS 26 Beta After Previous Missteps
Apple has taken another shot at AI-generated news summaries with the latest developer beta of iOS 26. As reported by MacRumors, the fourth beta release has brought back Apple Intelligence-powered notification summaries specifically for news and entertainment apps.
Earlier this year, Apple quietly disabled this feature following criticism over inaccurate summaries — most notably involving headlines from the BBC. At the time, the company acknowledged the issues and promised that it would refine the feature before relaunching it in a future update. That update appears to have arrived with this latest developer beta, released on Tuesday.
Once users install the beta, they’re greeted with a splash screen offering an option to enable summarized notifications. Under the category “News & Entertainment,” Apple includes a clear warning in red text: “Summarization may change the meaning of the original headlines. Verify information.” The company also reminds users that the notification summaries remain in beta, and “summaries may contain errors.”
These disclaimers are an indication that Apple is treading more carefully after the backlash surrounding the first rollout. While the tech giant is keen on positioning its Apple Intelligence as a cornerstone of iOS 26’s smart capabilities, it’s also aware that trust in AI-generated content is a fragile matter — especially when it comes to news accuracy.
The latest beta doesn’t stop at notification summaries. According to 9to5Mac, it also enhances the visual aspects of iOS with updates to the Liquid Glass design elements. These translucent effects, which Apple introduced in earlier betas, are now even more fluid and dynamic. One reviewer noted that the initial experience with Liquid Glass in beta one felt like “a wild change” to the iPhone’s interface — and Apple seems committed to refining the aesthetic further.
Meanwhile, anticipation is building for the broader release of the iOS 26 public beta. Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman recently reported that the public version is expected to go live “around the 23rd” of July, aligning with Apple’s historical beta timelines.
As the company continues to experiment with integrating generative AI into core iOS functionalities, its cautious relaunch of summarized notifications serves as a reminder of both the promise and the perils of automated content. While AI can streamline how users consume information, even small inaccuracies — like the BBC incident — can erode trust rapidly.
Apple’s move to reintroduce the feature with explicit warnings suggests it’s taking user feedback seriously while pushing forward on its vision of a smarter, more responsive iPhone experience. Whether these updates will resonate with users — and whether the summaries prove reliable — remains to be seen in the coming weeks.