Apple Unveils iOS 26 Beta 4 with Enhanced Liquid Glass and AI Summarisation Comeback
Apple's iOS 26 beta 4 reintroduces AI news summaries and revives Liquid Glass design, offering a polished preview before public rollout.
Apple has just pushed out the fourth developer beta of iOS 26, bringing a fresh round of design tweaks, performance updates, and the return of some closely-watched features. Released just ahead of the expected public beta, this version delivers both visual upgrades and functionality refinements that suggest Apple is gearing up for a major OS release later this year.
A standout update in beta 4 is the reappearance of the AI-powered news summarisation tool. Initially pulled earlier this year after it inaccurately summarized a BBC article involving UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson’s death, the feature is now back—with a warning. Users are now greeted with a disclaimer under the “News & Entertainment” section, stating:
“Summarisation may change the meaning of the original headlines. Please verify the information.”
This marks Apple’s renewed push toward AI-driven features, with a clear emphasis on user awareness and accountability.
On the design front, the Liquid Glass aesthetic—first introduced at WWDC in June—is getting its sparkle back. While a previous beta had dialed down the translucent effects, beta 4 restores them across several core apps. Users will notice dynamic, layered transparency in Photos, Weather, Apple Music, and the App Store. The Notification Centre also receives a subtle facelift, now sporting a soft tint that shifts gently as you scroll.
Apple hasn’t released full patch notes yet, but early testers are reporting noticeable performance boosts and bug fixes across various system components.
New users jumping into beta 4 will also see revamped splash screens, along with guided introductions to revamped tools such as the smarter Siri, the updated Camera app, and the AI summarisation feature.
Though still limited to registered developers, the public beta of iOS 26 is expected to launch within the week. These previews, once aimed solely at developers, have gained popularity among general users due to increasing stability and early access to key features.
In tandem with iOS 26 beta 4, Apple has also dropped updated developer builds for its entire ecosystem: iPadOS 26, macOS 26, watchOS 26, tvOS 26, visionOS 26, and Xcode 26—all now available via Apple’s developer portal.
