iOS 26 Public Beta Appears Imminent Based on This Latest Hint
An anonymous leaker with a proven track record today shared alleged build numbers for the fourth developer betas of iOS 26 and more.
The private account on X has accurately leaked build numbers for Apple software updates in the past. We do not link to the account at the owner's request.
Here are all of the build numbers shared by the account today:
- iOS 26 and iPadOS 26 beta 4 (23A5297i)
- macOS 26 beta 4 (25A5316i)
- tvOS 26 and HomePod Software 26 beta 4 (23J5316g)
- watchOS 26 beta 4 (23R5317g)
- visionOS 26 beta 4 (23M5300g)
The account often shares build numbers for betas around one day before they are released, so it is likely that the fourth developer betas of the updates listed above will be released this Tuesday, July 22. Then, the first public betas of the updates will likely follow by Wednesday, July 23, according to Bloomberg's Mark Gurman. However, there will not be a visionOS 26 public beta, according to Apple's beta website.
Apple accidentally made the macOS 26 public beta available to some users for a brief period earlier today, and the build number for it was the same as the one listed above for the fourth developer beta of macOS 26. In other words, the first public betas will likely correspond with the fourth developer betas, as expected.
Apple previously announced that the public betas would be available in July, but it did not provide a more specific timeframe.
Apple is also planning to offer a public beta of its next major AirPods firmware update.
Anyone can sign up to be a member of the Apple Beta Software Program, for free, and gain access to the public betas when they are available. As always, we recommend backing up your devices before installing beta software, in case of issues.
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