Mark Gurman hints at unexpected Apple iOS 26.2 beta release – What’s coming next?

Apple could have some pretty quick feet on its next software cadence. After Monday’s expected public release of iOS 26.1, the first developer beta of iOS 26.2 may arrive as early as Tuesday, analyst Mark Gurman reports.

iOS 26.1: small changes

iOS 26.1 reportedly contains a new “Liquid Glass ‘Tinted’ toggle,” which can reduce certain visual effects to help with readability.

Outside of that, the iOS 26.1 update seems to be mostly performance optimizations and minor bug fixes.

Quick beta beat

If Apple does indeed publish an iOS 26.2 beta on Tuesday, it will mark a faster pace than we’ve typically seen in recent years: Only a single day after a public iOS release, the iOS 26.2 beta will kick off-indicating it won’t be the only beta Gurman is tracking. As Gurman’s report indicates, iOS 26.2 will likely not be the only Apple platform to receive an early beta release, as iPadOS, watchOS, and macOS betas will also be available.

iOS 26.2: The features we’re watching

So far, expectations for iOS 26.2 remain somewhat low. However, there are a couple of features worth keeping an eye out for in the update:

Apple is reportedly planning to add US passport support to Apple Wallet. The company said US passports would be supported in the Wallet app before the end of the year, but it’s not yet clear whether this feature will arrive with iOS 26.2.

iOS 26.2 could also contain another security update for messaging: End-to-end encryption for RCS (Rich Communication Services) messaging. Apple had previously only said that RCS support will come in a “future software update,” so the timing is interesting. It’s not yet confirmed for iOS 26.2, but it would fit the timeline.

The future of iOS 26.2

If the timeline plays out, we should see a public release of iOS 26.2 around December after several weeks of beta testing.

For the users, that means the next few days and weeks will probably feature iterative improvements, rather than sweeping changes, but the quickened pace does indicate Apple is prioritizing a dynamic cadence.

What should you prep?

Advice for everyday users on whether they should update or not is largely the same: When iOS 26.1 drops, install it at a convenient time (backed up and with a charge on hand). Users interested in early access and beta software can opt in to iOS 26.2’s developer beta, though keep in mind that Apple’s developer betas often have more bugs and unexpected issues than the company’s public releases.

In other words: Apple is gearing up for a quick update cycle. iOS 26.1 is the first step this week, while iOS 26.2 could follow closely behind. If the timeline holds, users should expect to see the update arrive this week.