Apple has rolled out the fourth developer beta of iOS 26, further refining the system ahead of its upcoming public beta release. This version brings noticeable improvements across the operating system, particularly in visual elements and AI functionality. Developers received the update earlier this week, with the public beta expected to follow shortly. Key changes include adjustments to the Liquid Glass interface, reintroduction of AI-generated notification summaries, and new user setup screens. While not a major overhaul, the update reflects Apple’s ongoing focus on enhancing design consistency and user clarity.
AI Notification Summaries With Clearer Disclaimers
Apple has reinstated its AI-powered news summaries in iOS 26 developer beta 4, months after pulling the feature due to headline misrepresentation. The earlier removal followed a BBC complaint where AI text falsely claimed a suspect had died by suicide, prompting Apple to pause deployment. Now, with the feature returning, Apple includes a warning in the “News & Entertainment” setup screen, stating that “Summarization may change the meaning of the original headlines” and urging users to verify the information.
iOS 26 Beta 4 brings new dynamic wallpaper pic.twitter.com/sCo1ImB8H5
— Aaron Zollo (@zollotech) July 22, 2025
The updated summaries, driven by Apple Intelligence, aim to assist users in prioritizing notifications. Apple has also refined the onboarding experience with an updated splash screen and guided introductions to new features. These include Siri’s AI functions and the revamped Camera app, designed to make first-time interactions smoother and more informative for users.
Liquid Glass UI Refined After Beta 3 Feedback
Liquid Glass redesign, introduced in WWDC 2025, has since been undergoing changes, with beta 4 restoring much of the visual regressions made by beta 3. MacRumors user feedback reports and Sarah Perez at TechCrunch confirms that Apple had acted to respond to user feedback to add more translucency to a number of apps. Even the Photos, Music, App Store and Podcasts applications have improved navigation bars that do not lose out on their background colors in their legibility line.
iOS 26 Changes Liquid Glass Again bringing the effect back quite a bit. What do you think? Beta 3 on the left, Beta 4 on the right. See Replies for More comparisons pic.twitter.com/J7odd7gVUg
— Aaron Zollo (@zollotech) July 22, 2025
Apple is said to have toned down the earlier so-called frosted effect observed during beta 3 to find a midway between the outcomes of the earlier versions. Another feature that the Notification Center offers is the dynamic tint, which changes slightly when users scroll up and down and makes the depth of the interface. When navigating through the notifications on the Lock Screen, background color becomes darker at that, it is a design element and it is ideally targeted at the person looking at the Lock Screen so that it would be easier to see those notifications. Nevertheless, the Control Center and the Home Screen are not visual changes that took place between the beta releases.
iOS 26 Beta 4 adds a dynamic tint to the Notification Center as you scroll through notifications! pic.twitter.com/18AU8t4SHH
— Brandon Butch (@BrandonButch) July 22, 2025
Onboarding Screens and Dynamic Wallpapers Added
This build has added a new Welcome splash screen as soon as it is installed. As was reported by developers carrying out testing of the release, the new interface redirects to walk-throughs of important features. They comprise descriptions of Siri AI improvements, notification treat-by-order choices and amendments to the Camera app.
What is also present in Apple is having dynamic wallpapers that change in color with the time of day or interaction. The package also contains new wallpapers of CarPlay, with more customisation opportunities on all devices. Although there are still no published release notes of the beta version, there still are some minor speed and stability improvements that should find their way to the update.