Just a week after releasing its 26th generation of operating systems, Apple has rolled out the first developer betas for iOS 26.1, iPadOS 26.1, macOS 26.1 Tahoe, watchOS 26.1, tvOS 26.1, and visionOS 26.1. These early test builds mark the start of Apple’s next update cycle, which traditionally follows major version launches with incremental improvements and bug fixes.
The developer betas include:
- iOS 26.1 beta 1: build 23B5044l
- iPadOS 26.1 beta 1: build 23B5044l
- watchOS 26.1 beta 1: build 23S5002i
- macOS Tahoe 26.1 beta 1: build 25B5042K
- visionOS 26.1 beta 1: build 23N5013j
- tvOS 26.1 beta 1: build 23J5543j
At this early stage, Apple has not detailed new features, and the updates are expected to focus primarily on stability, system optimization, and fixes for issues that surfaced after the release of iOS 26, macOS Tahoe, and the rest of the new OS lineup on September 15. It’s possible that small feature refinements will appear in later betas, but 26.1 is not likely to introduce anything on the scale of the milestone releases.
Apple’s beta cycle follows a familiar rhythm: developers receive first access, while public betas usually arrive shortly afterward for broader testing. As always, Apple advises against installing these developer builds on primary devices since they carry higher risks of bugs, instability, and potential data loss. Anyone testing them should back up critical data and ideally use secondary hardware.
The new betas will help Apple refine its latest operating systems as adoption ramps up, smoothing out rough edges before broader rollouts of 26.1 in the coming weeks.
