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Apple is turning up the excitement as it edges closer to the September launch of iOS 26. On Tuesday, the company rolled out its sixth developer beta, along with updates for iPad, Apple Watch, Apple TV, Mac, and more. While the major changes are mostly locked in at this stage, beta 6 still delivers a few delightful touches that are already sparking buzz.
First up, Apple has dropped six brand-new ringtones, all playful spins on the familiar “Reflection” sound. One in particular, “Dreamer,” has quickly become the breakout hit of the bunch. Early testers have been calling it everything from “crazy good” to “such a bop,” with some even admitting they might finally switch their phones off silent mode just to hear it.
Apple had no business going THIS HARD with the new "Dreamer" ringtone!! 🔥
(iOS 26 Beta 6) pic.twitter.com/9bkbJ4HckN
— Brandon Butch (@BrandonButch) August 11, 2025
In a move sure to make photographers smile, Apple has also resolved the recent Camera app controversy. Earlier betas had flipped the swipe direction for switching modes, frustrating long-time users. After a brief experiment with a Settings toggle to switch between old and new styles, Apple has now gone all-in on tradition — the swipe works just like it did before. Consider it a win for muscle memory everywhere.
Quite a few small, but noticeable tweaks to animations in iOS 26 Beta 6! Most transitions are (even) faster, snappier.
Most importantly, they’ve changed the app open/close animations to the iPadOS versions, which have a slight “magic lamp/genie”-like effect to them. pic.twitter.com/tkiInqR8MJ
— xezrunner (@xezrunner) August 11, 2025
iOS 26 beta 6 brings new animations when opening and closing apps pic.twitter.com/u2BiXZDVTg
— Aaron (@aaronp613) August 11, 2025
There are also under-the-hood improvements that make iOS 26 feel snappier than ever. App launches now feature sleek new open-and-close animations, and the overall pace of transitions has been noticeably boosted. Meanwhile, Apple continues to refine its “Liquid Glass” interface with subtle tweaks, adding more vibrant color dispersion between app tabs and polishing the Lock Screen and toggle effects for an extra layer of visual flair.
🔥iOS 26 BETA 6 adds dispersion (more rainbow reflections) 🌈 pic.twitter.com/WUQMFWGLdi
— SOUIC ᯅ (@SSOUIC) August 11, 2025
Lockscreen clock on iOS 26 Beta 6 finally gets liquid glass! #iOS26 pic.twitter.com/R8lRKppyVA
— chris (@christoph_fer) August 11, 2025
Upon updating, users will be greeted with a refreshed onboarding experience designed to show off iOS 26’s most exciting features — from the striking new icon styles to redesigned app interfaces. As with every beta, there are a few bug fixes sprinkled in, and yes, the occasional new glitch to keep testers on their toes. But overall, this build feels stable, smooth, and closer than ever to release-ready.
iOS 26 beta 6 features a brand new startup sequence not seen before! Absolutely beautiful. pic.twitter.com/1Sx2TjiVkW
— Noah (@itsnoahd) August 11, 2025
With the developer beta now live, public beta testers can expect their update in the near future. And if “Dreamer” ends up stuck in your head for the rest of the week, well… you can thank Apple for that.
