iPadOS 26.1 beta 2 is available for developers

Apple released iPadOS 26.1 beta 2 for developers today. If you have a developer profile, you can install it over the air and start testing on your iPad now.



What’s new in 26.1 so far



You saw the story begin with beta 1. Apple focused on Apple Intelligence, new gestures, and small layout tweaks across core apps. Today’s beta 2 keeps that momentum while sharpening stability.




Apple Intelligence support in eight new languages.



AirPods Live Translation expanded to additional languages.



Apple Music added a swipe gesture to change tracks.



Notes picked up a new swipe gesture.



Calendar, Photos, and Safari saw visual refinements, including a redesigned Downloads panel.




You can expect beta 2 to prioritize fixes and polish. Apple’s release notes emphasize developer-facing updates and compatibility checks rather than headline features. You should still test your apps against the latest APIs.



Timing, install, and what to watch



You usually see a public beta within a day of the developer seed. Apple targets x.1 public releases in late October, so you have runway to validate workflows and file feedback.



To install today: back up your device, enroll with your developer Apple ID, then go to Settings > General > Software Update and choose iPadOS 26.1 Developer Beta. Verify Apple Intelligence availability and language support for your region before you test translation or writing features.



Beta 2 follows a feature-packed first seed, with Apple Intelligence language expansion, new gestures in Music and Notes, and UI tweaks across system apps. Apple also seeded second betas of iOS and macOS 26.1 today, aligning with the typical October cadence for point releases.