The tech world is buzzing, and for good reason. Apple has just pushed out the seventh beta versions of its core operating systems to developers. We’re talking about iOS 26, iPadOS 26, macOS Tahoe 26, watchOS 26, tvOS 26, and even visionOS 26. Good news for developers playing with these updates: there are definitely some new things to find. The final versions are just a few weeks away, so these betas give us a strong hint of what’s coming next.
For iPhones, iOS 26 beta 7 is now available for those enrolled in the developer beta program. This latest build brings a few notable changes that users will care about. One update focuses on how your phone manages power.
Smarter Power Management and Health Features Return
The Power Mode settings now include a fresh option: Adapter Power Notifications. This setting might alert you if your phone’s performance could slow down to save battery life. It’s a helpful way to keep you in the know. What’s cool is that this toggle is separate from Adaptive Power. This gives users more control over how their device handles its energy.
Here’s some big news for Apple Watch users. It turns out that iOS 26 beta 7 and watchOS 27 beta 7 now support Apple’s “redesigned” blood oxygen measurement feature in the United States. For years, some Apple Watch owners in the U.S. couldn’t use this health feature. This was due to a long-running patent fight with a company called Masimo. But Apple found a workable solution last week and got it approved. This means the feature is finally coming back. Expect to see this workaround appear on all devices with the next public beta. It will reactivate the feature for Apple Watch Series 9, Series 10, and Ultra 2 customers in the U.S., where it had been unavailable for quite some time.
Messages App Gets a Small but Smart Addition
Apple is clearly investing more in its Messages app. It wants to keep its users happy, making sure other apps don’t take over a major part of the communication market. As part of this effort, Messages now includes a new “Drafts” option. You’ll find it when you look at the filter view. This feature isn’t live everywhere yet, but it’s a smart addition for those who like to start a message and finish it later.
A Quirky macOS Update
Even macOS Tahoe 26 got a quirky update. Remember that MacBook onboarding video that came with beta 6? It was missing the famous “notch” in the screen. Well, in beta 7, the notch is back in the video. It’s a small detail, but one that power users noticed.
macOS Tahoe onboarding video in beta 7 adds the notch pic.twitter.com/Iir3Tk2Vm1
— Zac Hall (@apollozac) August 18, 2025
So, to sum it up, iOS 26 Beta 7, build 23A5326a, brings back the blood oxygen measurement feature. It also adds that new Adaptive Power Mode notifications button. There’s a bug fix for captured screens too. Plus, you might spot some subtle visual changes, like what Apple calls “Liquid Glass.” These updates are small but important as Apple gets ready for the official release.