It’s been a couple of days since I installed iOS 26 on my iPhone. Though the latest iOS 26 beta has shown slight improvement in some key aspects, there are still too many grey spots that need to be ironed out, sooner rather than later. Having been on the receiving end of quite a few frustrations and issues, I’m going to break down the 10 most annoying iOS 26 beta 2 issues and their reliable solutions. So, if you are daily driving the beta software and wish to discover ways to take control of the lingering annoyances, this detailed article is for you. Read on…
Most Frustrating iOS 26 Beta Issues and Their Solutions
For detailed and accurate reporting about the iOS 26 beta software, I’ve closely tracked Reddit’s r/iOSBeta thread. A good many issues discussed on the forum have resonated with my testing as well. So, I can independently confirm their dominating presence.
1. Excessive Overheating and Rapid Battery Drain
One of the most widespread complaints involves phones getting hot and losing charge rapidly, even while idle.
- Switch to a static wallpaper without any dynamic effects or animations.
- Disable Background App Refresh from Settings > General > Background App Refresh.
- Use Low Power Mode until the next beta patch is released.
- Limit the usage of heavy apps like Apple Music, Safari, and camera in warm environments.
2. Keyboard Crashes and Lag
Users have reported the system keyboard crashing repeatedly, especially in third-party apps, and lagging during emoji selection or text input.
- Try using third-party keyboards like Gboard temporarily if crashes are severe.
- Restart the device when lag intensifies.
- Clear RAM by force-closing all apps and performing a soft reboot.
3. Wireless Charging Not Working
After updating to beta 2, some users found their MagSafe or Qi wireless chargers no longer function properly with their iPhones.
- Remove any case or accessory that could be obstructing the connection.
- Try resetting all settings from Settings > General > Transfer or Reset iPhone > Reset > Reset All Settings.
- Toggle Optimized Battery Charging off and on again from Settings > Battery > Battery Health.
4. Icons Refreshing or Disappearing on App Launch
Several users noticed that app icons flash or disappear briefly when launching an app from a page other than the first home screen.
- Reduce transparency via Settings > Accessibility > Display & Text Size > Reduce Transparency.
- Avoid launching apps directly from Control Center overlays until the issue is resolved.
- Restart the device periodically to clear out minor UI glitches.
5. Buggy Back Swipe Gesture
With iOS 26 allowing back swipes from anywhere on the screen, some users are facing conflicts with left swipe gestures within apps.
- Be mindful of where you swipe; try swiping from the top or lower corner instead of the middle edge.
- Submit detailed feedback via the Feedback Assistant app to request gesture customization options.
6. No Sound on Incoming Calls
Some iPhones on iOS 26 beta fail to ring even when not in Silent Mode, leading to missed calls.
- Check Focus modes or Do Not Disturb settings.
- Make sure Call Audio Routing is set to Automatic under Settings > Accessibility > Touch > Call Audio Routing.
- Restart the device and ensure ringer volume is maxed out.
7. Control Center Appearance Change
Apple replaced the liquid glass aesthetic from Beta 1 with a frosted look in Beta 2, leaving many users unhappy with the change.
- Currently, there’s no toggle to switch UI glass effects.
- Use Reduce Transparency as a temporary workaround for visual clarity.
- Consider submitting UI preferences to Apple via Feedback Assistant.
8. Notes App Scrolling Glitches
The Notes app behaves erratically, with content jumping around during typing.
- Force close and reopen Notes.
- Use a third-party app like Bear or Notability temporarily if note-taking is critical.
- Check iCloud sync settings to ensure Notes isn’t lagging due to syncing errors.
9. Sluggish Apple Watch Battery Post-Update
Users with Apple Watch Ultra 2 and other models linked to iPhones on iOS 26 beta report rapid battery drain and overheating.
- Unpair and re-pair your Apple Watch.
- Disable unnecessary features like background heart rate tracking or Always-On Display.
- Reboot both iPhone and Watch after making changes.
10. iMessage Translation Not Working
The auto-translate feature in iMessage appears to be inconsistent in Beta 2.
- Tap the contact’s avatar > Enable “Automatically Translate”.
- Make sure the required languages are downloaded from Settings > General > Language & Region.
- Toggle iMessage off and back on in Settings > Messages.
Wrapping up..!
And that’s about it! As expected from any developer beta, iOS 26 comes with instability and performance hiccups. If you rely on your iPhone for everyday use, you might want to wait for the public beta or official release. In the meantime, these workarounds can help minimize the pain of testing an early build.
And remember—Apple relies on your feedback during beta testing. Report any bugs through the Feedback Assistant so the final version of iOS 26 can be more stable for everyone.
