Apple released the third public beta of iOS 26 on Aug. 14. It brought new features, including Liquid Glass design and call screening, to developers’ and beta testers’ iPhones. Thankfully, it also reverted the way you switch between photo modes in your Camera app.
With Apple’s redesign of the Camera app in the iOS 26 beta, the company had initially inverted the way you navigate between camera modes. So, after years of swiping in one direction to get to a photo mode, imagine my surprise when I swiped and was sent to video mode instead.
In an earlier beta, the tech giant introduced an option in Settings called Classic Mode Switching, letting you switch between Camera modes like you did before the iOS 26 beta. In the latest beta, Apple scrapped that option and kept the pre-iOS 26 beta navigation method.
I welcome this revision. It’s a prime example of why software goes through a beta process. While Apple might release a feature as part of a beta, the company could get rid of that feature if it causes too many problems or people don’t like it. That’s great. It was too jarring to be sent in the opposite direction in the Camera app after years of learned behavior.
“I want to go to portrait mode, iPhone!” I said while using the earlier beta. “Well, that’s too damn bad!” I imagined my iPhone responding as it sent me to video mode instead.
I imagine others didn’t like the Camera modes in prior iOS 26 betas, either. So, I’d like to thank the folks at Apple for pulling the plug on this change. And please don’t bring it back.
Apple is still beta testing iOS 26, so it’s possible the company could adjust or remove other features before the stable version is released this fall. If you’re interested in testing out the latest software versions before the official launch, it’s wise to use a secondary device or spare phone. The update might be buggy, and your battery life may be affected, and it’s better not to risk damaging your primary device.
For more on iOS 26, here are my first impressions of the iOS version, how to enable call screening in the beta and all the other new features Apple said the update will bring to your device later this year.
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