India, June 1 -- The public beta of iOS 26.6 appears to be another routine maintenance update from Apple, but the iOS 26.6 beta is quietly making the iPhone harder to target, easier to browse, and more AI-ready ahead of WWDC 2026. It was also released concurrently with public betas of iPadOS 26.6, macOS Tahoe 26.6, watchOS 26.6, and tvOS 26.6, so it was not just a phone update.

The most eye-catching feature is not flashy at all, but the new iPhone anti-theft feature that remains under development. If Apple does use it, the iPhone could automatically lock itself when it's stolen, making it much more difficult for criminals to make use of it and much more inconvenient for anyone attempting to sell a stolen iPhone. It's a change that sounds...