Will the iOS 26 beta harm my iPhone’s battery for good?

It's probably not going to ruin your battery forever. The main issue with beta versions is that they can be unstable and might drain your battery quicker, but once a stable release is out, things usually go back to normal. Just remember that if your hardware is older, running a new OS could put some strain on it, which might affect battery life in the short term. But if you're worried about long-term damage, it's not likely to be as bad as you think.

You shouldn't worry too much about permanent damage. Yes, a beta can drain your battery faster or cause some overheating, but it's not going to ruin your battery in the long run. Just keep in mind that if Apple does it, battery replacements can be expensive.

If you're not a developer and just want to experiment, be cautious. Betas can introduce issues that affect your daily use, and if you’ve experienced problems in the past (like needing to downgrade), you might want to skip it this time. Although if you're already familiar with the risks and still feel compelled to try it, that's totally up to you!