Apple has officially rolled out iOS 26 Beta 3, marking a key milestone in the evolution of its new-generation iPhone operating system. It is packed with visual, stability updates, and new feature updates as we look ahead to a public beta and a full release later this year.
Who Can Download iOS 26 Beta 3?
Apple’s iOS 26 Beta 3 will be released as an over-the-air (OTA) update for registered developers and public beta testers. To use Apple’s intelligent features, such as Live Translation and other AI-powered tools, the user will need the following models.
Compatible Devices Are:
- iPhone 11, 11 Pro, 11 Pro Max
- iPhone SE (2nd generation and newer)
- iPhone 12 Series
- iPhone 13 Series
- iPhone 14 Series
- iPhone 15 Series (Including Pro/Pro Max)
- iPhone 16 Series
- Older devices, like the iPhone XR and XS, are not supported with this update.
Installing iOS 26 Beta 3
Users can install the update to iOS 26 only if they are enrolled in the Apple Developer Program or public beta testing program. Click here to know the step-by-step process to install iOS 26 Beta on iPhone.
What’s New in iOS 26 Beta 3?
Improved User Interface
Apple is continuing to improve the UI with Beta 3 as they respond to the feedback received in the early days of Betas.
- Navigation Bars: Apps like App Store, Podcasts, and Apple Music will be less transparent, mostly opaque navigation bars, making it easier to read and distraction-free.
- Transparency in Safari: The browser is set to dynamically change transparency levels depending on the content of the background.
- Notifications: Specific notifications will be in a darker hue, making it easier to read on any background.
New Wallpapers
The 4 new wallpapers in this release- Dusk, Sky, Shadow, and Halo are all blue/purple. They offer a distinct look in dark mode and light mode and give the user more options to personalize the device.
Messages Updates and Customizability
The Messages app changes are fairly minimal and involve the introduction of customizable chat backgrounds and polls, which will provide users with extensive personalization in coverage.
Apple Intelligence and Digital Exclusivity
Apple has made some of the most advanced features of iOS 26 Beta 3 widely available to the majority of users. However, Apple’s marketing restricts some features to newer hardware and digital user populations only:
- Real-time (live) translation
- Advanced AI-based Shortcuts
- New playground capabilities and Genmoji features for images
These features necessarily have dependencies on hardware support, which are targeted only to iPhone 15 Pro or higher through an experimental release.
Overall Performance and Stability Improvements
Beta 3 is improved in terms of overall operational stability and performance. An abundance of bugs and battery-draining bugs are resolved in this release, making it safer for every beta tester’s daily use and quality of life.
Final Thoughts
In short, iOS 26 Beta 3 brought improvements in terms of design and performance. We could clearly see that Apple listened to some of the highlighted user concerns regarding transparency and readability. It did some slight tweaking to improve the experience, even if a few bugs still exist. Also, the new personalization options and greater stability all contributed to making the iOS 26 Beta 3 feel better than in previous versions.
With a public beta on the way and a full release this fall, iOS 26 could be one of the best polished and more user-friendly updates we have seen.
