iOS 26 Beta 3 Download Available for iPhone & iPad
The third beta version of iOS 26 beta for iPhone, and ipadOS 26 beta for iPad, has been made available for registered Apple developers. Any user can install the iOS 26 beta now by registering for the developer beta testing program, but generally speaking this is only appropriate for advanced users.
iOS 26 brings along the all new Liquid Glass interface look, new features for Phone app, Messages app includes new options to customize background wallpapers for threads and share polls in group chats, new ringtone, improvements to CarPlay, improvements to Apple Intelligence, new Shortcuts features, and more, while iPadOS 26 brings a new multitasking approach with windowing, along with the Preview app, and other various changes.
Additionally, macOS Tahoe 26 beta 3 for Mac, watchOS 26 beta 3 for Apple watch, and tvOS 26 beta 3 for Apple TV are available for beta testers.
It’s possible the iOS 26 beta 3 build could match the upcoming public beta, which has yet to be released by Apple.
How to Download & Install iOS 26 Beta 3 / iPadOS 26 Beta 3
Before anything else make sure you backup iPhone/iPad to iCloud and to a computer. Preserving your data is critical, especially when running beta software.
- Open “Settings” app on iPhone / iPad
- Choose “General” and then go to “Software Update”
- Select to “Download & Install” to download and install iOS 26 beta 3 / iPadOS 26 beta 3 update
To complete installation, your device must reboot.
While betas are intended for advanced users, any user can enroll their Apple ID to be included in the Apple Developer Beta Testing Program, which then allows you to access and install iOS 26 beta onto iPhone or iPad. Because beta system software is notoriously buggy and less stable than final builds, it’s not recommended for most users to run beta system software except on secondary non-critical devices.
It’s expected the iOS 26 public beta will launch in the near future, as Apple had previously stated the public beta would arrive in July.
After you update to the latest beta on your iPhone or iPad, don’t skip checking for beta updates on your Mac for the latest Tahoe beta, Apple Watch, Apple TV, and Apple Vision Pro, if you’re running the full beta suite on all your devices.
The final versions of iOS 26 for iPhone and iPadOS 26 for iPad, will be released this fall, according to Apple.
