Apple today seeded the release candidates of iOS 26.3 and iPadOS 26.3 to developers for final testing. The release candidates come one weeks after the third beta seeds.
Registered developers can download the new release candidates using the Software Update section of the Settings app.
Release candidates are usually identical to the final version of the software that will be released to the public provided that no show stopping bugs be found.
iOS 26.3 and iPadOS 26.3 will likely be released to the public next week.
iOS 26.3 makes it easier for iPhone users to transition to an Android smartphone by offering a new transfer tool allows an iPhone user to place their device next to an Android device to initiate a transfer process. Users can opt to move over photos, messages, notes, apps, passwords, phone number, and more. However, health data, paired Bluetooth devices, and protected items like locked notes are not transferred over to the new smartphone.
The new tool can be found in the Settings app, under General → Transfer or Reset iPhone → Transfer to Android. It is available worldwide.
There is a dedicated section for Weather wallpapers, with three preset options available to choose from. To access them, tap and hold on the Lock Screen and tap on the plus sign in the bottom-right corner of the screen.
In the EU, iOS 26.3 also brings a new “Notification Forwarding” setting that allows incoming notifications on an iPhone to be forwarded to a third-party device. The setting can be found in the Notification section of the Settings app under a new “Notification Forwarding” option. It also adds AirPods-like proximity pairing for third-party accessories like earbuds and smartwatches.
Apple was required to make these changes to comply with the EU’s Digital Markets Act.
As usual, MacTrast and Apple both warn users to not install any release candidates on their daily driver iPhone or iPad. Instead, only install them on a device set aside for testing purposes.
