There's an iPhone update in your near future. On Wednesday, Apple released iOS 26.3 RC to beta testers. This is iOS 26.3's "release candidate," or the version of the operating system that Apple intends to release to the general public—assuming beta testers find no major bugs or glitches with the update. Apple's latest iteration of the iPhone OS might not be monumental by most standards, but it does include some noteworthy new features.
We don't know exactly when iOS 26.3 will drop, but here's what you can expect to find once Apple does release it.
iOS 26.3 make it easier to transfer your iPhone data to Android
Back in December, we learned about a small but substantial new iOS feature: Apple is working directly with Google on an official way to make transferring between an iPhone and an Android device more seamless. In iOS' "Transfer or Reset iPhone" settings, there is now a new "Transfer to Android" option. Tap it, and iOS instructs you to place your iPhone near your Android device; from there, you can choose to pass along data like photos, messages, notes, and apps. However, it seems not all data will transfer: Health data, devices paired with Bluetooth, and "protected items" like locked notes will not come along with this transfer feature.
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This doesn't just go one way: Android users will have a similar option on their end to transfer to iPhone. But those of us updating our iPhones to iOS 26.3 now have an easier escape route if we choose to switch platforms.
You can limit precise location sharing in iOS 26.3 (if you have Boost Mobile)
With iOS 26.3, Apple is giving certain users the ability to stop sharing their precise location with their cellular network providers. The new feature, "Limit Precise Location," reduces the exactness of the location data that is shared with cellular networks. That way, the network can determine your general location, but not your precise location. What that means in practical terms, at least according to Apple, is that the network might know what neighborhood you're in, but not the exact street address.
At this time, only Boost Mobile users in the U.S. will be able to use this feature with iOS 26.3. It also only works with some iOS devices, including the iPhone Air, iPhone 16e, and iPad Pro M5 Wi-Fi + Cellular. Hopefully, this will make its way to more cellular plans and more iPhones in the future, but for now, it's a pretty limited feature. While most of us won't be able to limit precise location sharing with the network, we can at least stop apps from harvesting this data.
"Weather" and "Astronomy" get their own wallpaper section in iOS 26.3
Talk about a small update: With iOS 26.3, Apple is breaking "Weather" and "Astronomy" into their own wallpaper sections. (Previously, these two categories were paired.) While Astronomy features the standard space wallpapers found in iOS 26.2 and earlier, Weather now features three preset wallpapers, with different font options and weather widgets.
Notification forwarding is coming to iOS (in the E.U. only)
Back in September, we learned Apple was quietly working on some type of notification forwarding feature, but other than that basic functionality, the details were left to speculation. At the time, the common assumption was that Apple intended the feature to be used to forward notifications to third-party devices, specifically smartwatches, in an attempt to open up the platform to wearables other than the Apple Watch. This wouldn't be Apple's choice, of course—left to its own devices, the company would keep as many features locked to Apple devices as possible. Instead, the motivation would come from the E.U, which has compelled Apple to make its platforms more cooperative with third-party devices.
As it happens, this feature is launching with iOS 26.3—albeit, only in the E.U. (With the first iOS 26.3 beta, Apple added a “Notification Forwarding” option in Notification settings for all iPhones. They have since removed this option, since the feature is EU-only.) While the option isn't live at this time, Apple does have a description for how the feature works, saying that notifications can be forwarded to one device at a time. Importantly, the description says that when notifications are forwarded to another device, they will not appear on your Apple Watch. Is that limitation really necessary, Apple?
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E.U. iPhone users are also getting another interesting feature with iOS 26.3. The new update will allow users to pair third-party accessories with their iPhones by bringing the devices close together, similar to how pairing AirPods to iPhones works. Developers will need to add this functionality to their devices before this works, of course, but the new update makes it possible.
Bug fixes and security patches
Apple typically bundles its feature updates, like iOS 26.3, with stability patches, including for bugs and security vulnerabilities. Until the update is official, however, we won't know exactly what issues are patched. I'll update this piece once iOS 26.3 is here, and Apple discloses watch bugs and vulnerabilities were squashed this go around.
Beware of running betas on your iPhone
iOS 26.3 is nearly here, but it is still technically in beta. Anyone interested can enroll their device in Apple's beta program to give 26.3 a try. However, know the risks before you do. Unfinished software could come with bugs and glitches that could impact your experience using your iPhone. Those risks are currently at their lowest within this beta cycle, since this is Apple's release candidate, but that doesn't mean it's risk-free. If the software is particularly glitchy, you could lose data when downgrading back to iOS 26.2. If you do decide to install the beta, make a complete backup of your iPhone to a Mac or PC before you do.
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