Apple has released the release candidate (RC) build of iOS 26.3, indicating that the public release is just around the corner. This marks the third big update since the release of iOS 26. The update primarily focuses on improving compatibility between iPhones and other third-party devices.
Last week, in our article discussing the expected release date of iOS 26.3, we mentioned that there was a possibility Apple would roll out the release candidate this week. We also noted that if that happened, iOS 26.3 could be released to the public on February 9 or sometime during the same week. Now that the release candidate is out, it looks like our assumption is right on track.
Along with the iOS 26.3 RC, Apple has also released iPadOS 26.3 RC, watchOS 26.3 RC, tvOS 26.3 RC, macOS Tahoe 26.3 RC, macOS Sequoia 15.7.5 RC4, macOS Sonoma 14.8.4 RC4, and visionOS 26.3 RC. The iOS 26.3 Release Candidate update comes with build number 23D125, which is likely to be the same build number for the public release.
The official update changelog only mentions “This update provides important bug fixes and security updates.” However, there are some new features and changes, such as the option for Transfer to Android, notification forwarding, which may be available in the public release, different sections for weather and astronomy wallpapers, and performance improvements.
The iOS 26.3 RC build is like a public build for developers and public beta testers. If you’ve opted for beta updates, you can install the latest release candidate by going to Settings > General > Software Update. Make sure to back up your data before installing the update.
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