December 15, 2025

Credit: Tada Images/Shutterstock

Key Takeaways

1. Apple released the first beta for iOS 26.3 on Monday, just three days after shipping iOS 26.2 to all compatible iPhones.
2. The update introduces notification forwarding to third-party devices, including smartwatches.
3. It also adds a new way to transfer data from iPhone to Android. The company partnered with Google to develop this new process.

Table of Contents

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Just three days after Apple released iOS 26.2 to iPhones everywhere, the company is back at it with a new update. iOS 26.3 is official, though only for beta testers. Those brave enough to install Apple’s unfinished software on their devices won’t find an update packed to the brim with new features and changes, but they will stumble upon two key new features. The thing is, we already knew both of them were on the way.

This isn’t the end all be all for the update, however: Since iOS 26.3 is so new, it’s possible testers will discover additional features hidden within the update. In addition, Apple may add new changes in subsequent beta versions. I’ll continue to update this article to reflect any new features that reveal themselves, but, until then, here are the two new features we know about.

Notification forwarding

Back in September, we learned that 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 EU, which has compelled Apple to make its platforms more cooperative with third-party devices.

After three months, we are now getting our first official look at this feature. In this first iOS 26.3 beta, there is now a "Notification Forwarding" option in Notification settings. 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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Transfer to Android

Knowledge of iOS 26.3’s second feature is not quite so old. In fact, we only learned about it last week. As it happens, Apple is working directly with Google on an official way to make transferring between an iPhone and an Android device more seamless.

What do you think so far?

As of last week, Google had already rolled out its first test of the feature to Android Canary, but it was nowhere to be found in Apple’s betas. Now, we know what to expect: In iOS’ "Transfer or Reset iPhone" settings, there is now a new "Transfer to Android" option. Here, iOS instructs you to place your iPhone near your Android device, where 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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Beware of running betas on your iPhone

This isn’t the flashiest beta Apple has ever shipped, but it is possible to install right now. Both the developer and public betas are now available, which means 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. 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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Jake Peterson

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