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Apple Releases Third Developer Betas for iOS 26, iPadOS 26, macOS 26, watchOS 26, and visionOS 26
Jul 8, 2025

Apple Releases Third Developer Betas for iOS 26, iPadOS 26, macOS 26, watchOS 26, and visionOS 26

Curated by · TechCapsules ·

AI-summarised brief · reviewed before publication

Apple has rolled out the third developer beta versions of its upcoming operating systems, including iOS 26, iPadOS 26, macOS 26, watchOS 26, and visionOS 26. This release comes after the second round of betas, which were made available on June 23. The first wave of betas was introduced on June 9, following the WWDC keynote. The third developer beta includes build 23A5287g for iOS 26 and iPadOS 26, replacing the previous build 23A5276f. For macOS 26 Tahoe, the new build is 25A5306g, replacing 25A5295e. watchOS 26 beta 3 is build 23R5307g, replacing 23R5296f, and visionOS 26 beta 3 is build 23M5290f, replacing 23M5279f. Notably, there is currently no third developer beta available for tvOS 26. As with any major release, these betas bring numerous changes. One of the most prominent changes is the introduction of Liquid Glass, a new UI aesthetic that incorporates transparency throughout the operating systems and Apple's first-party apps. Specific changes in iOS 26 include a new battery management system, a refined camera app, refinements to its ChatGPT integration, and AirPods feature updates. iPadOS 26, on the other hand, has been optimized to make it a more productive device, with updates such as a better Files app, the introduction of Preview, and significant window management changes. macOS changes include the Phone app, Clipboard History, and a reworked Spotlight. In addition to the '26 betas, Apple is also testing current-gen operating system updates, including iOS 18.6 and macOS 15.6. It is essential to note that AppleInsider and Apple strongly advise against installing test operating systems or beta software onto primary or "mission-critical" hardware, as this can potentially result in data loss. Instead, beta participants should use secondary or non-essential hardware and ensure they have sufficient backups of their critical data at all times. Members of the public interested in trying out the features of the upcoming generation should wait until the initial public betas are released, which is expected to start circulating in July.

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