IOS 26.3 Will Bring Two New Features to IPhone.
Just three days after Apple released iOS 26.2 for all iPhones, the company is delighting us with another update. iOS 26.3 has officially been released, but only to beta testers. Those who dare to install Apple’s unfinished software on their devices won’t find the update chock-full of new features and changes, but they will discover two key new features. The thing is, we already knew both were coming.
However, this isn’t exhaustive information about the update: since iOS 26.3 is a relatively new version, testers may discover additional features hidden in the update. Furthermore, Apple may add new changes in subsequent betas. I’ll continue to update this article to reflect any new features that appear, but until then, here are two new features we know about.
Forwarding notifications
Back in September, it was revealed that Apple was quietly working on a notification forwarding feature, but beyond this basic functionality, details remained a matter of speculation. At the time, most assumed Apple planned to use this feature to forward notifications to third-party devices, particularly smartwatches, in order to open up the platform to wearables other than the Apple Watch. Of course, this wouldn’t have been Apple’s choice—if the company had acted independently, it would have sought to preserve as many features as possible tied to Apple devices. Instead, the motivation was EU requirements, which obligated Apple to make its platforms more compatible with third-party devices.
Three months later, we finally have our first official glimpse of this feature. The first beta of iOS 26.3 introduced a “Forward Notifications” option in Notifications settings. While this option isn’t yet available, Apple has provided a description of how the feature works, stating that notifications can only be forwarded to one device at a time. Importantly, the description states that forwarding notifications to another device won’t display them on your Apple Watch. Is this restriction really necessary, Apple?
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Transfer to Android
The second feature of iOS 26.3 hasn’t been known for long. In fact, we only learned about it a week ago . It just so happens that Apple is working directly with Google on an official way to make transferring data between iPhone and Android devices more convenient.
Last week, Google released the first version of this feature for Android Canary, but Apple’s beta versions didn’t include it. Now we know what to expect: a new option called “Move to Android” has appeared in the iOS settings under “Move or reset iPhone.” Here, iOS prompts you to place your iPhone near your Android device to select which data to transfer, such as photos, messages, notes, and apps. However, it appears not all data will transfer: health data, Bluetooth-paired devices, and “secure items” like locked notes won’t be transferred using this transfer feature.
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Beware of running beta versions on your iPhone.
This isn’t the flashiest beta Apple has ever released, but it’s available to install right now. Both a developer beta and a public beta are available, meaning anyone can enroll their device in Apple’s beta program to try out version 26.3.
However, before doing so, be aware of the risks. Unfinished software may contain bugs and glitches that could impact your iPhone’s usability. If the software is particularly buggy, you could lose data when reverting to iOS 26.2. If you decide to install the beta, make a full backup of your iPhone to a Mac or PC beforehand.