Apple today surprisingly released iOS 26.2 Release Candidate (RC) for developers. It seems Apple didn’t plan to release a fourth beta, so Beta 3 was extended for over two weeks. This could be the final update in the iOS 26.2 beta cycle before the official release, expected as early as next week.
If you missed last week’s iOS 26.2 Beta 3 release, check out the post here: What’s New in iOS 26.2 Beta 3?
iOS 26.2 RC
Build: 23C5044b → 23C52
Released: December 3, 2025
It seems there aren’t many new changes in iOS 26.2 RC beyond stability improvements and bug fixes.
@aaronp613 on X spotted a reference in the iOS 26.2 RC code to a feature related to Find My. There aren’t any details yet on what the feature does, but he suggested it might be connected to the upcoming AirTag 2.
In addition, iOS 26.2 RC also fixes an annoying overlapping bug in Control Center.
https://x.com/BetaProfiles/status/1996317184004653295
iOS 26.3 Beta is Coming
iOS 26.2 is expected to be officially released as early as next week, and iOS 26.3 Beta could follow a few days later.
Here’s the release schedule for previous X.3 Beta versions:
- iOS 18.3 Beta 1: December 16, 2024 (5 days after iOS 18.2 was released)
- iOS 17.3 Beta 1: December 12, 2023 (1 day after iOS 17.2 was released)
- iOS 16.3 Beta 1: December 14, 2022 (1 day after iOS 16.2 was released)
- iOS 15.3 Beta 1: December 17, 2021 (4 days after iOS 15.2 was released)
However, don’t expect many new features or changes in iOS 26.3, as this update falls during the US holiday season—a pattern that has been consistent with past X.3 updates. Our attention should be on iOS 26.4 Beta, which is expected to bring more significant updates for Apple Intelligence and Siri.
iOS 26.2 Features
iOS 26.2 adds a slider when customizing the Lock Screen to adjust the transparency of the clock.
The Reminders app now lets you create alarms directly within the app without switching to the Clock app.
The Podcasts app can automatically generate Chapters and a “Podcast Mentions” feature, linking content from Apple Music, News, Apple TV, and more to specific timestamps in a podcast episode.
AirDrop now includes an option to pair with another device using a one-time code, without needing to add the contact to your address book.
Additionally, AirPods Live Translation is coming to the EU, and Apple has made some changes for Japan, such as allowing third-party App Stores and letting users choose a default search engine in Safari.
Check out my posts if you want to dive deeper into all the changes added in these updates:
What’s New in iOS 26.2? All Features and Changes →
I’ll keep adding more iOS 26 RC changes and new features here as I discover them. Stay tuned and follow @BetaProfiles on X or Threads!
