What's New in iOS 26 Beta 3?

Today, Apple released iOS 26 beta 3 for developers, which is also expected to be the version that will become iOS 26 Public Beta next week. This update not only fixes bugs but also tweaks Liquid Glass to improve readability. Let’s take a look at what’s new in iOS 26 Beta 3.

In case you missed it, here are the features included in iOS 26 Beta 2 →

iOS 26 Wallpaper

iOS 26 Beta 3 brings three new color options to the default wallpaper: Shadow, Halo, and Dusk. Each color also has a matching dark mode.

Files App Icon

Apple changed the Files app icon once again. In Beta 3, it now has a more sky blue tone.

Liquid Glass Tweaks

The Liquid Glass design is being refined in iOS 26 Beta 3, making it easier to read and slightly less transparent.

Not sure if this is a bug or something Apple meant to do, since some users say the Liquid Glass on their iOS 26 Beta 3 devices still looks just like it did in Beta 2.

Screenshot 2025-07-08 at 3.10.41 AM Large

Cursor on iPadOS

In iPadOS 26 beta 3, shake the cursor and it’ll expand in size, It’s a trick carried over from macOS to make the cursor easier to see if it gets lost on multiple screens.

ipados 26 beta 3 cursor
Thanks to @EdFromFreelance on X

Four-finger swipe gesture on iPad

With the Windowed Apps enabled, iPadOS 26 Beta 3 now lets you quickly switch between recent apps by swiping four fingers left or right, something that wasn’t possible before.

Each full-screen app in Beta 3 is given its own separate space, similar to virtual desktops in macOS.

Photos App Icon

In Beta 3, the Photos app icon looks a bit more saturated.


Thanks to @Apple_Boy

Control Center

Connectivity icons in Control Center (Wi‑Fi, Bluetooth, Airplane Mode, etc.) now have brighter colors.

Screenshot

In iOS 26 Beta 3, screenshot previews now default to a small thumbnail in the bottom-left corner instead of showing full screen.

You can turn the full-screen preview back on in Settings → General → Screen Capture.

The Visual Intelligence interface has also been slightly updated.

The object recognition icon in screenshots now shows the Apple Intelligence logo instead of the old sketch-style icon. The “Swipe up for Image Search” menu has been renamed to “Swipe up to see images from Google,” and it no longer covers the screenshot itself.

Apple Maps

You can now receive fog alerts when using offline maps in the Maps app.

Face ID

The Face ID icon on the Lock Screen is now green.

Safari

In Safari, the Bookmarks interface has a few changes to the folder icons. Bookmarked websites now show the site’s actual logo instead of the generic globe icon.

Icons in the Page Menu interface have also been moved to the left next to the title, instead of being on the right.

App Switcher

iOS 26 Beta 3 changes app switching behavior: instead of automatically jumping back to the previous app, it now stays on the current app.

https://x.com/BetaProfiles/status/1942564810383843708

Bug Fixes :lady_beetle:

  • “Opening link in background” no longer freezes Safari
  • Apps in the Dock are now centered again. In iOS 26 Beta 2, if there were fewer than four icons in the Dock, they were left-aligned instead.
  • Fixed an issue where iPad would automatically go to sleep during video calls or while watching livestreams.

I’ll keep adding more iOS 26 Beta 3 changes and new features here as I discover them. Stay tuned and follow @BetaProfiles on X or Threads!

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Let’s hope this beta excites us more than beta 1 and beta 2. :saluting_face:

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Photos App Icon has changed

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new section curated in Apple Music settings

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also in Apple Music settings you can choose the larger text

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Increase the contrast of the buttons in Beta 3 of iOS26. For example, the blue one turns almost green
#ios #ios26
Watch the video

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Does anyone know if the mute unknown calls function has been fixed?

It was included in the earlier betas.

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It definitely is! Do not like the liquid glass update, though.

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I have installed it on my iPhone 13

I am not able to delete messages in beta 3

I do like it, it gives it a new look since you can configure how you want to see the icons and screens, you know @JossTheBoss that about tastes there is nothing written :wink: :smiling_face_with_sunglasses:

I would like this version to be more stable and that most of the bugs have been solved, although I know that there are still quite a few fringes to file and fix, they also want to launch the public beta and that one has to be more polished. I’m going to figgle to see what’s new. :smiling_face_with_sunglasses:

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I feel like iOS 26 Beta 3 has become a lot more stable since Beta 1, and battery life seems to have improved a bit too.

I think Liquid Glass will get even more tweaks, since the iOS 26 Public Beta is about to be released and Apple will get more feedback.

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