After three rounds of developer betas, the introduction of RC builds of iOS 26.3, iPadOS 26.3, watchOS 26.3, tvOS 26.3, visionOS 26.3, and macOS Tahoe 26.3 means a public release is happening soon.

The introduction of a GM (Gold or Golden Master) or an RC (Release Candidate) build means that it is practically ready for release to the general public. Barring any last-minute corrections or bug fixes, it should effectively have the same content as that final public release version.

We hope that Apple has fixed the outstanding bugs that we've reported so far. This has been a short beta cycle.

This latest round for iOS 26.3, iPadOS 26.3, watchOS 26.3, tvOS 26.3, visionOS 26.3, and macOS Tahoe 26.3 follows after the third developer beta, which landed on January 26.The second round was introduced on January 12, while the first batch appeared on December 15, 2025.

Along with the main developer beta releases, Apple has also provided testers with background security updates, outside the usual update flow. While this may be Apple testing the function itself, there's no guarantee that more will be made available in the future.

  • iOS 26.3 RC is 23D125 replacing 23D5114d
  • iPadOS 26.3 RC is 23D125, replacing 23D5114d
  • watchOS 26.3 RC is 23S618, replacing 23S5611c
  • visionOS 26.3 RC is 23N619, replacing 23N5613b
  • tvOS 26.3 RC is 23K619, replacing 23K5611c
  • HomePod Software 26.3 RC is 23K619
  • macOS Tahoe 26.3 RC is 25D122, replacing 25D5112c

At the same time, Apple has also issued release candidate builds for older operating systems:

  • iOS 18.7.5 RC is build number 22H311
  • iPadOS 18.7.5 RC is build number 22H311
  • macOS 15.7.4 RC is build number 24G517
  • macOS 14.8.4 RC is build number 23J319

The initial iOS 26.3 developer beta added a simplified method of switching devices, thanks to a new "Transfer to Android" option in the Settings app. The update also brought with it notification forwarding to third-party wearables.

The second developer beta had references to end-to-end encryption support for RCS messaging on iOS. Originally announced by Apple and the GSMA in March 2025, it is a standard that Apple has yet to actually implement/

AppleInsider and Apple strongly advise that users don't install beta operating systems or beta software onto what they deem "mission-critical" or primary-use hardware. Instead, they should retain backups of their data and try to use secondary hardware that isn't as essential to maintain.

For general users wanting a less risky experience, Apple typically brings out a public beta version of its updates shortly after the developer counterpart. A more battle-hardened version of the update, with potentially fewer bugs or issues, it is the version that interested members of the public should try, not the developer build.

Find any changes in the new builds? Reach out to us on Twitter at @AppleInsider or @Andrew_OSU, or send Andrew an email at [email protected].