Apple is now on its second round of developer betas for iOS 26.5, iPadOS 26.5, watchOS 26.5, tvOS 26.5, visionOS 26.5, and macOS Tahoe 26.5.
The second developer betas for iOS 26.5, iPadOS 26.5, watchOS 26.5, tvOS 26.5, visionOS 26.5, and macOS Tahoe 26.5 replace the first, which arrived on March 30. However, Apple re-released the developer beta for iOS 26.5 on March 24, with a new build number.
- iOS 26.5 build 2 is 23F5054h, replacing 23F5043k
- iPadOS 26.5 build 2 is 23F5054h, replacing 23F5043k
- watchOS 26.5 build 2 is 23T5553h, replacing 23T5541h
- visionOS 26.5 build 2 is 23O5453d, replacing 23O5441g
- tvOS 26.5 build 2 is 23L5455c, replacing 23L5443g
- macOS Tahoe 26.5 build 2 is 25F5053d, replacing 25F5042g
- HomePod Software 26.5 build 2 is 23L5455c, replacing 23L5443g
Apple also issued second release candidate builds for two macOS versions:
- macOS 15.7.6 RC 2 is build 24G711
- macOS 14.8.6 RC 2 is build 23J511
The initial iOS 26.5 build accidentally brought Apple Intelligence to China earlier than planned, added notification forwarding in the EU, and continued testing end-to-end encrypted RCS messaging. While Siri improvements were expected, they didn't surface in that particular build.
AppleInsider and Apple strongly advise that users don't instal beta operating systems or beta software onto "mission-critical" or primary-use hardware, because to the potential for issues and data loss. Instead, they should keep backups of their data and try to use spare secondary hardware that isn't as essential to maintain if something happens. .
For users wanting a generally safer experience, Apple usually brings out a public beta version shortly after the developer counterpart. It is a more battle-hardened version of the update, with typically fewer issues than the developer builds.
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].
