Apple seeded the iOS 26.3 Release Candidate to beta testers on Wednesday, which means anyone eager to get their hands on it should mark February 11 on their calendar.
The macOS Tahoe 26.3 Release Candidate also just went out, which should please Mac users. It means a MacBook Pro with faster processor options can soon hit the market.
iOS 26.3: Mark your calendars and fluff up your pillows
Fresh iOS updates can be a source of excitement: new features for your iPhone at no charge! Unfortunately, that’s not happening with iOS 26.3. It’s shaping up to be one of the more underwhelming iPhone updates.
Apple’s own description makes that clear: “This update provides important bug fixes and security updates.” Note the lack of any mention of new features.
iOS 26.3 has been in beta testing since December, and we found a few tweaks. But it turned out some of these are to comply with EU regulations and might not be available outside of Europe — sorry, Americans.
Still, bug fixes and security updates are important. And iPhone users should expect to get some of both when iOS 26.3 launches on Wednesday, February 11. That’s if Apple holds to its habit of introducing new iOS versions a week after the Release Candidates go out to beta testers.
That said, there are no hard-and-fast rules, so perhaps launch day will be February 10 or February 12.
macOS Tahoe 26.3: Good news for MacBook Pro fans
With the macOS 26.3 Release Candidate also going out Wednesday, Mac users should also get a system software update in a week. Again, it’s not expected to introduce new features.
But the new version is an important stepping stone toward the release of a MacBook Pro with either an M5 Pro or M5 Max chip. Leaks indicate the notebook will debut running macOS Tahoe 26.3, not the current version.
And the rest
Not to be overlooked, Release Candidates also just went out
for iPadOS 26.3, watchOS 26.3, tvOS 26.3 and visionOS 26.3.
Again, don’t expect new features. These updates are about bug fixes.
Ed Hardy has been writing full-time about tech for 25 years, and using it for much longer than that. His intro to Apple was a Macintosh Classic II (which he still has), but now he uses a 13-inch iPad Pro as his primary computer. He’s written for NotebookReview, TabletPCReview, and Brighthand, as well as other sites.
