Apple releases iOS 26 Beta 3 which fixes a major iPhone issue and adds new features
Apple releases iOS 26 Beta 3 just in time as it fixes a major iPhone bug.
Those of you riding on the iOS 26 beta track should know that iOS 26 Beta 3 has been disseminated by Apple. If you're subscribed to the Apple Beta Software Program you can install this update by going to Settings > General > Software Update. Follow the directions. This is actually the third developer beta release of iOS 26, but you don't have to be a developer to install it. The public beta for iOS 26 will begin in the middle of the current month.
The update takes care of a major bug that prevented ringtones from working when someone called affected iPhone units. This happened to my iPhone 15 Pro Max and with the update, thankfully, this bug has been exterminated.
Apple releases iOS 26 Beta 3. | Image credit-PhoneArena
One new feature found in the beta uses Visual Intelligence to recognize screenshots. When you look at a screenshot, two buttons at the bottom of the page, "Ask" and "Image Search," show up in the bottom left and right corners respectively. "Ask" let's you ask a question about the screenshot on your screen. Image search uses any photo found on the screenshot to search for further information that might be relevant to the screenshot.
Visual Intelligence now recognizes screenshots after installing the iOS 26 Beta 3. | Image credit-PhoneArena
Apple has added more color options for the default iOS wallpaper. Usually offered in multiple color options, previous iOS 26 beta releases offered the wallpaper in blue only. With the update, the default wallpaper is now available in Shadow, Dusk, Sky, and Halo.
New colors for the iOS 26 default wallpaper. | Image credit-PhoneArena
Improvements have also been made to the battery life of iPhone units running the iOS 26 beta. Certain models also have stopped overheating and lagging once the new beta version was installed.
The stable version of iOS 26 should be ready in September, around the time that Apple releases the new iPhone 17 line. Until then, you can expect to see each new beta release introduce some new features for the iPhone along with some patches for serious bugs. We tell you all of the time that losing important features is the risk one takes when installing beta software, especially when it is a major OS release like iOS 26.
Losing the ringtone for incoming calls is pretty serious, which is why we usually warn you not to use your daily driver when installing beta software. After approximately one week, those affected by this bug will now hear their ringtone when receiving a call.
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