What new iOS 26.3 beta features can iPhone users expect?
While iOS 26.3 is expected to be released in January, the company has already released its beta version to iPhone users, which includes a few significant features.
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While iOS 26.3 is expected to be released in January, the company has already released its beta version to iPhone users, which includes a few significant features.
- iOS 26.3 beta introduces new features, one of which is “Transfer to Android.”
- This allows users to easily transfer contacts, photos, messages, and apps to an Android device.
- iOS 26.3 also adds notification forwarding to non-Apple devices.
Key Takeaways by nexos.ai, reviewed by Cybernews staff.
One of the features introduced by Apple’s latest update is the “Transfer to Android” feature, which enables iPhone users to switch to an Android device more easily.
Android’s latest software system, also in beta, includes the same feature, allowing users to switch from Android to iPhone.
At the beginning of December, it was reported that Apple and Google are teaming up to make it easier for users to switch between operating systems. This has now been confirmed with the iOS 26.3 beta release.
To use the new feature, Apple users need to add an Android device next to their iPhone. Both phones should have the latest version of the software installed and be connected to WiFi and Bluetooth.
Once the phones are connected, a user can transfer their information, such as phone numbers, photos, messages, apps, notes, and more, to an Android device.
Users should note that not all information is transferable. Locked notes, Bluetooth devices, and Health data, which is considered sensitive information, can’t be transferred.
This may change in the future, with companies adding new data types, notes 9to5Mac.
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It was previously reported that Apple may be working on a framework that would allow the transfer of third-party app data from an iOS device to an Android device.
Another new feature available with iOS 26.3 beta is notification forwarding, which may prove useful to iPhone users who use third-party smartwatches or other wearables, as it shows notifications from the smartphone to their non-Apple device.
However, this feature is only available to users in the EU due to future Digital Markets Act (DMA) regulations, which would require Apple to allow third-party devices to display notifications forwarded from their smartphones.
This isn’t the first time Apple has had to adhere to DMA regulations. The company had already changed its Lightning port to USB-C, as required by European Union (EU) legislation, which aims to reduce electrical waste.
Recently, the company has also been under scrutiny by the EU, which is examining whether Apple Ads and Apple Maps should be considered “gatekeepers” under the Digital Markets Act rules.
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