Apple’s iOS 26.3 is about to arrive, with a bunch of game-changing new features and security updates.
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It’s been over a month since Apple’s last iPhone update — iOS 26.2 — which fixed urgent security flaws used to plant spyware on targeted devices. But that means iOS 26.3 will land any minute now, probably early next week.
So, what can you expect from iOS 26.3 when it arrives on your iPhone?
iOS 26.3 Comes With New iPhone Features Including RCS Support
Apple’s iOS 26.3 comes with a bunch of new features, including support for end-to-end encrypted RCS preparations, according to Apple-focused site MacRumors. It comes almost a year after the GSM Association said it was working to implement the privacy feature for messages sent between Android and iPhone devices.
Apple said in March 2025 that it would add RCS in Messages, but the iPhone maker has been strangely quiet since. The iOS 26.3 second beta ends that silence — kind of — but it merely lays the groundwork for RCS support, rather than offering it straight off.
Other new features in iOS 26.3 include an iPhone to Android transfer tool that allows you to switch to Android wirelessly. The iOS 26.3 upgrade will also include a dedicated section for weather wallpapers, with three options to choose from.
iOS 26.3 Will Include iPhone Security Updates
It’s likely that iOS 26.3 will include security updates, possibly to fix flaws already used in attacks. The upgrade’s predecessor, iOS 26.2 came with patches for two major vulnerabilities used to plant spyware on iPhones. It soon became clear that in order to get these updates, eligible users had to upgrade from iOS 18.
This left many iPhone users angry and many still are. But it’s time to get real. If you have a newer device that can update to iOS 26, you need to do so as soon as possible to protect it from serious attacks.
Apple’s iOS 26 also includes Background Security Improvements, as of iOS 26.1, which will eventually be issued on the fly. Apple has been testing these and they could emerge after iOS 26.3’s launch. However, for now, you should manually update to keep your iPhone secure.
iOS 26.3 Will Squash iPhone Bugs
Something reluctant upgraders might be happy to hear is, iOS 26.3 will squash bugs in the iPhone software. These include the usual battery drain, laggy UI and keyboard issue, according to Reddit users. Hopefully Apple will address at least some of these in iOS 26.3, since users only have one choice of update now if their iPhone can run it.
iOS 26.3 Arriving Any Minute Now
It’s been ages since iOS 26.2, which arrived mid-December, so many iPhone users are keen to install a new update. There had been rumors that a iOS 26.2.1 upgrade would arrive, but the opportunity came and went.
Now it looks like the next iPhone update will be iOS 26.3 and this will land before the end of January — probably Monday 26 January.
Keep checking your Settings > General Software Update or visit my page to keep track of iOS 26.3’s arrival.