Apple has a new beta 2 version of iOS 26.3 available for public beta testers, here’s what to expect from the latest software update.
iOS 26.3 beta 2 lays groundwork for RCS end-to-end encryption
It’s been nearly a month since the first public beta for iOS 26.3 debuted.
Due to the holidays, Apple took an extended hiatus from shipping new public beta updates. But that break has officially ended today.
iOS 26.3 public beta 2 is now available, arriving one day after the latest developer beta.
The new public beta is the exact software build released to developers. And so far after a day of testing, the biggest new discovery involves RCS messaging in the Messages app.
As spotted by user Tiino-X83 on X, beta 2 includes references to carriers supporting end-to-end encryption for RCS.
The code string ‘SupportsE2EE’ has been added, laying the groundwork for full RCS end-to-end encryption support to possibly launch when iOS 26.3 ships to the public.
Apple has previously pledged that it would support end-to-end encryption via RCS in a future software update. While there’s no guarantee yet that iOS 26.3 will be that update, the new code string is an encouraging sign of the feature coming soon.
Other changes in iOS 26.3 that were present in beta 1 include a new option to transfer from iPhone to Android, updates to the wallpaper gallery, a notification forwarding feature for EU users, and more.
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