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4h ago

Apple Pushes Public Beta 3 for iOS/iPadOS 26.1, macOS Tahoe 26.1, watchOS 26.1, Plus New AirPods Firmware

The builds prioritize polish, laying early groundwork for third‑party AI integrations ahead of a broader 26.1 release.

It's a small update.
Image

Overview

  • Apple released public beta 3 across platforms, matching developer seeds: iOS/iPadOS build 23B5064e, macOS Tahoe build 25B5062e, and watchOS build 23S5022e, with a maintenance focus on bug fixes and performance.
  • The updates introduce a new, more colorful Apple TV app icon across iOS, iPadOS, tvOS, and macOS, and macOS also revises the Macintosh HD icon while iOS gains livelier Control Center animations.
  • A dedicated Local Capture settings menu lets users choose a Files location for call recordings, with iPadOS adding an audio‑only toggle, and iOS surfaces a ‘Prefer Single‑Touch Actions’ option that is not fully active yet.
  • Code references indicate Apple is preparing broader third‑party AI hooks, including support for Anthropic’s MCP and additional models for Image Playground, with availability still in development.
  • Apple also issued AirPods public beta firmware 8B5014c for AirPods Pro 3, AirPods Pro 2, and AirPods 4, which is expected to support Live Translation in more languages as iOS 26.1 nears release.