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3d ago

Apple Ships iOS 26.2.1 for AirTag 2 as iOS 26.3 Beta 3 Highlights Continuity Breaks

Apple also issued legacy updates that extend service certificates on older devices through January 2027.

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An iPhone 5S in a person's front jeans pocket
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Overview

  • iOS/iPadOS/watchOS 26.2.1 add support for the second‑generation AirTag and list unspecified bug fixes, with no published security notes.
  • watchOS 26.2.1 enables Precision Finding for AirTag 2 on Apple Watch Series 9 and later and Apple Watch Ultra 2 and later.
  • Rare legacy releases — iOS 18.7.4, 16.7.13, 15.8.6, and 12.5.8 — extend certificates that keep iMessage, FaceTime, and device activation working until January 2027 on older hardware including iPhone 5s and 6.
  • Apple’s iOS/iPadOS 26.3 Beta 3 is now with developers and public testers, adding an iPhone‑to‑Android transfer tool, EU‑focused Notification Forwarding for third‑party wearables, and a carrier option to limit precise location (Boost Mobile, Telekom, EE/BT, AIS, True).
  • Developer notes warn that Beta 3 breaks several Continuity features on specific new iPhones and the M5 iPad Pro, including iPhone Mirroring, AirPlay mirroring, wireless Continuity Camera, and Mac‑to‑iPad Sidecar.