iOS 26.2 Beta 3 ― Bug Fixes, Changes, and Improvements

[Broken Hope]

I've also used iTunes, and I lost the eSIM on my iPhone 13 Pro as well. So I haven't noticed any difference between the two programs in that regard.

You're doing something wrong.

Restore your iPhone, iPad or iPod to factory settings using a computer – Apple Support (AU)

A factory restore erases the information and settings on your iPhone, iPad or iPod and installs the latest version of iOS, iPadOS or iPod software.

support.apple.com

* Restoring an iPhone won’t delete your eSIM.

Is literally at the bottom of that page.

 

[Barkus]

On the 3rd beta, the battery started draining 30% faster. 16P

 

[JCCL]

Battery drains faster for sure, observed it just sucks battery in both my iPad Pro M4 and iPhone 17 Pro Max. Other than that it’s been perfect for me, but battery is a fairly big issue. Given this, I actually preferred Beta 2, despite this one being smoother.

 

[^^BIGMac]

Is WiFi in Safari any better?

 

[lungbutter]

Can someone confirm if this is happening for them on b3:

1. Open Photos
2. Go to your photo library
3. Play a video with sound
4. Swipe down on the video (while it is playing) to dismiss it and return to the library
5. Tell me if you can still hear the audio playing from your video
6. Swipe away on photos app to close it (not a force close)
7. Open photos back up (Can you hear the audio playing again?)

For me, only force-closing photos truly stops the video from playing..

I experience this in YouTube. It's weird. Shutting down the app helps.

 

[maxoakland]

Unfortunately my shiny new M5 iPad Pro which was purchased from Apple store today got bricked while updating from iPadOS 26.0 to 26.2 Beta 3. Stuck at Completion wizard screen after the update. Probably Apple is shortstaffed to test all permutations and combinations of possible scenarios.

There’s no excuse for a trillion dollar company to be short staffed. It’s simply poor management

 

[Dog Bone Malone]

Ok, so after 48 hours, the battery has settled down on my 16PM. Initially, it was horrendous. Today, I charged it to 100% this morning. I've been using my phone quite a lot today, then I went for my daily 10k steps walk, whilst listening to some banging toons, and I'm still on 94% - which is an unbelievable difference to yesterday. I would go as far as B3 being now better than B2 for battery.

Crazy, uh!

 

[maxoakland]

I had a new to me bug this morning. My sleep focus alarm went off with no sound. I seem to remember folks mentioned that in earlier iOS 26 versions/betas. I reported it to Apple. It’s kind of crazy they’re this deep into the iOS 26 minor versions and betas and breaking the basics.

The weirdest thing to me is the regressions. What’s going on with their code that a bug can be fixed in one version and somehow regresses to broken in a newer version

That seems ominous

 

[pnoozi]

How’s this running on 14 Pro/Pro Max/15?

Been chilling on iOS 18 and I’m pretty OOTL.

 

[Shin-Ra]

Coming directly from 26.1 (with broken page of CC Home controls) to today’s 26.2 beta 3, after the first install/restart the Home controls were fixed, showing the properly configured buttons instead of ‘Choose Scene or Accessory’. Then after a restart due to a new App Library presentation bug, CC Home controls are broken again!

Safari/Passwords needlessly prompting for a username when signing into MacRumors and some other sites seems fixed though.

Yesterday I noticed my Control Centre Home controls sorted themselves out again!
Of course another iPad restart breaks them again…

Distance and weight conversions in search were still working after a few days so I’m more confident that’s fixed. I’m still seeing some light grey tab and url bar glitching in Safari, maybe less than 26.1, and the IKEA website seems to trigger it the most.

 

[yeahtyeaht]

There’s no excuse for a trillion dollar company to be short staffed. It’s simply poor management

Of course there is. How do you think they got a trillion dollar company? Being overstaffed would give investors a bad signal and they wouldn't invest in Apple, which would decrease Apples value. That's how it works in the market.

 

[drak22]

You're doing something wrong.

Restore your iPhone, iPad or iPod to factory settings using a computer – Apple Support (AU)

A factory restore erases the information and settings on your iPhone, iPad or iPod and installs the latest version of iOS, iPadOS or iPod software.

support.apple.com

* Restoring an iPhone won’t delete your eSIM.

Is literally at the bottom of that page.

I can't do anything wrong. All I can do is click the restore button in iTunes or Apple Devices; I have no way to influence the process.
The page you provided, thank you for that, notice that it specifies it was created on November 12, 2025, that is, 8 days ago.
That makes me think that Apple has finally equipped all its apps and computer-based restoration methods with the ability to avoid deleting eSIMs. If I restore this weekend, I'll try the new app; it seems they're focusing their efforts on it now, and there's probably a better chance of the eSIM not being deleted with it.

 

[teeshot44]

I can't do anything wrong. All I can do is click the restore button in iTunes or Apple Devices; I have no way to influence the process.
The page you provided, thank you for that, notice that it specifies it was created on November 12, 2025, that is, 8 days ago.
That makes me think that Apple has finally equipped all its apps and computer-based restoration methods with the ability to avoid deleting eSIMs. If I restore this weekend, I'll try the new app; it seems they're focusing their efforts on it now, and there's probably a better chance of the eSIM not being deleted with it.

Don’t know what to say to you. I have for a number of years used iTunes to update and/or restore many iPhone models. I have gone back and forth from betas and regular numerous times. I have never had an eSIM deleted. In a number of cases I’ve had multiple eSIMs on my phones. Only if you choose to “erase all settings “ on your phone will your eSIM be deleted and even then you have to make the deliberate choice to do so.

 

[gwang73]

Don’t know what to say to you. I have for a number of years used iTunes to update and/or restore many iPhone models. I have gone back and forth from betas and regular numerous times. I have never had an eSIM deleted. In a number of cases I’ve had multiple eSIMs on my phones. Only if you choose to “erase all settings “ on your phone will your eSIM be deleted and even then you have to make the deliberate choice to do so.

Some or most major services (think AT&T, Verizon, TMobile) supports transferring your eSIM from phone to phone, which also supports restoring the eSIM when you restore your iPhone. Most MVNO services do not support this and you need to use their app or scan a new QR code.

 

[Artemiz]

I can't do anything wrong. All I can do is click the restore button in iTunes or Apple Devices; I have no way to influence the process.
The page you provided, thank you for that, notice that it specifies it was created on November 12, 2025, that is, 8 days ago.
That makes me think that Apple has finally equipped all its apps and computer-based restoration methods with the ability to avoid deleting eSIMs. If I restore this weekend, I'll try the new app; it seems they're focusing their efforts on it now, and there's probably a better chance of the eSIM not being deleted with it.

I did a DFU restore less than two weeks ago and had both my eSIMs ready to be activated during the setup process. And this has been my experience over the past restores as well.

Restore process shouldn’t be any different on Mac or PC so if your SIM config is getting erased there must be something else. If eSIM gets wiped out every time someone does a restore then it wouldn’t be much of an upgrade over physical SIM.

 

[Travis299]

15PM & 16P iOS26.2 B3 battery drain is normal and/or equal to the other batas.

 

[teeshot44]

Some or most major services (think AT&T, Verizon, TMobile) supports transferring your eSIM from phone to phone, which also supports restoring the eSIM when you restore your iPhone. Most MVNO services do not support this and you need to use their app or scan a new QR code.

No issues with Consumer Cellular or Mint through the various iOS 26 beta cycles in restores.

 

[phrekaru]

Mine 16PM stop draining yesterday when I put it on charger all night, but since beta 2 it begins to drain pretty bad.

Today the draining returns to normal days.

 

[uhaas]

Ok, so after 48 hours, the battery has settled down on my 16PM. Initially, it was horrendous. Today, I charged it to 100% this morning. I've been using my phone quite a lot today, then I went for my daily 10k steps walk, whilst listening to some banging toons, and I'm still on 94% - which is an unbelievable difference to yesterday. I would go as far as B3 being now better than B2 for battery.

Crazy, uh!

Sometimes I wonder if they change something on the backend that contributes to battery drain, like a process will spin retrying something. But b3 battery drain is definitely bad.

 

[adrianlondon]

I'm an outlier here ... iPhone 17, AI disabled, no issues with battery at all.

 

[ian6969]

How’s this running on 14 Pro/Pro Max/15?

Been chilling on iOS 18 and I’m pretty OOTL.

I had 26.0 on my 13 Pro and it was running great, smooth and no issues (I’ve upgraded to a 17 Pro since, purely for the camera upgrades). However, I do wipe my phone and start again between each major iOS update - just syncing with iCloud rather than reinstalling from a back up - so I’m always running a clean and fresh system 😊 I swear most of the issues I read about on these forums would be solved by a fresh install 😂

 

[gwang73]

I'm an outlier here ... iPhone 17, AI disabled, no issues with battery at all.

Nah, iPhone Air and no battery drain here either compared to 26.1.

 

[Shin-Ra]

This is what the light grey UI glitching in Safari looks like. It’s not constantly-reactive to the webpage content underneath, once it locks in light grey like this you have to switch tabs or apps to revert to normal.

Normal

Broken

Aside from the obvious visual inconsistency, its reducing the contrast and readability of white text and icons.

 

[drak22]

Don’t know what to say to you. I have for a number of years used iTunes to update and/or restore many iPhone models. I have gone back and forth from betas and regular numerous times. I have never had an eSIM deleted. In a number of cases I’ve had multiple eSIMs on my phones. Only if you choose to “erase all settings “ on your phone will your eSIM be deleted and even then you have to make the deliberate choice to do so.

I don't know, I can't find anything that justifies that difference in performance, but both times I had to format my phone while using an eSIM, I lost it. I had to go to one of my carrier's stores to get another one, but nowadays that's a hassle because I don't have one nearby. That's why I'm afraid of restoring and losing it.

 

[drak22]

I did a DFU restore less than two weeks ago and had both my eSIMs ready to be activated during the setup process. And this has been my experience over the past restores as well.

Restore process shouldn’t be any different on Mac or PC so if your SIM config is getting erased there must be something else. If eSIM gets wiped out every time someone does a restore then it wouldn’t be much of an upgrade over physical SIM.

As I replied to the other person earlier, both times I've had to format my phone while using an eSIM, I lost it. The only thing I can think of is that your carrier might allow remote activation and download, which my carrier doesn't. To get an eSIM, I have to go to a store to order one and have them send me an email with a one-time-use QR code. Once used, this code is no longer valid, and you have to go back to a store if it gets deleted. And each time you order an eSIM, it costs €15. The truth is, the eSIM system in Spain is very poorly implemented, and the carriers' greed is killing a very good technology.