It be formally time for one other iPhone change: Apple dropped iOS 26.3 for like minded iPhones on Wednesday, following almost two months of beta trying out. Unlike iOS 26 itself, and even iOS 26.1 and iOS 26.2, iOS 26.3 is no longer exactly characteristic-filled. But there are some tantalizing (and traumatic) changes that are fee noting, including a neater system to transfer away iPhone altogether.
iOS 26.3 makes it more straightforward to transfer your iPhone records to Android
Support in December, we discovered about a tiny but grand original iOS characteristic: an official system to manufacture transferring between an iPhone and an Android tool extra seamless. In iOS' “Switch or Reset iPhone” settings, there's now a original “Switch to Android” option. Tap it, and iOS instructs you to location your iPhone stop to your Android tool; from there, you may perchance per chance per chance also desire to circulate alongside records like photos, messages, notes, and apps. Nonetheless, it seems no longer all records will transfer: Health records, gadgets paired with Bluetooth, and “safe objects” like locked notes is no longer going to approach alongside with this transfer characteristic.
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Apple in actual fact labored with Google at the moment on this characteristic, which capability it does no longer true tear a technique: Android users will bear an identical option on their discontinue to transfer to iPhone. But these of us updating our iPhones to iOS 26.3 now bear a neater salvage away route if we desire to change platforms.
You may perchance limit true subject sharing in iOS 26.3 (even as you may perchance per chance per chance also simply bear Enhance Cell)
With iOS 26.3, Apple is giving certain users the flexibility to kill sharing their true subject with their mobile network companies. The original characteristic, “Limit True Space,” reduces the exactness of the positioning records that is shared with mobile networks. That device, the network can resolve your frequent subject, but no longer your true subject. What that suggests in helpful terms, a minimal of according to Apple, is that the network may perchance know what neighborhood you are in, but no longer the particular facet highway address.
At present, finest Enhance Cell users in the U.S. will have the opportunity to expend this characteristic with iOS 26.3. It also finest works with some iOS gadgets, including the iPhone Air, iPhone 16e, and iPad Expert M5 Wi-Fi + Cell. Hopefully, it may perchance perchance most likely per chance manufacture its system to extra mobile plans and further iPhones in the long term, but for now, or no longer it's a pretty restricted characteristic. While most of us can also simply no longer have the opportunity to limit true subject sharing with the network, we are in a position to a minimal of kill apps from harvesting this info.
“Weather” and “Astronomy” salvage their non-public wallpaper portion in iOS 26.3
Discuss a tiny change: With iOS 26.3, Apple is breaking “Weather” and “Astronomy” into their non-public wallpaper sections. (Previously, these two lessons were paired.) While Astronomy factors the fashioned location wallpapers found in iOS 26.2 and earlier, Weather now factors three preset wallpapers, with varied font alternatives and climate widgets.
Notification forwarding in the EU
Support in September, we discovered Apple was quietly working on some vogue of notification forwarding characteristic, but varied than that traditional efficiency, the information were left to speculation. On the time, the frequent assumption was that Apple intended the characteristic to be outmoded to forward notifications to third-celebration gadgets, namely smartwatches, in an are attempting to delivery out up the platform to wearables varied than the Apple Leer. This may perchance no longer be Apple's need, pointless to bid—left to its non-public gadgets, the firm would preserve as many factors locked to Apple gadgets as most likely. As a change, the motivation would approach from the E.U, which has compelled Apple to manufacture its platforms extra cooperative with third-celebration gadgets.
As it occurs, this characteristic is now launching with iOS 26.3—albeit, finest in the EU (With the principle iOS 26.3 beta, Apple added a “Notification Forwarding” option in Notification settings for all iPhones. They've since eradicated this selection, since the characteristic is EU-finest.) While the choice is no longer dwell at the moment, Apple does bear a top level conception for the device the characteristic works, announcing that notifications will also be forwarded to at least one tool at a time. Importantly, the outline says that when notifications are forwarded to at least one other tool, they may be able to also simply no longer seem on your Apple Leer. Is that limitation in actual fact obligatory, Apple?
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EU iPhone users are also getting one other tantalizing characteristic with iOS 26.3. The original change will allow users to pair third-celebration equipment with their iPhones by bringing the gadgets stop collectively, corresponding to how pairing AirPods to iPhones works. Builders will need so that you simply can add this efficiency to their gadgets sooner than this works, pointless to bid, however the original change makes it most likely.
Trojan horse fixes and security patches
Apple most ceaselessly bundles its characteristic updates, like iOS 26.3, with stability patches, including for bugs and security vulnerabilities. This change isn't very any varied. Apple's security notes for iOS 26.3 list 37 patches for security vulnerabilities, maintaining problems at some level of iOS. A actually grand by a long way patches an location with dyld, Apple's “Dynamic Link Editor,” which Apple says can also simply had been outmoded in a “refined assault in opposition to specific focused folk.” The firm has outmoded this language sooner than, most ceaselessly relating to attacks in opposition to high-profile users from governments or natty organizations. As such, most users most likely can also simply no longer be tormented by this bug, but better safe than sorry: change ASAP.
Assorted important security updates embody a patch for a Photos bug that will let somebody salvage admission to your photos from the Lock Conceal; a fix for a Screenshots location that will let an attacker peep your deleted notes; a patch for a UIKit bug that will let somebody steal screenshots of peaceful records when the utilization of iPhone Mirroring with Mac; and a fix for a VoiceOver bug that will let an attacker scrutinize peaceful info even when your iPhone is locked.
