Apple’s 26.4 beta cycle keeps moving, and the company has now seeded iPadOS 26.4 beta 3 to developers for testing. You install iPadOS betas on an iPad, not an iPhone, but Apple also pushed iOS 26.4 beta 3 for iPhone alongside this drop.
How to update
- Open Settings on your iPad.
- Tap General.
- Tap Software Update.
- If you do not already see beta updates, go to Beta Updates (inside Software Update) and select the developer or public beta track tied to your Apple Account, then return to Software Update.
- Tap Download and Install, then follow the prompts.
Changes in iPadOS 26.4 beta 3
Apple has not published a complete public changelog for beta 3 yet, but the 26.4 cycle already focuses on a set of app-level updates that started showing up in earlier betas, and beta 3 continues that rollout.
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Here are the main areas that matter in iPadOS 26.4 testing right now:
- Apple Music updates, including refreshed views and new playlist-related features being tested in 26.4.
- Apple Podcasts changes, including a bigger push toward video podcasting features in the 26.4 cycle.
- Safari UI tweaks, including the return of the compact tab bar that testers have seen in iPadOS 26.4.
- Messaging security work, including ongoing testing around end-to-end encrypted RCS support as part of the wider iOS and iPadOS 26.4 cycle.
If you spot anything clearly new in beta 3, like a fresh toggle, UI change, or a fix that changes daily use on iPad, drop it in the comments so other testers can verify it quickly.
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