Apple pushed iPadOS 26.1 public beta 3 to testers today, following this week’s developer build. The update focuses on stability, small interface polish, and a handful of feature tweaks you can actually use.
What’s new in public beta 3
You’ll see a refreshed Apple TV app icon, matching Apple’s broader branding shift. Local Capture adds clearer controls in Settings so you can set where recordings save and choose audio-only capture when using an external mic. Visual tuning continues across apps, with subtle layout and typography adjustments that bring iPadOS closer to the system’s new look. Performance also improves in everyday tasks.
Apple continues to prepare notification forwarding to third-party accessories. The feature remains in development, but beta 3 exposes more settings detail that shows how you’ll allow or deny apps and manage which accessory gets alerts.
Build number
Public beta 3 carries build 23B5064e, aligning with the developer seed from earlier this week. iPadOS and iOS betas typically share build identifiers at this stage.
How to install
Enroll your device in Apple’s Beta Software Program, then update from Settings. On your iPad, go to Settings > General > Software Update > Beta Updates and choose the iPadOS Public Beta. The update appears in Software Update like any standard release. Make a fresh backup before installing.
Apple seeded developer beta 3 yesterday and opened the same build to public testers today, keeping the usual rhythm between channels. For developer-facing changes and any known issues, check Apple’s platform release notes, which update as new builds ship.
If you test on an iPad, public beta 3 is a safe step forward: small UI refinements, clearer audio capture controls, and smoother performance without dramatic behavior changes. Install it on a secondary device, file feedback through the built-in app, and keep an eye on Apple’s notes for any late-cycle fixes.
