What to know

  • The third beta of iOS 17.6 and iPadOS 17.6 is now available for developers to download and test. 
  • The update likely includes under-the-hood improvements and bug fixes since Apple seeded the second beta only a week earlier. 
  • Registered developers can opt into the beta from Settings > Software Update > Beta Updates. 

Today, Apple has released the beta updates of the upcoming iOS 17.6 and iPadOS 17.6 to developers. Registered Developers can now download and test these beta updates before the final release. 

This comes only a week after the second beta update of the iOS and iPadOS 17.6 was seeded to developers.

It’s yet unclear if there are any new features and additions in the new betas. Most of the features that Apple had promised for iOS 17 have already arrived. It’s possible that this is simply a beta update that deals with minor bug fixes and a little more fine-tuning. 

Along with iOS and iPad 17.6, Apple also released the third beta update for macOS 14.6, tvOS 17.6, visionOS 1.3, and watchOS 10.6. 

Note that a developer account is required to download and install the beta updates. Opt into the beta from Settings > Software Update > Beta Updates.