The third developer beta of iPadOS 26 is now available for download. On an M1 iPad Pro, the download comes in at 9 GB.

This release comes roughly two weeks after developer beta 2, which brought a collection of smaller features alongside continued improvements and enhancements to what was already announced. Apple previously stated the public beta for iPadOS 26 will come in July, so the first public beta build will be based on either developer beta 3 or beta 4.

Video Version

New Features

This section will get updated if more features are found.

Default Wallpaper Variations

The stock iPadOS 26 wallpaper had only been available in a single variation, but now offers three additional color schemes.

Shake to Enlarge Cursor

The new cursor in iPadOS 26 is small and easy to lose (in my opinion). Beta 3 adds the fun “shake-to-enlarge” gesture from macOS that temporarily enlarges the cursor so you can find it. This is much needed on external displays where the cursor can easily get lost.

Liquid Glass Adjustments

Seemingly in response to complaints about the legibility of Liquid Glass UI elements, Apple has adjusted to glass effect across many app to make material itself less translucent.

Swipe Home Indicator To Switch Apps Returns

Shoutout to @iamrishio on Threads for bringing this to my attention. In previous iPadOS 26 betas, we lost the ability to swipe along the home indicator at the bottom of the screen to switch apps/workspaces. Beta 3 thankfully restores this feature!