Apple’s iOS 26.3 beta adds a new “Transfer to Android” tool and is testing “Background Security Improvements” — a quieter, faster way to patch iPhone security. Here’s what’s new and what it means.
If you’ve ever thought about jumping from iPhone to Android (or back again), the most annoying part usually isn’t learning new menus—it’s moving your digital life without losing photos, messages, passwords, and the little settings that make a phone feel like your phone.
That friction is exactly what Apple is targeting in iOS 26.3, now in beta. The update is shaping up around two surprisingly practical changes: a built‑in, Apple-and-Google co-developed “Transfer to Android” workflow, and a new security delivery system called Background Security Improvements that could let Apple push smaller, faster iPhone protections between full iOS updates.
Below is the complete, up-to-date picture as of January 10, 2026—including what’s new today and what to watch as iOS 26.3 moves toward a public release later this month.
What’s happening right now in iOS 26.3 (today’s key headlines)
- A new “Transfer to Android” option appears in iOS 26.3 beta, designed to move key data directly from iPhone to Android without relying on a separate app.
Apple is actively testing Background Security Improvements in the iOS 26.3 beta via “(a)” and “(b)” test releases—updates that install outside the usual Software Update screen and, in this test phase, appear to be infrastructure trials rather than real security patches.
EU interoperability changes are also tied to iOS 26.3, including AirPods-like “proximity pairing” for third‑party accessories and notification forwarding to third‑party wearables (EU-only), reflecting ongoing Digital Markets Act (DMA) compliance work.
iOS 26.3 “Transfer to Android”: Apple makes leaving the iPhone easier
The headline feature in iOS 26.3 is the new Transfer to Android flow—an Apple-built migration tool that lives inside Settings and is meant to simplify the “I’m switching phones” moment.
Where to find it
In the iOS 26.3 beta, the feature appears here:
Settings → General → Transfer or Reset iPhone → Transfer to Android
How it works
According to reports based on the iOS 26.3 beta:
- You place the iPhone near the Android phone to begin pairing.
The transfer is wireless and requires Wi‑Fi + Bluetooth enabled.
Pairing can be initiated via a QR code shown on the Android device that the iPhone scans, or via a session ID + pairing code.
Critically: Apple’s approach aims to eliminate the “download a separate helper app” step (at least for the iPhone side).
What can transfer (and what can’t)
In its current beta form, the tool can move a wide range of everyday essentials, including:
- Photos
- Messages
- Notes
- Apps (and related data types as supported)
- Passwords
- Phone number transfer
…and “more,” depending on what both sides support in the latest OS builds.
But some sensitive or device-bound items don’t come across, including:
- Health data
- Paired Bluetooth devices
- Protected items like locked notes
Why this is a bigger deal than it sounds
Apple hasn’t historically made it easy—psychologically or practically—to leave the ecosystem. So a first‑party “here’s the button to move to Android” feature is notable on its face.
It’s also tied to regulation and interoperability pressure: reporting notes that the European Commission pointed to Apple-and-Google work on cross-platform transfer systems in the context of the DMA, while also indicating the transfer feature isn’t restricted to Europe.
It’s not one-way: Google is building the reverse path too
The bigger story is that this is increasingly bidirectional. Coverage of iOS 26.3 notes that Google is implementing comparable switching improvements on the Android side so moving Android → iPhone becomes smoother as well.
That matters because the best “switching” experiences work when both devices cooperate—especially for high-bandwidth transfers and more complicated data types.
Apple’s “surprise iPhone update”: Background Security Improvements begin real-world testing
The other major iOS 26.3 storyline is about security, and it’s happening more quietly than a normal iOS release.
What Apple is testing in iOS 26.3 (a) and (b)
Apple has shipped at least two “Background Security Improvement” test updates to users running the iOS 26.3 beta.
Key details reported across today’s coverage:
- The updates appear as “iOS 26.3 (a)” and “iOS 26.3 (b)”, following Apple’s supplemental versioning convention.
They do not appear in Settings → Software Update. Instead, they show up under:
Settings → Privacy & Security → Background Security Improvements
In this test phase, Apple’s own release notes indicate these are tests—and one report quotes the note as:
“This Background Security Improvement is for testing purposes only and does not contain any security fixes.”
- Today’s reporting adds that two background updates arrived “within a few days” and that there were no CVE references tied to them—supporting the idea that Apple is validating the delivery pipeline first.
The “new” part: you can remove one of these updates
A major change highlighted in iOS 26.3 beta testing is reversibility.
Unlike traditional iOS updates, beta users can remove an installed Background Security Improvement from the same settings area, triggering a restart and rolling back that supplemental security layer.
That “install fast, roll back fast” dynamic is important, because it suggests Apple is trying to balance rapid protection with the reality that even security changes can occasionally cause compatibility issues.
What Background Security Improvements are (in Apple’s own words)
Apple describes Background Security Improvements as a way to deliver lightweight security releases between normal software updates—particularly for components like:
- Safari
- WebKit
- Other system libraries that benefit from smaller, ongoing patches
Apple also explicitly warns that, in rare compatibility cases, these improvements may be temporarily removed and later enhanced in a subsequent software update.
How to make sure it’s enabled on your iPhone
Apple says the setting lives in the Privacy & Security menu. On iPhone:
Settings → Privacy & Security → Background Security Improvements → Automatically Install (On)
If you turn it off, Apple notes your device won’t receive these improvements until they’re bundled into a later standard software update.
Why Apple is doing this now
This looks like Apple catching up to a modern reality: browsers and web engines move fast, and threats move faster.
Apple’s deployment documentation frames Background Security Improvements as a way to apply security fixes more frequently without requiring a full software update—and notes they’re included in ensuing minor updates. It also explains the (a), (b), (c) style versioning and that each successive release includes previous changes.
In other words: iOS 26.3’s surprise security activity isn’t “just another beta oddity.” It may be the public start of a new cadence in iPhone security response.
A quick word on the EU angle: iOS 26.3 is also about interoperability
While “Transfer to Android” is expected to be broader than Europe, iOS 26.3 also includes changes that are explicitly framed as DMA-driven and EU-limited—especially around accessories and wearables:
- AirPods-like proximity pairing for third-party accessories (EU)
- Third-party notification forwarding so notifications can appear on compatible non-Apple wearables (EU)
For users outside the EU, these features may not land the same way—but they’re part of the larger pattern: iOS 26.3 is focused on loosening some ecosystem walls.
When will iOS 26.3 be released?
Apple hasn’t announced a public release date in the sources above, but iOS 26.3 is widely expected to arrive in late January 2026, based on Apple’s typical “.3” cadence and the current beta timeline.
For context, Apple’s developer releases page shows:
- iOS 26.2 released December 12, 2025
- iOS 26.3 beta first appeared December 15, 2025
What you should do today (January 10, 2026)
If you’re a regular iPhone user (not on betas)
- Stay on the public release track unless you have a specific reason to beta test. (The security tests discussed here are currently tied to iOS 26.3 beta activity.)
Go to Settings → Privacy & Security → Background Security Improvements and ensure Automatically Install is enabled.
If you’re planning to switch from iPhone to Android soon
iOS 26.3’s Transfer to Android tool may reduce friction once it hits public release, but you still want to avoid the classic “lost texts” trap:
- Turn off iMessage and FaceTime before (or immediately after) moving your SIM/eSIM to your Android phone. Apple’s guidance (if you still have the iPhone) is:
- Settings → Apps → Messages → turn off iMessage
- Settings → Apps → FaceTime → turn off FaceTime
If you no longer have the iPhone, Apple provides an online Deregister iMessage flow.
Watch for iOS 26.3’s public rollout later this month if you want the smoothest “Transfer to Android” experience built into the OS.
Bottom line: iOS 26.3 is a quiet but meaningful shift
Most iOS point releases are framed around convenience tweaks or a handful of features. iOS 26.3 is different: it’s about mobility (moving between iPhone and Android without penalty) and security velocity (getting protections sooner, with a safer rollback model).
As of January 10, 2026, Apple is doing more than talking about those goals—it’s actively testing the plumbing needed to make them real.
