iOS 26.3 Beta 3 Breaks Continuity Features on New iPhones

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Apple’s third developer beta of iOS 26.3 and iPadOS 26.3 is creating headaches for users testing the software on Apple’s latest iPhones and iPad Pro. Several core Continuity features are currently non-functional, so you may want to skip this update for now.

Apple has also acknowledged the problem and updated its release notes, confirming that multiple cross-device features stop working entirely on certain new models.

These Devices Are Affected

You’re likely impacted if you’re running beta 3 on any of the following devices:

• iPhone 17
• iPhone 17 Pro
• iPhone 17 Pro Max
• iPhone Air
• iPad Pro M5

Older devices appear unaffected.

What’s Broken Right Now

The bug disables several ecosystem features that many users rely on daily.

• iPhone Mirroring no longer works:
• AirPlay screen mirroring to Apple TV 4K fails
• Wireless Continuity Camera refuses to connect with Mac or Apple TV
• Sidecar cannot extend Mac displays to the M5 iPad Pro

In short, anything that depends on Apple’s Continuity framework is unreliable or completely unavailable.

Apple Has Not Explained the Cause

So far, Apple has offered no technical explanation. The company simply notes that the issue exists and provides no workaround. This strongly suggests a software regression introduced in beta 3 rather than a hardware issue.

A fix is expected in an upcoming beta, but Apple hasn’t committed to a timeline.

Hold Off Updating If You Use Continuity

If your workflow involves Sidecar, iPhone Mirroring, or Continuity Camera, staying on beta 2 or avoiding beta 3 altogether is the safer move. Once updated, there’s no official way to restore these features.

iOS 26.3 Release Could Slip Past January

Apple usually delivers x.3 updates toward the end of January, but with this late-breaking bug, the public release may move into early February. Release candidate builds should arrive soon if Apple plans to stay close to its typical schedule.

Until then, beta testers on Apple’s newest hardware should expect limited cross-device functionality.

Facing these iOS 26.3 Beta issues? Share your experience in the comments.

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