Apple has rolled out iOS 26.2 beta 2 and iPadOS 26.2 beta 2 for developers, bringing a round of targeted fixes and new known issues that app makers need to factor into their testing. This update does not introduce user facing changes, but it aims to improve reliability across core frameworks. The SDK arrives bundled with Xcode 26.2 and serves as the foundation for preparing apps for the upcoming public release.
The second beta refines the early 26.2 experience by addressing bugs and highlighting areas where developers may see temporary limitations. Most of the changes focus on AirDrop, Instruments, StoreKit, and networking behavior, so developers building apps that rely on these systems will want to review the updated notes closely.
AirDrop has a known issue where devices set to Everyone on beta 1 do not appear to devices running beta 2. Apple recommends updating both devices to beta 2 or confirming that the Apple account email or phone number is stored in Contacts. Instruments resolves an issue in the Allocations tool that caused reference counting operations for native Swift types to be missed, improving the accuracy of memory analysis.
PermissionKit still has a limitation in this build. The Significant App Update API cannot be tested in sandbox, which may affect developers validating update flows. StoreKit sees both improvements and outstanding issues. Apple has fixed a bug that prevented testers from purchasing subscriptions with win back offers in StoreKit Testing. However, SubscriptionStatus.all may still report outdated subscription information after changes, and Apple advises waiting up to 24 hours for results to refresh.
Networking behavior is also affected in this beta. Apple has modified the default TLS Client Hello, which can cause issues for apps or websites that rely on strict fingerprint based bot detection or security rules. If a server only accepts specific TLS fingerprints, users may face login failures or blocked actions. Apple encourages server administrators to adopt flexible policies, since TLS fingerprints will continue to evolve in future releases.
The Watch Face Gallery within the iPhone Watch app also has a localization issue. Text currently appears only in English, and Apple has listed this as a known issue for this beta.
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