Apple Inc. released a second Release Candidate (RC) for iOS 26.2 to developers and public beta testers today, delaying the expected public launch of the software update.
The company has now issued build number 23C54 for the iOS 26.2 RC. This updated version follows a previous RC, build 23C52, which Apple had already distributed.
Industry observers had anticipated the launch of iOS 26.2 for all users this week. However, the release of a new RC build indicates that the public rollout will likely not occur today.
Apple typically intends for an RC build to be the final version distributed to all users. However, the company sometimes issues revised RC builds after several days of testing. This process occurred last week with tvOS 26.2.
Shipping software to beta testers allows Apple to identify and address critical bugs. The updated RC build for iPhone addresses potential issues discovered during initial testing. Assuming this new RC does not introduce further problems, iOS 26.2 is expected to launch for all users in the coming days.
