The second iOS 26 beta is now available for developers to download, and its release notes have confirmed that Apple is about to change the way we restore our iPhones.
As spotted by MacRumors, the iOS 26 beta 2 release notes suggest that Apple intends to allow people to restore their iPhones without the need to connect them to their Mac or PC.
“Recovery Assistant is a new way to recover your device if it doesn’t start up normally,” Apple’s text reads. “It can look for problems and attempt to resolve them if found.” It goes on to say that iOS 26 will boot an iPhone into Recovery mode when required, and the device has been unable to restart as normal.
A new on-screen message will explain the process to users, MacRumors notes.
This iPhone encountered an issue while starting. To aid in diagnosing and resolving it, it has booted into Recovery. Recovery will look for any problems and attempt to resolve them if found.
A further Reddit post suggests that the new Recovery Assistant can use another Apple device, like an iPad, to restore an iPhone when needed. The process can be initiated via a button on the iPhone before completing it on the donor device, like an iPad. On-screen instructions then guide the user through the process.
Apple is currently beta testing the iOS 26 software update ahead of a fall release. It’s expected that Apple will release the update in September, alongside the new iPhone 17 devices.
You may also like to check out:
- iOS 26 Hidden Features Worth Checking Out
- Jailbreak iOS 18.5 Latest Status Update For iPhone Users
- Download: iOS 26 Beta 2 OTA Profile, IPSW Links For iPhone Released
- iOS 26 Beta 2 Download Expected Release Date
- Download: iOS 18.5 Final IPSW Links, OTA Update For iPhone, iPadOS 18.5 For iPad Released
You can follow us on X, or Instagram, subscribe to our YouTube channel and even like our Facebook page to keep yourself updated on all the latest from Microsoft, Google, Apple, and the Web.