Apple Stops Signing iOS 26.2 Beta 1 for iPhone Air, iPhone 16e, and Cellular M5 iPad Pro - MacRumorsOpen MenuShow RoundupsShow Forums menuVisit ForumsOpen Sidebar
Skip to Content

Apple Stops Signing iOS 26.2 Beta 1 for iPhone Air, iPhone 16e, and Cellular M5 iPad Pro

A day after seeding the first developer betas of iOS 26.2 and iPadOS 26.2, Apple has stopped signing it for the iPhone Air, iPhone 16e, and cellular models of the new M5 iPad Pro, preventing those devices from installing the update.

iOS 26
The exact reason for the change is unknown, but all three devices use either the C1 or C1X modem, Apple's new custom cellular chips, so it's possible Apple has identified a specific bug related to iOS 26.2 and iPadOS 26.2 with that chip and is preventing users who have yet to update from being affected by it.

The updates will continue to show for users on those devices enrolled in the iOS 26 and iPadOS 26 developer beta programs, but the updates will now fail to install.

It's unknown how long it will take for Apple to address whatever issue it has discovered, at which time we should see revised developer betas for these C1 and C1X devices.

Update 4:50 pm: Creative Strategies analyst Max Weinbach notes that his ‌iPad Pro‌ experienced an issue with the update that forced his device into recovery mode, where he was able to restore it to iPadOS 26.1.

Update 6:30 pm: Apple has now fully pulled the updates for the affected devices, so iOS 26.2 and iPadOS 26.2 beta 1 won't even show as available on these devices.

Related Roundups: iOS 26, iPadOS 26
Related Forum: iOS 26

Popular Stories

iOS 26

Apple Seeds Second iOS 26.5 and iPadOS 26.5 Release Candidates to Developers

Friday May 8, 2026 10:16 am PDT by
Apple today seeded new release candidate versions of upcoming iOS 26.5 and iPadOS 26.5 updates to developers for testing purposes, with the software coming five days after the first RC. It's not clear what's changed in the second RC, but Apple typically sends out another candidate if there are bugs that need to be addressed. Registered developers can download the betas from the Settings app ...
iOS 26

Apple Releases iOS 26.5 and iPadOS 26.5 With End-to-End Encrypted RCS, New Wallpaper, and Maps Updates

Monday May 11, 2026 10:06 am PDT by
Apple today released iOS 26.5 and iPadOS 26.5, the newest updates to the iOS 26 and iPadOS 26 operating systems. The software comes nearly two months after Apple released iOS 26.4 and iPadOS 26.4. The new software can be downloaded on eligible iPhones and iPads over-the-air by going to Settings > General > Software Update. Apple has also released iOS 15.8.8, iOS 16.7.16, iOS 18.7.9, and...
ios 26 5 rcs 1

iPhone-Android RCS Conversations Are End-to-End Encrypted in iOS 26.5

Monday May 11, 2026 10:25 am PDT by
End-to-end encryption (E2EE) for RCS messages between iPhone and Android devices is officially available, Apple confirmed today. Support is included in iOS 26.5, which is now available to everyone. End-to-end encrypted RCS messaging is available in a beta capacity, even though it is in the launch version of iOS 26.5. The feature is available with supported carriers and will roll out over...

Top Rated Comments

8 months ago
so this is why they need to keep signing the last stable version of major releases, like 18.7.2 should still be signed for downgrade.
Score: 9 Votes (Like | Disagree)
8 months ago
And this is why we always use backup, expendable devices for developer betas right? Right?!
Score: 9 Votes (Like | Disagree)
8 months ago
Being a beta, can expect these issues. However in the recent past there are issues with the final versions of the software and so, I prefer to update only after a few weeks of the software launch.
Score: 7 Votes (Like | Disagree)
jkmoses Avatar
8 months ago
I can verify that when my iPhone Air rebooted, the network indicator "5G UC" appeared and I'm on the Mint/Tmobile Network. I ran a Speedtest and it, indeed, was over 1gbps at the top download speed. So how does a phone that doesn't support "5G UC" actually get it by accident and it's performing as expected?
Score: 7 Votes (Like | Disagree)
8 months ago

I can verify that when my iPhone Air rebooted, the network indicator "5G UC" appeared and I'm on the Mint/Tmobile Network. I ran a Speedtest and it, indeed, was over 1gbps at the top download speed. So how does a phone that doesn't support "5G UC" actually get it by accident and it's performing as expected?
The air supports 5G UC but not mmWave
Score: 4 Votes (Like | Disagree)
8 months ago
More reasons to avoid these Intel/Apple modems. Nothing’s stable and performs like the tried-and-true Qualcomm basebands.
Score: 4 Votes (Like | Disagree)