iOS 26.3 expands the iPhone wallpaper gallery. A new Weather section and more ready-made options!

Apple has made available the first beta of iOS 26.3 to developers. The update is rather modest for now, which shouldn't come as a surprise – it is the last beta before the holiday break, and traditionally, larger new features appear only in subsequent releases. Nevertheless, one change stands out: the redesigned iPhone wallpaper gallery. Until now, the system featured a common section titled “Weather & Astronomy”. In iOS 26.3, Apple has decided to split it into two separate sections:

• Weather

• Astronomy

The name change itself is a minor detail, but there is more to it.

More Weather Wallpapers, Less Configuration

The biggest novelty is the expansion of the Weather section. In iOS 26.2, the user had access to only one weather wallpaper. In iOS 26.3 beta 1, there are already three different variants. Each of them operates on the same principle – the wallpaper displays the current weather conditions for the user's location. Differences appear in the details: Apple has prepared different font styles, other widget layouts, and distinct lock screen compositions.

Everything is ready immediately, without the need for manually tweaking each element. This is a clear signal that Apple wants to simplify personalisation. Instead of providing one solution and forcing the user to fiddle with settings, the company offers several polished styles to choose from.

Astronomy separately, order in the gallery

The segregation of the Astronomy section is more about organising the interface than a revolution, but the effect is clearer. Wallpapers related to Earth, the Moon, or the Solar System no longer get lost in a common folder with the weather, making them easier to find. The changes to the wallpapers are minor, but they may herald something more in the later part of the beta cycle for iOS 26.3. Apple has been gradually developing the lock screen and context-reactive wallpapers over several versions of the system – weather is a natural direction here.

For now, it seems like a cosmetic, but sensible improvement. If the next betas bring more dynamic variants or new types of system wallpapers, iOS 26.3 could turn out to be more interesting than its first release suggests. And what about you – do you use Apple’s default wallpapers, or do you always opt for your own photos and custom solutions?