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Apple's Latest OS Updates Prep Your Mac for Its Pricey New Displays

Apple's 26.3.1 updates add support for connecting to the new Studio Display and Studio Display XDR monitors, so you'll likely find it most useful for your Mac.

 & James Peckham Reporter

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Your iPhone, iPad, and Mac are all getting a new update with bug fixes and support for those purchasing an expensive new Apple monitor.

Apple's iOS 26.3.1, iPadOS 26.3.1, and macOS 26.3.1 are available now. Each one adds support for connecting to the newly announced Studio Display and Studio Display XDR monitors. The 27-inch 5K monitors are now available for preorder, with a release date of Wednesday, March 11. The Studio Display costs $1,599, but the top-end XDR model starts at $3,299 and jumps to $3,599 if you want nano-texture glass.

All three software updates are designed to expand external display support to both versions. It's likely you'll find it more useful for your Mac, but you can also connect a mobile device.

These updates usually include bug fixes and performance improvements, though Apple didn't outline any specific patches, and its security release page notes that 26.3.1 "has no published CVE [Common Vulnerabilities and Exposures] entries." The CVE program tracks publicly disclosed cybersecurity vulnerabilities. Last month, Apple fixed a previously unknown vulnerability that hackers were abusing to target select iPhone users with iOS 26.3.

Apple is now on to the next. It seeded the iOS 26.4 beta to developers earlier this week, which is rumored to be ready for a final release later this month or in early April. Features in testing include end-to-end encryption for RCS messages sent to Android phones, as well as expanded support for video shows in Apple Podcasts.

There are also new Apple Music upgrades, including a tool called Playlist Playground to use Apple Intelligence AI to generate track lists. Plus, a feature called Concerts Near You aims to be a recommendation engine for local shows that taps into your musical tastes. It also adds a color-matched background to the albums you're listening to, making any artwork feel more expansive across the UI. Apple hasn't said whether all these features will appear in iOS 26.4.

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James Peckham

James Peckham

Reporter

I’ve been a journalist for over a decade after getting my start in tech reporting back in 2013. I joined PCMag in 2025, where I cover the latest developments across the tech sphere, writing about the gadgets and services you use every day. Be sure to send me any tips you think PCMag would be interested in.

I’ve worked at TechRadar, Android Police, T3, and more, where I broke many tech stories you may have read, including the return of the Motorola Razr when it first became a foldable phone. Based near London, I’ve appeared on BBC News, Al Jazeera, and other TV networks, podcasts, and radio shows as an expert on the latest tech stories and trends.

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