Apple betas

We’ve been on the hunt for a Vision Pro setup that looks like something a little more developed than the headset sitting on a table. And we found one this week when a developer showed huge enthusiasm for ultra-wide Virtual Display capability available in beta software. So now he hides his setup’s MacBook Pro, dons the headset and sits at a desk with nothing but a mini Magic Keyboard and Magic Mouse on it. But his super-minimalist desk belies his expansive and productive virtual view.

The new AI-powered Clean Up feature in the Apple Photos app got people raving about the magical ability to “fix” pictures — and posting examples of when things go horribly wrong. The positive experiences sound great, but the negative ones look like pure nightmare fuel.

Apple added the Clean Up feature in iOS 18.1 beta 3, released Wednesday, and users put the new photo touch-up tool to the test immediately. The results, posted on X, show a wide range of outcomes, including some hilarious misfires.

Since WWDC24, Apple has released five developer beta builds of iOS 18 every two weeks. The company has now switched to a weekly beta release cycle. iOS 18 beta 6 is here, packing some minor changes as Apple focuses on squashing all the bugs.

You can find all the new features and minor enhancements in iOS 18 beta 6 below.

You can download the watchOS 11 public beta for free — right now. With it, you can try out the great new Fitness features coming to the Apple Watch before Apple ships the update to everyone. And if you’re already running the watchOS 11 developer beta, you can switch over to the public beta for additional peace of mind.

Of course, there are a few things you should look out for. Beta software can be buggy and can lead to data loss or apps that don’t work. Battery life will certainly take a hit. Not to mention, installing software updates on the Apple Watch is kind of annoying. They take a long time to download; the watch has to be above a certain battery percentage, sitting on its charger — and you’ll have a new software update to install about every other week.

If you’re still sure you want to try it out, you’ll need to install iOS 18 on your iPhone first. I’ll show you how.

You can download the macOS Sequoia public beta for free — right now. You can get a look at the exciting new features coming to the Mac before the update is shipped to everyone. And if you’re already running the Sequoia developer beta, you can switch over to the public beta for additional peace of mind.

Of course, there are a few things you should look out for. Beta software can be buggy and can lead to data loss or apps that don’t work. Not to mention, a lot of the most exciting features announced at WWDC24 aren’t included yet, like Apple Intelligence.

If you’re still sure you want to try it out, you should make sure you have a backup of your most important data with two copies of your photo library before you try installing. I’ll show you how.

You can download the iOS 18 public beta for free — right now. You can get a look at the exciting new features coming to the iPhone before the update is shipped to everyone. The iOS 18.2 beta enables additional Apple Intelligence features on the iPhone 15 Pro and iPhone 16 models.

Of course, there are a few things you should look out for. Beta software can be buggy and can lead to data loss or apps that don’t work. If you’re still running the iOS 18 developer beta, you can switch over to the public beta for some peace of mind.

If you want to try it out, you should make sure you have a backup of your most important data with two copies of your photo library before you try installing. I’ll show you how.

Apple dropped the first iOS 18 developer beta right after the opening keynote of WWDC24. While the build packs several changes, many headline features are missing, and it is also buggy. But what about the iOS 18 public beta, which should bring even more features and offer better stability? When will it arrive?

The timing should be similar for the upcoming iPadOS 18, watchOS 11 and macOS Sequoia public betas, too.

Recent clues in iOS beta software plus a Federal Communications Commission (FCC) filing by Apple suggest new Beats Solo 4 headphones may ship as soon as early May, according to reports.

Given that Beats Solo 3 launched in 2016, well, it’s about time. Eight years usually represents several generations in tech products, not just one.

Apple will make Spatial Personas, a more lifelike enhancement of the Persona feature for the Vision Pro mixed-reality headset, available in the visionOS 1.1 update coming Tuesday.

In beta test versions of the software, Spatial Personas allow Vision Pro users to create and interact with customizable, free-floating 3D digital avatars in virtual spaces. They enhance collaboration via SharePlay while going beyond the limits of a little box on a FaceTime call.

Apple seeded the first beta of iOS 17.4 to developers Thursday, offering a first look at new emoji coming soon to iPhone. For Europeans, the update will be a major one, as it will allow users to sideload apps (among other big changes).

Also on Thursday came the initial betas of iPadOS 17.4 and tvOS 17.4. There’s no sign yet of macOS 14.4 beta 1, however.

Finding what to watch with the Apple TV app is about to get easier. The newly released developer beta for tvOS 17.2 gives a preview of the new navigation users will soon see.

Apple TV+ and other content sources will surface in a sidebar list on the left side of app pages.

Apple continues beta testing iOS 17, with the seventh beta dropping on August 22nd. As the beta program has progressed, the company has made fewer and fewer user-facing changes to new builds.

It’s the same story with iOS 17 beta 7, which hardly packs any meaningful changes or improvements. Below is everything new in the latest iOS 17 and iPadOS 17 beta.

Apparently responding to online criticism, Apple returned the End Call button to a central location in iOS 17. Previously, Apple moved the button to the right side of the Phone application.

That change proved controversial, and Apple reversed it in the sixth iOS 17 beta recently seeded to developers.

Apple seeded the first beta of iOS 16.1 to developers on Wednesday. This signals the start of testing for some iPhone features Apple already announced but didn’t debut in iOS 16.

This includes Clean Energy Charging. And there’s good news for some iPhones that couldn’t display battery percentage in the Status Bar.

With iOS 16 likely just a month away from release, Apple is picking up the tempo of beta releases of the operating system. Apple seeded iOS 16 beta 6 Monday, a mere seven days after the fifth beta. Along with that increase in release speed, the latest beta packs only minor changes.

As iOS 16 nears its stable launch, we are going to see Apple focus more on squashing bugs and improving the overall stability instead of adding new features or tweaking things around.

Watchful eyes have spotted code in the first two iOS 16 beta versions that appears to refer to an unreleased Siri Remote for Apple TV.

Information is scant, but chances are this is the new remote for a 4K Apple TV system with a updated price structure that could come out this year.

iOS 16 was announced with some awesome, radical new features: a completely redesigned Lock Screen, a shared Photo Library for families, editing and un-sending iMessages, advanced new features in Maps and more. It’s especially hard this year to wait until September to get your hands on it.

Developers have a busy summer ahead of them, too. I spoke with some developers while at WWDC (no, I’m not done flexing that yet) and afterwards on Twitter. Developers are especially excited about creating Lock Screen widgets for their apps, using the new advanced features of SwiftUI and experimenting with the Live Text API.

But you don’t have to wait to get your hands on the beta. Registered developers can install the iOS 16 developer beta today. According to Apple, the Public Beta will be coming sometime in July. If you pay $99 for a developer account, installing the beta on your device is fast and easy. Here’s how.

Apple is rolling out a new beta firmware for the AirPods, AirPods Pro, and the AirPods Max with improvements to Automatic Switching.

The firmware carries the build number 5A5282d and version number 5.0.

Folks noticed Monday that the new iOS 16 beta for developers contains a tantalizing clue about an unknown, unreleased HomePod.

Could it be a new version of the discontinued large HomePod Apple dropped in favor of the better-selling HomePod mini?

Apple seeded the first betas of iOS 15.6 and macOS 12.5 to developers on Wednesday, even though their replacements will be announced in less than a month. iOS 16 and macOS 13 will surely be unveiled at the WWDC developers conference in early June, but work on their predecessors goes on.

Developers were also given access to iPadOS 15.6 beta 1, watchOS 8.7 beta 1 and tvOS 15.6 beta 1.

The first tvOS 15.4 beta brings an improved video player with a built-in “Up Next” queue to Apple TV. The update, released Thursday by Apple, also allows users to connect to captive Wi-Fi networks for the first time.

The changes come after Apple TV got a completely redesigned video player with larger titles and more accessible subtitles in tvOS 15 last fall.

Apple seeded the initial iOS 15.3 beta to developers later than usual Friday, along with the iPadOS equivalent. And on Monday, Apple added iOS 15.3 beta 1 and iPadOS 15.3 beta 1 to the Apple Beta Software Program. So far, no one has been able to find any new features in them.

watchOS 8.4 beta 1 and tvOS 15.3 beta 1 also went to developers Friday.

Developers just got their hands on macOS 12.1, the initial major update to Monterey. It’s Apple’s first opportunity to test features missing from macOS 12, like SharePlay and Universal Control.

But the beta is so new it’s not yet clear whether these features are in it yet.

Apparently responding to criticism of the Safari redesign in iPadOS 15, a beta released Tuesday makes significant changes to the layout of the Safari web browser. The newest iteration gives users the option to view the Address Bar very much like it looks in iPadOS 14. But those who prefer can keep the new compact view.

Recent reports suggest owners of the original HomePod should steer clear of the device’s software version 14.6 and the newer version 15 update for beta users.

After numerous reports surfaced on Reddit and elsewhere, it appears the updates “brick” some users’ devices in certain configurations.