All articles tagged with #betas
Apple plans to gate Siri AI behind a waitlist when iOS 27 launches. Seventh beta builds reveal waitlist infrastructure with dynamic wait-time messages and server-side adjustments; users will get a notification when access is allowed. In beta testing, wait times could extend up to a week for some, but exact public launch timing and duration remain unclear.
Bloomberg's Mark Gurman highlights findings in macOS 27/iOS 27 beta releases that point to Apple developing a foldable iPhone and a MacBook Pro with touchscreen, including an expanded iPhone Mirroring app, code like foldState and angleDegrees, Sidecar touch capabilities, and a Dynamic Island–style interface—evidence that aligns with longstanding rumors and fall 2026 launch expectations.
Apple seeded the first iOS 26.6 and iPadOS 26.6 betas to developers, two weeks after the 26.5 releases, with no major features expected as Apple focuses on bug fixes and performance improvements ahead of iOS 27.
Apple released the third betas of iOS 26.5 and iPadOS 26.5 to developers, a week after the second betas. The updates do not bring new Siri features (likely saved for iOS 27); Maps gains a Suggested Places feature and ads groundwork, while Apple continues testing end-to-end encryption for RCS messages between iPhone and Android. In the EU, Apple is testing proximity pairing, notification forwarding, and Live Activities for third‑party wearables, enabling more features for earbuds and smartwatches. Details are covered in the iOS 26.5 beta features guide.
Apple has released the third beta of iOS 26.4 and iPadOS 26.4 to developers. The update introduces features teased earlier, including Playlist Playground and Concerts Near You in Apple Music, a redesigned look for albums/ Playlists, native video podcasting in Apple Podcasts, and ongoing testing of end-to-end encryption for RCS between iPhone and Android users. The beta also hints at potential new emojis, plus enhancements like Stolen Device Protection by default, an ambient music widget, and new average bedtime metrics in the Sleep app; full details are summarized in the iOS 26.4 beta features guide.
Apple's iOS 26.4, iPadOS 26.4, and macOS 26.4 betas add notable behind-the-scenes updates: Playlist Playground for Apple Music prompts, native video podcasts in Podcasts, a Freeform Creator Studio with stock images and AI-generated content, a new manual battery-charge limit for Macs, experimental encrypted RCS messaging, the return of Safari's Compact tab view, Stolen Device Protection enabled by default, and early Rosetta end-notification prompts ahead of the planned macOS 28 sunset.
Apple has released new betas for watchOS 9.5, tvOS 16.5, and macOS 13.4, following the start of the beta testing process two weeks ago. iOS 16.5 beta is also now available. The updates include various bug fixes and improvements.