Public betas of iOS 11.4 and tvOS 11.4 with AirPlay 2 and Messages in iCloud now available

Following developer-only iOS 11.4 and tvOS 11.4 betas, members of Apple’s Beta Software Program can now install the forthcoming software updates on their iPhone, iPad and Apple TV.

We don’t condone installing beta software on your daily drivers.

To install the betas, first sign in with your Apple ID at beta.apple.com and accept Apple’s terms. Now, visit beta.apple.com/profile in Safari on your iOS device to grab and install the official configuration profile that allows your device to receive public beta updates over the air.

To install the iOS 11.4 public beta, go to Settings → General → Software Update.

Both iOS 11.4 and tvOS 11.4 bring back two missing features announced at WWDC 2017, AirPlay 2 and Messages in iCloud. AirPlay 2, shown in our video embedded below, brings multi-room audio and the ability for your Apple TV to automatically appear in the Home app.

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With AirPlay 2, you can also combine and control multiple audio sources at once through Control Center, desktop iTunes or via AirPlay controls on Apple TV. Lastly, AirPlay 2 will power HomePod stereo pairing when a matching HomePod beta software arrives.

Other changes in iOS 11.4 include support for Apple’s new ClassKit framework for building enhanced apps for education, the usual bug fixes and security patches and Messages in iCloud, a new feature that keeps the Messages database in iCloud so your device can load chats on demand while making backups smaller and faster.

Watch Harris’s video walkthrough of everything new in the first beta of iOS 11.4.

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Don’t forger you can report bugs via the included Feedback Assistant iOS app.

As for the tvOS 11.4 public beta, you must first enroll your Apple TV so that it can receive over-the-air beta updates by following the step-by-step instructions in our tutorial.

The tvOS 11.4 public beta also brings support for AirPlay 2 and bug fixes.

The AirPlay 2 and Messages in iCloud features were supposed to be an integral part of last fall’s iOS 11.0 release. They slipped, however, resurfacing in the early iOS 11.3 beta only to be removed from subsequent betas without explanation.

Are you planning on jumping on these public betas?

If so, which new feature is your favorite, and why?

Chime in with your thoughts down below in comments!