Following Monday's release of the developer-only tvOS 11 beta 4, the upcoming Apple TV software is now available to members of Apple's free Public Beta Software Program.
tvOS 11 public beta 3 rolling out for Apple TV
Following Monday's release of the developer-only tvOS 11 beta 4, the upcoming Apple TV software is now available to members of Apple's free Public Beta Software Program.
Apple today posted a third public beta of iOS 11, which packs in the same features as the developer-only iOS 11 beta 4 release that dropped on Monday.
Apple today rolled out a fourth beta of the upcoming tvOS 11 operating system update for the fourth-generation Apple TV. Today's tvOS 11 beta 4 (build number 15J5333f) is available to Apple's registered developers and members of the paid Apple Developer Program.
Apple today released a fourth beta of watchOS 4 (build number 15R5331g) to its registered developers and members of the Apple Developer Program.
Apple today released a fourth beta of iOS 11 for iPhone, iPad and iPod touch to its registered developers and members of the Apple Developer Program.
Apple today released a third beta of watchOS 4 (build number 15R5321h) for all Apple Watch models. The update is available to Apple's registered developers and members of the Apple Developer Program.
The software update can be deployed on your Apple Watch used for development via the Software Update mechanism in the companion Watch app. The paired iPhone running the Watch app must be on iOS 11 beta 3 or the update won't show up.
Your Apple Watch must be connected to your iPhone, have at least 50 percent power and be placed on its magnetic charging disk in order for the update to download and install.
The full watchOS 4 beta 3 installer can be downloaded from Apple's Dev Center portal. Once installed, subsequent watchOS 4 betas will be available through the Software Update mechanism in the Watch app.
Apple currently does not provide watchOS 4 betas via its Public Beta Software Program. A developer-only preview of watchOS 4 was released at WWDC on June 5. watchOS 4 beta 2 was seeded to developers on June 21.
Here's Andrew's hands-on walkthrough of the changes in the previous watchOS beta.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nNDJL6Ju2Qc
Subscribe to iDownloadBlog on YouTube.
watchOS 4 brings more intelligence and fitness features to Apple Watch.
The software update includes three new watch faces, including a new Toy Story face, a dedicated Siri face that displays dynamic information based on your habits and other data and the Now Playing and Apple News complications.
The Workout app now has built-in music playback controls and supports High Intensity Interval Training. Thanks to Apple's partnership with leading gym equipment makers, Apple Watch will interface with dedicated gym equipment to share data like your heart rate while using equipment data like steps taken to more accurately calculate calories burned and more.
In the Activity app, users will be able to access new monthly challenges and take advantage of intelligent coaching and tailored workout encouragement.
watchOS 4 will release for public consumption this fall for all Apple Watch models.
If you find new features and important changes in watchOS 4 beta 3, be sure to reach out to us via Twitter or drop us a message at tips@iDownloadBlog.com and we'll update the article.
Members of Apple's free Public Beta Software Program can now download and install a second public beta of tvOS 11 on their fourth-generation Apple TV. tvOS 11 public beta 2 has the same features as tvOS 11 beta 3 that was seeded to developers two days ago.
tvOS 11 includes minor improvements such as the ability to synchronize your Home screen layout across multiple Apple TVs via iCloud, automatic switching between Light and Dark mode based on local time, new background multitasking modes, notification support, custom sound support, layered image improvements, right-to-left language support and other tidbits.
To enroll in Apple's public beta program, sign in with your Apple ID in Safari on your computer at beta.apple.com. Now click the link “Enroll Your Devices” to get started.
Next, go to Settings → Accounts on your Apple TV and sign in with the same Apple ID that you used to register for the public beta program into at least one of the account options (iCloud, iTunes and App Store or Game Center).
Now go to Settings → System → Software Update and turn on the option labeled Get Public Beta Updates, then follow the onscreen instructions to complete enrollment.
The Software Update mechanism on your Apple TV will put up a prompt when a new tvOS 11 public beta is available for download. To manually check for tvOS public beta updates, go to Settings → System → Software Updates → Update Software.
To submit feedback and report bugs to Apple, use the Feedback Assistant app on your iPhone, iPad or iPod touch with the iOS 11 public beta.
tvOS 11 will release for public consumption this fall.
Apple also released this morning second public betas for iOS 11 and macOS High Sierra. watchOS betas are currently unavailable for public beta-testing.
Aside from releasing iOS 11 public beta 2, Apple this morning posted a second public beta for macOS High Sierra. It has the same features (and bugs) like developer-only beta 3 seeded to registered developers and members of the paid Apple Developer Program two days ago.
To install the public beta of High Sierra on your computer, sign up for Apple's Beta Software Program by signing in with your Apple ID in Safari on your Mac at beta.apple.com
Next, click the “Enroll Your Devices” link on the webpage to download the macOS Public Beta Access Utility, which will enable your computer to receive public beta software through the Software Update mechanism via the Mac App Store's Updates tab.
To check if your computer is enrolled in the beta program, open System Preferences and click the App Store icon. A message will appear saying "your computer is set to receive beta software update" if your Mac is enrolled in the program.
macOS High Sierra includes new features like the Apple File System, support for the new High Efficiency Video Codec (HEVC), also known as H.265, an updated version of Metal with support for VR applications and external GPU enclosures, Safari 11 with new anti-tracking features, support for flight status information in Spotlight, more natural voices for Siri and more.
FaceTime, Messages, Notes and other stock apps have been updated with various enhancements, including the Photos app which now has a new sidebar, curve-based editing and support for editing in third-party apps like Pixelmator and Photoshop.
High Sierra will release for public consumption this fall for supported Mac models.
Apple on Wednesday released iOS 11 public beta 2, which has the same features as a third developer-only beta that was seeded to developers two days ago.
Before it can be installed on your device, you must sign in with your Apple ID at beta.apple.com in order to enroll your iOS device to access the latest public beta of iOS 11.
Next, from your iOS device visit beta.apple.com/profile to download the configuration profile.
Follow the onscreen instructions to allow installation of the profile, which will permit your iOS device to automatically receive over-the-air public beta software updates.
Lastly, go to Settings → General → Software Update to install the public beta.
Screenshot via Joey Antonini
You're wholeheartedly recommended to perform a full iCloud or iTunes backup of the device before installing any beta software. Do not install the iOS 11 public beta on your daily driver.
Here's our overview of the changes in the iOS 11 public beta 2.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bixdLWqPIvA
Subscribe to iDownloadBlog on YouTube
For the complete list of all the changes in iOS 11 public beta 2 and developer-only iOS 11 beta 3 (which, again, have the same features), check out our previous article.
iOS betas are typically riddled with bugs and various issues until a Gold Master candidate is released ahead of public launch. You've been warned—performance issues, crashes, battery drain and various other problems and hiccups are a commonplace with iOS betas.
Apple typically optimizes iOS for speed and power consumption close to launch.
To report any issues and bugs to Apple, use the included Feedback Assistant app. The iOS 11 software update will release to everyone this fall.
A third beta of iOS 11 for the compatible iPhone, iPad and iPod touch devices was released earlier today to Apple's registered developers and members of the paid Apple Developer Program.
The accompanying second public beta of iOS 11, which would have the same features as third developer-only beta, should be released through Apple's Beta Software Program later this week, probably tomorrow, allowing non-developers to take the latest beta for a spin on their iOS devices.
Here's everything new in iOS 11 beta 3, based on Apple's official release notes and community findings (which you can contribute to in the comments section).
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bixdLWqPIvA
Subscribe to iDownloadBlog on YouTube
New features in iOS 11 beta 3iOS 11 beta 3 takes advantage of a brand new syncing system for Safari's Bookmarks and Reading List features, which should increase performance and elevate your security. Migration to the new sync system occurs silently after all the devices signed in to your iCloud account are running iOS 11.
Safari content blockers are working again in beta 3. A new API allows native apps who will implement it to log in the user automatically by re-using a previously saved Safari password for the app's web-based version.
Siri in iOS 11 can translate text for you and the third beta adds support for translation requests from English US to Chinese, Spanish, German, French and Italian. New Siri voices for both genders of Brazilian Portuguese, Canadian French, Dutch and Swedish are available in beta 3, as well as new female voices for English and Mexican Spanish.
Plus, the Siri voice for both genders of Japanese and Chinese has been upgraded.
iOS 11's built-in screen recording feature now comes with a new Start Broadcasting option, which seems to do nothing in beta 3 beyond saving the screen recording to the Photos app. We expect subsequent betas will fully implement this feature.
https://twitter.com/iamgroot11/status/884476382129999872
Siri can now get directions when Do Not Disturb While Driving is active.
Elapsed time is now updated when using the system media player's play and stop controls , or when seeking during video content playback. Notifications in the Music app are now working and song metadata now syncs correctly with iTunes.
Messages on iCloud should now be available after a device has been offline.
Safari's view controller, a feature that lets you browse the web within apps complete with Safari features like Reader Mode, now sports an improved interface for 3D Touch previews and default preview actions.
When you open a link in an app that supports Safari's controller, like Tweetbot, you'll notice that Safari's toolbars have been collapse to show just the domain.
iOS 11 beta 3 implements SFAuthenticationSession, Apple's new API for authenticating a user with a web service. For what it's worth, some of my colleagues are experiencing issues using Google services with iOS 11, but this problem does not seem to be replicable for everybody 100 percent of the time.
Top fixes in iOS 11 beta 3Aside from these outward-facing new features and improvements, iOS 11 beta 3 includes a fair share of bug fixes, under-the-hood improvements and other changes. We'll only mention the most important fixes.
For starters, third-party keyboards should now work if not allowed full access. Audio should no longer drop during Skype calls. The Phone app should no longer crash when a voicemail message is deleted and carrier services like voicemail, messaging, call wait, call forwarding and others on Wi-Fi calling-enabled devices may now work for specific carriers/markets.
Pulling down the notifications shade when the device is unlocked now displays both your current and older alerts without the need for scrolling. An upward swipe for force-quitting apps is back on iPad, replacing the “x” button which appeared in prior betas when an app was held down in the app switcher.
Apps over 100 megabytes should no longer download over your iPhone's cellular connection after acknowledging the warning prompt. Speaking of which, connecting to a cellular network after restarting or powering on your device should now work correctly, as does activating a Sprint cellular data plan on your iPad.
Buttons for Day, Week, Month and Year in the Calendar app now trigger on the first tap.
The Offload App feature now works for apps that are shipped with iOS 11. The Settings app no longer crashes when you delete the Podcasts app or add/delete keyboards, while storage graph and size information now updates correctly.
You can now create a new Photos or Kaleidoscope face for your Apple Watch from the share sheet in the Photos app, as well as share Live Photos via AirDrop. Photographs captured on iOS 11 now show the correct orientation on versions of macOS earlier than 10.13.
In the Watch app, changes to Mail → Include Mail are now saved and watchOS email alerts now use your configured settings.
Tapping Learn More from the prompt that appears when you attempt to launch a 32-bit app now opens the App Compatibility section within the Settings app, as it should.
Apple says 32-bit apps will not run on future betas of iOS 11.
Migrating from your Android phone using Android Migration should work correctly while restoring a device from an iTunes backup will no longer yield white app icons on your Home screen. After restoring from an iTunes backup, you can now authenticate iCloud credentials during the iOS 11 setup process.
When restoring from iCloud Backup in Setup Assistant, you'll see the correct list of backups. Apple says that “certain services” should sync correctly on initial iCloud login.
Using 3D Touch with phone numbers, addresses and so on now works correctly throughout the system. AirPlay has been fixed to work as expected in apps. The SlingTV app now plays back audio and video normally and Kindle books sync as you'd expect.
Facebook Messenger now launches when the Facebook app is not installed. In Amazon Video, the video playback controls now work correctly and navigation bars should look correct.
Last but not least, iOS 11 beta 3 fixes the most annoying thing about the new Control Center where the Wi-Fi toggle would not work properly. Now if you hit the Wi-Fi icon in Control Center, your device disconnects from the current network and temporarily disables Wi-Fi networking (the same goes for the Bluetooth control).
And if your press the Wi-Fi control in Control Center to expand it, it now updates the network name when transitioning between networks. The 3D Touch shortcuts menu for the Camera app in Control Center has been improved as well.
In Apple's new File app, you can now use the QuickLook feature to preview iWork documents while file thumbnails should now display properly.
If you use HomeKit, Siri will finally recognize your smart home setup on devices upgraded to iOS 11 beta. You can now drop PDFs and books into iBooks and audiobooks now appear in your library after purchasing or re-downloading.
Say hello to new bugsThere are still many known issues to be resolved before the iOS 11 software update releases publicly.
For example, syncing 32-bit apps via iTunes may leave a placeholder for the app. In a similar vein, you many be unable to log in to the Pinterest app using your email address.
In Tweetbot, you may not be able to post tweets containing recently taken photos. The excellent VSCO camera app may throw an error when importing photos that have been recently taken.
Under some circumstances, rotating an iOS device may cause Apple Pencil to become unusable.
Restoring from an iTunes backup containing an offloaded app which is also present in the iTunes library on your computer installs the offloaded app and then re-installs it from App Store, which can result in the restored backup taking more space on your device than the size of the backup.
As a workaround, offload the app after the restore process completes.
Submit your own discoveriesIf you have managed to detect other user-focused changes or improvements in the new beta not mentioned in the article, post your findings in the comments below and we'll update the write-up as new information becomes available.
You can also submit them via tips@iDownloadBlog.com.
Aside from releasing third betas of iOS 11 and macOS High Sierra, Apple today also seeded tvOS 11 beta 3 (build number 15J5324f) for the fourth-generation Apple TV to its registered developers and members of the paid Apple Developer Program.
No new outward-facing user features have been added in beta 3.
Non-developers can test tvOS 11 betas by signing up for Apple's Beta Software Program at beta.apple.com. Be sure to sign up through your computer using the same Apple ID you use for iCloud services on your devices, then go to Settings → System → Software Updates on your Apple TV and enable the feature labeled Get Beta Updates.
The Software Update mechanism on your Apple TV will now put up a prompt when a new tvOS 11 beta is available for download.
tvOS 11 includes minor features like the ability to synchronize your Home screen layout across multiple Apple TVs via iCloud, automatic switching between Light and Dark mode based on local time, new background multitasking modes, notification support, custom sound support, layered image improvements, right-to-left language support and other tidbits.
Apple today released a third beta of macOS High Sierra 10.13 for Mac systems. macOS High Sierra 10.13 beta 3 (build number 17A306f) is now available to Apple's registered developers and members of the Apple Developer Program on any supported Mac via the Mac App Store's Updates tab.
The full macOS High Sierra 10.13 beta 3 installer can be downloaded from Apple's Dev Center portal. Once installed, subsequent betas will be available through the Software Update mechanism in Mac App Store.
A developer-only preview of High Sierra was released at WWDC in June, followed by a second beta on June 21 and the public beta on June 29. The first public beta of High Sierra has the same features as developer-only macOS High Sierra beta 2.
macOS High Sierra includes Apple's File System, official support for High Efficiency Video Codec (HEVC), also known as H.265, an updated version of Metal with support for VR applications and external GPU enclosures, Safari 11 with new anti-tracking features, support for flight status information in Spotlight, more natural voices for Siri and more.
Stock apps including FaceTime, Messages and Notes have received a few refinements, too.
High Sierra also introduces new core storage, video, and graphics technology, as well as an enhanced Photos app with a new sidebar, curve-based editing and support for third-party apps like Pixelmator and Photoshop.
TUTORIAL: How to unenroll from Apple's Beta Software Program
macOS High Sierra will release for public consumption this fall across supported Mac models.
If you have managed to spot new user features in macOS High Sierra beta 3, tell us on Twitter or via email at tips@iDownloadBlog.com. You can also post your findings in the comments section and we’ll make sure to update the article with new information as it becomes available.