Apple gave iOS 16.4 Beta 1 to developers in February of this year. The update added new emojis, made changes to Safari, and added other features. Also, the company improved how it works with browsers made by other companies. Users should now be able to add websites to their home screen with these apps.
The Cupertino-based tech giant released iOS 16.4 Beta 2 for developers in the last week of February. This update makes the new “5G Standalone” feature that came out with iOS 16.4 Beta 1 better and adds a number of new features. With iOS 16.4 Beta 2, the page-turning effect is back in Apple Books.
It was taken away when the new Books app came out in iOS 16 last year. Apple turned on 5G Standalone for the first time on the iPhone with iOS 16.4 Beta 1. At the time, though, the service was only available to T-Mobile customers in the United States.
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Apple Releases iOS 16.4 Beta 2
Apple sent public beta testers the second versions of the upcoming iOS 16.4 and iPadOS 16.4 updates. This means that people who are not developers can test the software before it comes out. The second betas came out two weeks after the first public betas.
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Public beta testers who have signed up for Apple’s free beta testing program can get iOS 16.4 beta over the air after installing the right certificate from the Public Beta website. This is the last beta that does things like this with certificates. In the future, beta updates will be linked to an Apple ID for both developers and public beta testers.
The iOS 16.4 and iPadOS 16.4 updates add a number of new emoji characters, such as a head that is shaking, a pink heart, a blue heart, a grey heart, a donkey, a moose, a black bird, a goose, a wing, a jellyfish, a hyacinth, a pea pod, ginger, a fan, a comb, a flute, maracas, and hand options that faces either right or left.
Before Safari Web Push notifications can be used, web developers will need to add support for them. You can add a website to your Home Screen, and just like on a Mac, that website can send you push notifications. These alerts work the same way as any other alert on iOS.
Focus mode lets you turn them off, and you can get them on your Apple Watch and other places. Third-party browsers now have a “Add to Home Screen” button, so you can put your favorite Chrome site right on your Home Screen. Also, the update to the HomeKit architecture that was removed from iOS 16.2 is now back.
In the second beta of Apple Books, the animation for turning pages is back, and there are hints of Apple Music Classical. Apple has made small changes to the Podcasts app, the Apple Music app, and the interface for AppleCare coverage. There are also new Shortcuts, 5G connectivity in Turkey, the option to add an always-on display filter to Focus, and more.
What Changes Occur in iOS 16.4 Beta 2?
These features can only be used by people who are in the Apple Beta Software Program. New iOS features can be fun, but you shouldn’t download a beta version of the software on your main phone in case it causes problems.
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Apple gives beta testers an app called “Feedback.” With this app, testers can let Apple know about any bugs in the new software so that the problem can be fixed before the software is made available to everyone. Here are some of the new features that testers can try out in the iOS 16.4 betas.
Apple Books Animation
With the iOS 16.4 beta 2 update, the page-turn curl animation is back in Apple Books. It was taken away in an iOS update before. When you turned a page in an e-book on your iPhone before, the page would either slide to one side of the screen or disappear and be replaced by the next page. Beta testers can still choose how to turn the pages.
31 New Emoji
The first beta version of iOS 16.4 gave your iPhone or iPad 31 new emoji. The new emoji include a new smiley, new animals like a moose and goose, and new heart colors like pink and light blue.
Apple Podcasts Changes
How Apple Podcasts is used changed a bit with the first beta. You can now use your Library to find podcast channels that you have signed up for. You can also use Up Next to finish podcast episodes you’ve already started, play episodes you’ve saved, or get rid of episodes you want to skip.
Check Out Mastodon links in Messages
Apple’s first iOS 16.4 beta could show previews of Mastodon links in Messages. That’s good, because the number of new Mastodon accounts went up 400% in December, which means you might start getting links to Mastodon in your Messages.
Changes to Music App
In the Music app, there are some small changes in the first beta of iOS 16.4. Instead of a full-screen pop-up when you add a song to your queue, a small banner appears near the bottom of your screen.
Read More: How To Get Apple Music For Free?
AppleCare
As of iOS 16.4 beta 1, you could go to Settings to find out who your AppleCare plan covers and what devices it covers. With iOS 16.4 beta 2, each AppleCare-covered device in this menu will have a small icon next to it.
Focus Mode, Shortcuts, and the “Set Always on Display” Option
If you have an iPhone 14 Pro or Pro Max and iOS 16.4 beta 1, you can turn the always-on display on or off for certain Focus Modes. “Set Always on Display” is a new option in Shortcuts, and “Lock Screen” and “Set VPN” are two new actions.
New Apps for the Apple Wallet
With the first beta version of iOS 16.4, you can add three new Apple Wallet order-tracking widgets to your home screen. Each widget shows you tracking information for active orders, but the widgets are different sizes: small, medium, and large.
More Accessibility Options
The first beta update also made the game easier to use by adding a new option. The new option is called Dim Flashing Lights and can be found in Settings’ Motion menu. In the option’s description, it says that videos with lights that flash or strobe over and over will automatically get darker. You can also see when lights will flash on video timelines.
Two New Keyboards
In the first iOS 16.4 beta, the Choctaw and Chickasaw keyboards were added.
How To Update Your iPhone to iOS 16.4 Beta 2?
When a user does something like add a song to the queue, the Apple Music app on iOS 16.4 beta 1 no longer shows annoying popups in the middle of the screen. Instead, a small banner appears at the bottom of the screen.
Also, the user’s profile picture is now shown in the Library tab, making it easier to find account settings. If you signed up for the iOS 16 developer beta program, you can update your compatible iPhone to iOS 16.4 beta 2 by doing the following:
- Open the app to get to the settings.
- Go to the “General” section.
- Tap the button that says Software Update.
- Give the page a minute or two to load again.
- After that, the change will show up.
- Click Download and install.
- You must agree to the Terms of Service after reading them carefully.
- Make sure your iPhone is connected to a power source until the download and installation are done.
- You’re using iOS 16.4 beta 2 right now.
Conclusion
Apple released iOS 16.4 beta 2 to public beta testers on Wednesday, a few weeks after releasing iOS 16.4 beta 1 to the public. Now, beta testers can try out new iOS features like new emoji and updated Apple Books. No one knows when the public will be able to use iOS 16.4. There’s no guarantee that iOS 16.4 will have these beta features, or that these will be the only features it has.
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The latest version of Apple’s mobile operating system, iOS 16.4 Beta, is now only available to developers. The update adds a number of new features, such as the ability to play music from Apple Music on HomePod, more storage options in iCloud, AirPlay 2 support for Apple TV, and more.
The new version also lets users share their iCloud storage with up to six family members through iCloud Family Sharing. This includes sending photos, music, and other files from one device to another. Also, users can now back up their devices to iCloud with up to 2TB of storage.