If you are an iPhone user, then surely you are used to launching of numerous beta versions of Apple’s operating system for mobile devices. Specifically, just a few days ago a new iOS 13 beta (version 6) was released for public. With the arrival of each new beta, many users update their iPhone to start enjoying all the new features.
The sixth public beta came out and with it some new tweaks and details that were missing in previous versions. Apple developers do not rest even in August. The company has just launched the seventh beta of iOS 13, iPad, watchOS 6 and tvOS 13 for the entire community of programmers who are testing these versions before they go out to all audiences by the end of next month.
But like all betas’, what appears during the testing phase is not guaranteed to last until the final release. Therefore, we highlight here some changes that happened compared to last week’s beta, knowing that none of this is yet definitive.
Dark Appearance Button in Control Center
In this sixth beta, you can add a new button in the Control Center to enable and disable the Dark mode (which for now is being called ‘Dark Appearance’).
Hide links Preview in Safari
This was something that was personally bothering me. When tapping a Safari link, the previous betas showed a preview of the link page, not the link itself. This is very dangerous in case of phishing and malicious links that try to impersonate what they are not. In the sixth beta, Apple now offers the option to disable preview by showing only the link.
Screenshots without Rounded Borders
Until the 5th beta, when taking a picture of the screen the image had a black rounded border at the tips. This disappeared in the sixth beta, getting back to the way it always was.
Return to Form
Some things implemented in beta 5 were undone in the sixth beta (which is why we always emphasize that nothing is final until the final version). For example, the size of the cellular network symbol in the status bar has returned to normal. It had gotten bigger in beta 5.
Another thing that turned around is the volume indication, back to 16 levels instead of 32 as it was in the previous beta. On the other hand, it responds better when touched on the screen and can adjust the volume more accurately.
New Icon in the Apple Watch Heart app
In Apple Watch, watchOS’s sixth beta brought a new icon to the heart rate app.
Animated Wallpapers on iPhone XR
Images that move around the locked screen have always been unique to devices that have hardware support for 3D Touch. Just place a Live Photo as a background and flick your finger on the locked screen that moves it. This was even one of the main selling points at the time of the launch of the iPhone 6s.
From the 6th beta, this feature will also work on iPhone XR, which does not include 3D Touch support in its hardware.
iOS 13 and iPadOS introduce one of those small novelties or features that many users were asking for years: to be able to uninstall applications from the App Store app. It will not mean a great revolution in how devices are used, but they are an improvement.
iOS 13 will finally include one of those features that without being groundbreaking help and greatly facilitate the management of certain tasks on iPhone and iPad devices. From the app store itself, the App Store, you can now remove those applications that you no longer use and do not remember that you had installed.
When you are going to make an update or, even, it has already been carried out, you can slide over it to remove it. This is useful because it is from the App Store app itself when it is easier to see what applications you had installed in one of those moments that several updates arrive at once.
Android has been allowing the user to place the icons the way he wants for years, but Apple doesn’t leave it on the iPhone or iPad. Some defend Apple’s position as a way to avoid chaos, especially when the view alternates between horizontal and vertical mode on the iPad. However, whether you like it or not, the change has come.
iOS 13 could block WhatsApp voice calls
Although there are many new features of iOS 13, Apple can pose a restriction over certain apps. The truth is that the company has been demonstrating the importance of security in recent years and making the iPhone the safest smartphone on the market. With this objective, Apple has among its plans to imitate the use of certain phone resources as well as the collection of user data.
We are tired of seeing how when installing an app on the mobile phone, it asks us for certain permissions to access the phone’s phone book, the use of the camera or access to our gallery, however, this does not cease to pose a risk for the user. Apple knows it and hence it wants to limit the use of these capabilities by applications and this is something that would directly affect the use and operation of WhatsApp or Facebook Messenger.
Initially, the main functions affected by these changes in Apple’s operating system would be WhatsApp VoIP calls. Therefore, everything indicates that Facebook will have to get down to work to make the appropriate changes that allow iOS users to use this type of functions from WhatsApp.
So far, Facebook used this type of APIs for other tasks such as data collection even while their applications are not being used, something that Apple also wants to end. Hence, the company is working to limit its use, which could certainly have repercussions when making voice calls through WhatsApp. We’ll see if Facebook corrects this problem before iOS 13 reaches all users officially and stably and starts updating their phones.
Which versions of Apple devices are compatible with iOS 13 public betas?
iPhone versions that allow you to use iOS13 public betas are:
- iPhone XS
- iPhone XS Max
- iPhone XR
- iPhone X
- iPhone 8
- iPhone 8 Plus
- iPhone 7
- iPhone 7 Plus
- iPhone 6s
- iPhone 6S Plus
- iPhone SE
For the iPods are:
- iPod touch 7th generation.
In turn, the iPads that support the public betas of iPad OS 13 are:
- iPad Pro 12.9 inches
- iPad Pro 11 inch
- iPad Pro 10.5 inches
- iPad Pro 9.7 inches
- iPad 6th generation
- iPad 5th generation
- iPad mini 5th generation
- iPad mini 4
- iPad Air 3rd generation
- iPad Air 2
And the iMacs that support macOS Catalina’s public beta:
- iMac (as of 2012 version)
- iMac Pro (as of 2017 version)
- MacBook Air (as of 2012)
- MacBook (as of 2015)
- Mac Mini (as of 2012)
- MacBook Pro (as of 2012)
- Mac Pro (as of 2013)
Already these versions of Apple Watch support the public betas of watchOS 6;
- Apple Watch Series 1.
- Apple Watch Series 2.
- Apple Watch Series 3.
- Apple Watch Series 4.
Note that watchOS 6 requires an iPhone 6s or later that has iOS 13 or later.
Apple TV devices supporting tvOS 13:
- Apple TV HD 4th generation
- Apple TV 4K
We will never stop releasing this notice with every beta launch: don’t install them unless you’re completely sure of what you’re doing. They are unstable versions, possibly insecure, slower and designed to experiment and test. The best thing you can do is wait for the final versions of all these systems to appear stably.
If you are a developer or even with the notice you want to install the beta on your device, you can do so as long as you are enrolled in the Apple Developer Program. You can upgrade to these beta 6 from Settings as if it were any stable software update.
How to sign up for a developer account
If you are a developer or want to become one, you can join the Apple Developer Program, where you can access the training and tools you need to develop apps for the App Store.
Once you have registered, you will be able to access the public betas of iOS, iPadOS, macOS, tvOS as well as the watch OS beta.
To be part of the program, you must pay an annual fee of $ 99.
Developers get access to betas before other people. However, as stated earlier, these versions can be very buggy and unstable. If you don’t want to take that risk but curiosity is still in the pipeline, you can access the public beta, which is released about a month after the developer release.
You can register to access the public beta at beta.apple.com by clicking “Sign In” and logging in with your Apple ID.
Back up before installing Apple beta on your device
Since betas are often unstable and can lead to file loss, backing up your iPhone, iPod, iPad, or iWatch is essential before downloading them. So if a problem arises, it will be easier to solve.
Always keep in mind that it is not recommended to install a beta on devices that are commonly used daily.
How to install developers beta on your device
For iPhone users
Developers using iPhone who are interested in installing the public beta of iOS 13 can do so through their Apple Developer Program profile:
- First, go to developer.apple.com;
- Then click on the “discover” tab;
- Click on one of the operating system buttons in the bar at the top of the screen;
- Click “download” on the blue button located in the upper right corner;
- Use your Apple ID to log in by filling username and password;
- Go to the beta section for iOS 13 and select “download”;
- When the download has completed, click “close”;
- Open your settings and click “profile downloaded”;
- Click Install after reading the terms and checking the box;
- Restart your device to apply the changes.
- To download the beta, go to the settings and click “general”.
- Download button will be there, just click it after clicking the software update section.
- Maneuver through the software update section and click the download button.
- Enter your password to unlock the device and allow installation.
How to install Apple Public Betas
If you are not a developer, but still want to download the public beta of Apple software updates, you can do so in much the same way as developers.
iPhone users
To install public beta for iPhone:
- Visit beta.apple.com. This is where you must create your account to access public betas.
- Then simply select the iOS tab, download the profile and install it. Once you have done this, enter your password and accept the terms of use. Once the beta has been installed, restart your device.
- Now that the profile has been installed, you should go to your iPhone software updates and select the downloaded profile (from iOS 13). Then just install it normally.
iPad users
To download the beta on your iPad, the walkthrough is very similar:
- First, go to beta.apple.com and select the iPadOS tab. Then simply download the profile, install it and enter your password.
- Then you must click “install” again and this time accept the terms and conditions of the installation. Once it has completed, restart your iPad.
- Now that the profile has been installed, you should go to your iPad software updates in the settings. Select the profile you downloaded (iPadOS 13), accept the terms and conditions and proceed with the installation as usual.
IOS 13 Beta May Have Revealed New iPhones Release Date
As we approach September, we are getting closer and closer to the date when the new iPhones are due to be officially unveiled – and there is evidence that this revelation is due to take place on September 10th.
The date was incredibly made by Apple itself in the latest iOS 13 trial release. In the beta 7 for developers, which the company made available on Thursday (15), a change to the calendar app icon may be a clue when the new iPhones will be released.
So as the calendar icon came to display the information as “Tuesday 10”, this may be the revelation that the new iPhone models will be released on September 10, which is falling exactly on a Tuesday.
While it may seem like an over-extrapolation of a simple icon, it must be remembered that this is not the first time Apple has been using the iOS beta to reveal the release date of its iPhones: it has already done the same. Last year, when the latest beta of iOS 12 introduced the calendar app icon with the number “12” – and the iPhone XS, XS Max and XR were officially unveiled on September 12 last year.
Another hint that this is really the date for the new iPhones is the fact that the beta calendar icon on older iPhones and iPads that will still be compatible with iOS 13 has the date “Monday 23” (Monday 23 , in Portuguese), which would be relative to September 23rd. Since this date is only showing for older models, it is believed that it will be when the update will make iOS 13 compatible with these devices.
For now it’s all speculation, but as we are getting closer and closer to launch, we should soon have the first official information on the date. Until then keep fingers crossed and rest assure that here at Appstudio we will cover all the happenings and new releases for you.
