The third iOS 16.4 beta brings slight improvements in new features and a possible feature change for Car Key. Here’s what’s new.
iOS 16.4 Beta 3 has some minor changes
Betas for the iOS 16.4 test cycle are coming more frequently, with the latest arriving just seven days after the last. The second beta arrived eleven days after the first.
It doesn’t seem like iOS 16.4, iPadOS 16.4, tvOS 16.4 and watchOS 9.4 are overly ambitious releases. Updates to date include new shortcuts actions, UI refinements, and changes to the beta update workflow.
For the third beta, the new update workflow has been improved for public and developer beta testers. Now users can authenticate a separate Apple ID just to enable beta access.
That means those who have separate personal and developer Beta Apple IDs don’t have to buy two developer licenses just to try them on all of their devices. The removal of beta profiles appears to be an attempt to combat stolen or fabricated profiles that allow users to install betas without paying the $100-a-year fee.
Code discovered by MacRumors shows that users could receive different prompts when a Rapid Security Response update caused problems with apps or the operating system. Those who have an RSR update installed have the option to remove the update and these prompts will guide the user if an app crashes or some other issue is encountered.
9to5Mac discovered another code that points to Car Key and its technology support. Apple may drop support for vehicles that don’t have Ultra Wideband or only NFC.
Such a move would limit car key support to iPhone 11 or later or Apple Watch Series 6 or later. This will drop support for the iPhone XS and Apple Watch Series 5, which currently work via NFC.
Code sniffer and MacRumors contributor Steve Moser shared some additional code changes and updates via Twitter. Apple Music Classical is now included in the Privacy Policy, and new Apple Watch face colors have been added to the color picker screen.
Discovered in earlier betas of iOS 16.4
The second beta brought back the Apple Books page curl animation when a page was turned, and code in the wallet app hinted at a South Korean Apple Pay launch. The Apple Music Classical app also requires the Apple Music app to be installed in order to function.
The code also shows that Apple will roll out 5G standalone support to global carriers including T-Mobile, Vivo, TIM and Softbank.
The first beta version added some user-centric features, such as B. Rich previews of mastodon links in iMessage and a new ellipsis in the Apple TV Up Next feature.
Toggle always-on display mode with focus filters
Shortcut updates and new focus filters put users in control of the always-on display. Also, there is a new parameter in the battery settings that shows how much battery is consuming especially the always-on display.
There are several other important updates to Apple’s operating system that we’ve covered extensively before.
This includes:
It’s not clear when Apple intends to release iOS 16.4 and the other new updates. These beta cycles typically last about a month, placing this release sometime in March.
