Apple releases second iOS 9 beta to developers

Posted:
in iPhone edited June 2015
Apple on Tuesday issued a second beta version of the next-generation iOS 9 to developers, with a laundry list of known issues ranging from CarPlay to Podcasts that reflect the software's early beta status.




Today's version, carrying build number 13A4280e, comes two weeks after an initial build was seeded to developers at WWDC. Along with a tweaked user interface, iOS 9 boasts "proactive" Siri and Search functions, first-party app modifications like Transit for Maps, "slide over" multitasking for iPad and various bug fixes and performance improvements.

The list of known issues is wide-ranging, and includes both software and hardware problems. Lightning video dongles will not work with devices running the prerelease software, for instance, and iPhones may erroneously indicate that Activation Lock is enabled for a connected Apple Watch when it is in fact not.

Apple ID is another problem area. Developers who change the e-mail address associated with their Apple ID may not be able to authenticate on iOS 9 systems, with Apple advising that they change their e-mail address back to fix the issue, while attempting to create a new Apple ID via GameCenter could cause a crash.

HomeKit and HealthKit are also the subject of overhauls that have brought some new issues. Apple says that in rare cases, the health database could get deleted during an update, and recommends making an encrypted backup prior to installation. HomeKit accessories with multiple communications paths may appear more than once, while location-based event triggers are not yet ready.

The new beta does fix some previous problems, as well. AirPlay connectivity issues were addressed, and CarPlay now works properly with iPhone 6, 6 Plus, and iPad Air 2 devices running iOS 9. Navigation communication between an iPhone and a paired Apple Watch has been improved, while attempting to contact a contact with multiple addresses will no longer cause Springboard to crash.

The next-generation mobile operating system is scheduled for wide availability this fall, likely alongside new iPhone hardware.

Downloads of the latest iOS 8.4 and iOS 9 versions are available in the iOS section of Apple's Developer Portal.

Comments

  • Reply 1 of 12

    I don't use any of the mentioned features with issues. Go figure. :D

  • Reply 2 of 12
    elijahgelijahg Posts: 2,839member
    Regarding the health database being deleted, it'd be really handy to be able to restore particular aspects of iOS (such as text message history, health data) and to choose which apps to restore data for after a full restore, rather than all or nothing. I prefer to do a "restore upgrade" with major updates (iOS 6 > iOS 7, 7 > 8) to get rid of cruft, but then I lose health data and text message history etc. Things are definitely faster after an erase & restore too.
  • Reply 3 of 12
    nolamacguynolamacguy Posts: 4,758member
    Here's what the AI homepage looks like on my iPad mini -- nothing but ads & promos, content is strangely absent (pushed way down actually, in a 1/2" column). Can you guess which new iOS 9 feature I'm looking forward to most?

    [IMG ALT=""]http://forums.appleinsider.com/content/type/61/id/60276/width/350/height/700[/IMG]
  • Reply 4 of 12
    john.bjohn.b Posts: 2,742member

    iOS 9 allows users to temporarily delete apps to free up space for software updates | 9to5Mac

     

    Quote:


    A new iOS 9 feature added in beta 1 was only discovered when users attempted to update to beta 2 earlier today. This new feature will allow the operating system to intelligently delete applications if you don’t have enough free space to perform a software update. Once the update is complete, the apps will automatically be reinstalled and your data will remain intact.




    So this is Apple's response to those who bought the 16GB iPhones?  SMH

  • Reply 5 of 12
    slurpyslurpy Posts: 5,389member
    Quote:

    Originally Posted by John.B View Post

     

    iOS 9 allows users to temporarily delete apps to free up space for software updates | 9to5Mac

     



    So this is Apple's response to those who bought the 16GB iPhones?  SMH


     

    Sounds pretty awesome, actually. 

  • Reply 6 of 12
    SpamSandwichSpamSandwich Posts: 33,407member
    Quote:

    Originally Posted by NolaMacGuy View Post



    Here's what the AI homepage looks like on my iPad mini -- nothing but ads & promos, content is strangely absent (pushed way down actually, in a 1/2" column). Can you guess which new iOS 9 feature I'm looking forward to most?






    App thinning? /s

  • Reply 7 of 12
    SpamSandwichSpamSandwich Posts: 33,407member
    Quote:

    Originally Posted by Slurpy View Post

     

     

    Sounds pretty awesome, actually. 




    I agree. Pretty clever.

  • Reply 8 of 12
    john.bjohn.b Posts: 2,742member

    Does it retain your data?

     

    What about apps that are no longer available on the App Store?

     

    Or apps purchased under a different Apple ID?

  • Reply 9 of 12
    nolamacguynolamacguy Posts: 4,758member
    john.b wrote: »
    [URL=http:/2015/06/23/ios-9-delete-apps-free-space/]iOS 9 allows users to temporarily delete apps to free up space for software updates | 9to5Mac[/URL]
    So this is Apple's response to those who bought the 16GB iPhones?  SMH

    if 16GB isn't enough for you, then you're buying it wrong. 16GB is fine for low-demand users, like my parents. they dont need a lot of space.
  • Reply 10 of 12
    Quote:

    Originally Posted by NolaMacGuy View Post



    Here's what the AI homepage looks like on my iPad mini -- nothing but ads & promos, content is strangely absent (pushed way down actually, in a 1/2" column). Can you guess which new iOS 9 feature I'm looking forward to most?




     

    iphone.appleinsider.com

  • Reply 11 of 12
    Quote:

    Originally Posted by SpamSandwich View Post

     



    App thinning? /s


    iOS Safari add-ons (ad blockers).

  • Reply 12 of 12
    nolamacguynolamacguy Posts: 4,758member
    iphone.appleinsider.com

    better content ratio, but not without its own usability issues -- like not allowing zooming in safari, and not displaying the comment count on the front page stories (our discourse is as much a feature to me as the rehashed stories are).

    Site is working again, but AI's content ratio is still atrocious:

    700

    So many ads and non-content. It's awful, and they'll need to do a better job after iOS 9 is released.
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