Apple seeds first public betas of iOS 15, iPadOS 15, tvOS 15, watchOS 8

Posted:
in iOS edited June 2021
Apple promised that it would release public betas of its forthcoming operating systems in July, and versions for iOS 15, iPadOS 15, tvOS 15, and watchOS 8 have arrived one day early.

Use Quick Notes in the iPadOS 15 public beta
Use Quick Notes in the iPadOS 15 public beta


The first public betas should be essentially the same as the second developer beta, which Apple also updated Wednesday. The public builds can be acquired from the Apple Beta Software Program web portal.

The new operating systems were announced during Apple's annual Worldwide Developer Conference (WWDC). New features focus on socializing, device customization, and Focus. The second developer beta unlocked SharePlay, a new feature in FaceTime that enables users to share video and music content during a call.





Changes to watchOS 8 include new workouts and better keyboard interactions. Users can also view photos and share them via the share sheet directly from the Apple Watch.

Apple didn't mention tvOS during its WWDC keynote, but it did add new screensavers and support for SharePlay in the tvOS 15 update. There is also a new package detection feature for HomeKit cameras that will show up as a notification on Apple TV.

Many new aspects of the updates will not be available until the official release in the fall. Developers will need to build their apps to target new APIs and other changes throughout the operating systems.

AppleInsider, and Apple itself, strongly recommend users don't install the betas on to "mission-critical" or primary devices, as there is the remote possibility of data loss or other issues. Instead, testers should install betas onto secondary or non-essential devices, and to make sure there are sufficient backups of important data before updating.

Keep up with everything Apple in the weekly AppleInsider Podcast -- and get a fast news update from AppleInsider Daily. Just say, "Hey, Siri," to your HomePod mini and ask for these podcasts, and our latest HomeKit Insider episode too.If you want an ad-free main AppleInsider Podcast experience, you can support the AppleInsider podcast by subscribing for $5 per month through Apple's Podcasts app, or via Patreon if you prefer any other podcast player.

Comments

  • Reply 1 of 4
    Has anybody installed these? How stable are they?
  • Reply 2 of 4
    jpellinojpellino Posts: 698member
    Installed iOS on my iPhone SE 1st Gen, so far so good.  No quits, no huge surprises.  Wish some of the Weather app stuff was selectable.  Maps seems faster.  Will always wish there was a toggle for App Library.  
  • Reply 3 of 4
    Dougie.SDougie.S Posts: 40member
    Has anybody installed these? How stable are they?
    Beta 2 is surprisingly good. Obviously plenty of small bugs but battery life is great for an early beta.
    I’ve suffered a few resprings and 2 full reboot crashes but nothing serious.
  • Reply 4 of 4
    bfranksbfranks Posts: 22member
    Has anybody installed these? How stable are they?
    Considering some of the issues I’ve had with previous beta releases early on, this one has (so far) been stable and responsive. Also I would say 90 % of my 3rd party apps are functioning as expected.  To be honest I’m surprised by how well it’s working at this early stage. As always I installed it on my secondary device to see how it is.  On current form I will most likely install it on my primary device. 
Sign In or Register to comment.