Apple will release fourth public betas of iOS 14 and iPadOS 14 to testers today. This comes after Tuesday’s release of iOS 14 beta 4 to developers, bringing changes such as new widgets for the TV app, COVID-19 Exposure Notification API support, and more.
Today’s release of iOS 14 beta 4 to public beta users will likely include the same changes that were introduced to developer beta testers earlier this week. For example, iOS 14 initially lacked support for the Apple and Google Exposure Notification API for COVID-19 contact tracing. iOS 14 beta 4 adds support for the feature, with the ability to have multiple apps and changing the active app. The feature also now has a more prominent position in the Settings app and is accessible directly from the main Settings display.
iOS 14 beta 4 brings new widgets for the TV app. Apple teased these widgets at WWDC, but only now are they actually available. The new TV widgets allow you to see your Up Next list from the TV app in three different sizes. You can tap on a show or movie to jump directly to that content in the TV app.
Another change is that 3D Touch functionality has been restored for supported devices. iOS 14 beta 3 did not have 3D Touch support, and while it seemed like a bug, some users were questioning whether Apple had dropped the functionality completely.
If you’re interested in signing up for Apple’s public beta testing program, you can do so via Apple’s website right here. Apple’s new software version won’t be complete until the fall, at which point it will be released to the general public. Testers should still expect performance and stability issues when running the iOS 14 public beta on primary devices for the time being.
Apple warns about running the iOS 14 public beta:
The Apple Beta Software Program lets users try out pre-release software. The feedback you provide on quality and usability helps us identify issues, fix them, and make Apple software even better. Please note that since the public beta software has not yet been commercially released by Apple, it may contain errors or inaccuracies and may not function as well as commercially released software. Be sure to back up your iPhone, iPad, or iPod touch and your Mac using Time Machine before installing beta software.
- Hands-on with 250+ iOS 14 beta features and changes [Video]
- Hands-on: 85+ new macOS Big Sur changes and features [Video]
- iOS 14 guide
- watchOS 7 guide
- tvOS 14 guide
