Apple Releases iOS 5 Beta 2 to Developers, Now with Wi-Fi Sync

Screen Shot 2011 06 24 at 6
As noted by ItsAllTech, Apple has released the first followup beta release to iOS developers. iOS 5 Build 9A5248d was just released this evening. The first changes noted include:

- Wireless syncing has been enabled for Mac OS X computers

WiFi Syncing

In iOS 5.0 beta 2, wireless syncing is now available for the Mac. It requires iTunes 10.5 beta 2 and OS X 10.6.8 or Lion. You will see an option to enable wireless syncing when you connect your device to iTunes with the USB cable. It is recommended you perform your initial sync with a cable after restoring your device.

Wireless syncing is triggered automatically when the device is connected to power and on the same network as the paired computer. Or, you can manually trigger a sync from iTunes or from Settings -> General -> iTunes Sync (same network as paired computer required). Be sure your device is plugged into a power source when performing Wireless syncs.
If you find issues with apps, media and/or photos synced to your device, you can reset then resync. From Settings -> General -> Reset, choose Erase all Content and Settings. Then reconnect to iTunes and sync again.

In this beta, iTunes may incorrectly report Photos as "Other" in the capacity bar. Photo syncing otherwise works as expected.

iTunes 10.5 beta 2 and Apple TV Software beta 2 has also been released.

iFans has release notes. Summarized here:

- iTunes 10.5b2 can’t sync iOS 5 Beta 1 devices
- iOS5 Beta 1 devices can’t iMessage iOS5 Beta 2 devices and vice-versa
- WiFi sync now works with OS X computers; it has to be enabled in iTunes 10.5 beta 2 first
- OTA updates have been released, though none are currently available
- iCloud has a new logo in the Settings.app
- You can now backup to iCloud or the computer when setting the device up
- If no notifications are available, Notification Center shows the text “No New Notifications”
- Stock widget in the Notification Center is now off by default
- Stock wallpapers are back, but are the same that were in iOS 4
- General speed improvements, kills bugs that were present in iOS 5 beta 1

Video of Wi-Fi Sync from iPhoneDownloadBlog:


We'll post updates as we hear more.

Popular Stories

Apple CarPlay Ultra instrument cluster themes 01

Apple's 'CarPlay Ultra' Experience Now Available

Thursday May 15, 2025 5:07 am PDT by
Apple today announced that its next-generation CarPlay experience, now dubbed "CarPlay Ultra" begins rolling out today, starting with Aston Martin vehicles. Subscribe to the MacRumors YouTube channel for more videos. CarPlay Ultra is now available with new Aston Martin vehicle orders in the U.S. and Canada. It will also be available for existing models that feature the brand's next-generation ...
Apple CarPlay Ultra instrument cluster themes 01

Apple's CarPlay Ultra Is Here – Does Your iPhone Support It?

Thursday May 15, 2025 5:17 am PDT by
Apple's recently announced CarPlay Ultra promises a deeply integrated in-car experience, but not all iPhone users will be able to take advantage of the new feature. According to Apple's press release, CarPlay Ultra requires an iPhone 12 or later running iOS 18.5 or later. This means if you're using an iPhone 11, iPhone XR, or any older model, you'll need to upgrade your device to access...
CarPlay Ultra Climate Controls

Apple Says These Vehicle Brands Plan to Offer All-New CarPlay Ultra

Thursday May 15, 2025 8:13 am PDT by
Apple today announced the launch of CarPlay Ultra, the long-awaited next-generation version of its CarPlay software system for vehicles. CarPlay Ultra features deep integration with a vehicle's instrument cluster and systems, built-in Radio and Climate apps, customizable widgets, and more. The interface is tailored to each vehicle model and automaker's identity, and drivers can also adjust...
iPhone 12 Made in India

Trump Tells Tim Cook to Stop Building iPhones in India

Thursday May 15, 2025 2:21 am PDT by
President Donald Trump has asked Apple CEO Tim Cook to halt the company's manufacturing expansion in India, in a potential disruption of Apple's plan to shift iPhone production away from China. "I had a little problem with Tim Cook yesterday," Trump said during his state visit to Qatar, according to Bloomberg. "He is building all over India." "They [India] have offered us a deal where...
apple music

Apple Music Gets New Transfer Tool to Make Switching From Spotify Easier

Wednesday May 14, 2025 5:17 pm PDT by
Apple this week introduced a new feature designed to allow prospective Apple Music users to import their saved music and playlists from third-party music services to Apple Music. The feature is either in an expanded testing phase or it has started rolling out, and it is available in Australia and New Zealand according to an Apple Support document. Signs of the transfer option first surfaced...
maxresdefault

Here's the First Real-World Look at Apple's CarPlay Ultra

Thursday May 15, 2025 5:52 am PDT by
The first videos of Apple's CarPlay Ultra experience are now available, providing a never-before-seen look at the long-anticipated iPhone-linked infotainment software. British automaker Aston Martin today shared the first video of Apple's CarPlay Ultra experience in-action, followed by a detailed walk-through of the CarPlay Ultra system on Top Gear's YouTube channel, which provides the...
vision pro video recording

WSJ: Some Apple Vision Pro Buyers 'Feel Total Regret'

Friday May 16, 2025 7:43 am PDT by
Apple's Vision Pro headset has left many early adopters expressing dissatisfaction over its weight, limited use cases, and sparse software ecosystem, according to a new article from The Wall Street Journal. In the year following the device's launch, user feedback suggests that it has failed to meet expectations for comfort, software support, and social acceptance. In interviews conducted by T...
microsoft copilot plus pc

Microsoft Says 'We're Faster Than a Mac' in Latest Windows PC Ad

Thursday May 15, 2025 12:29 pm PDT by
Microsoft today shared a new ad on YouTube with the tagline "we're faster than a Mac." In the video, Microsoft says the top-end Windows PCs with Copilot+ branding are up to 58% faster than the previous-generation MacBook Air with the M3 chip, based on Cinebench 2024 multi-core CPU benchmark results. The ad is citing old figures that were reported on all the way back in May 2024, so take that ...

Top Rated Comments

aristotle Avatar
181 months ago
Your point of view has absolutely no testing needed on PC's.
Argument aside, no I will not relax, I need to know whether or not iOS 5 plays nice with Windows, and that's not possible until the next beta is released, which should be 3 weeks from now.
Dude. Stop it before you start looking like a troll. You obviously are not a software developer so let me explain how software development works.

Apple has a QA department (quality assurance) with QA engineers who are obviously testing each build of iTunes for windows and OS X long before the beta build even reaches the developers.

As others have explained, because the iOS SDK is OS X only, there is no need to release a beta to the general iOS developer community and the primary feature set for this release of iTunes is to support iOS 5 so if it works with windows right now then it should work with windows in the future.

Basic functionality and integration with windows is going to be tested by the QA engineers at Apple so you can rest assured.
Score: 10 Votes (Like | Disagree)
125037 Avatar
181 months ago
Why the HELL does the device need to be plugged into a power source? The only advantage of wireless syncing is that you can sync even if you're not charging it, i.e. wirelessly, when your device is already charged! I hate having to plug in an already charged device just to sync it, if it could do all of that wirelessly! What a useless feature. Disappointing and lame!

Um, it doesn't.
Score: 7 Votes (Like | Disagree)
voidptr Avatar
181 months ago
Why? The entire point of wireless syncing is to do it without a cable, which is why it's called "wireless". If you have to charge it to plug it in, you might as well sync it on USB while you're at it.

I think the great thing with wireless syncing is that you have your device on your desk and all you need to do is press a button. No fiddling with cables, chargers and whatever.

A lot of people, myself included, charge their iPhone at night with the wall charger. In that case, it'll sync at night even though the iPhone and charger is in my bedroom, and the computer it syncs against is somewhere else in the house. I charge it nightly, but almost never bother to sync it.

And from what's reported, you can still press a button and sync it if it's not plugged in; plugging it in triggers it automatically.
Score: 6 Votes (Like | Disagree)
HiRez Avatar
181 months ago
You will see an option to enable wireless syncing when you connect your device to iTunes with the USB cable.
OK, am I the only one seeing the irony here? :)
Score: 6 Votes (Like | Disagree)
dethmaShine Avatar
181 months ago
I hope I'm not breaking the NDA by posting this:

WiFi Syncing
In iOS 5.0 beta 2, wireless syncing is now available for the Mac. It requires iTunes 10.5 beta 2 and OS X 10.6.8 or Lion. You will see an option to enable wireless syncing when you connect your device to iTunes with the USB cable. It is recommended you perform your initial sync with a cable after restoring your device.
Wireless syncing is triggered automatically when the device is connected to power and on the same network as the paired computer. Or, you can manually trigger a sync from iTunes or from Settings -> General -> iTunes Sync (same network as paired computer required). Be sure your device is plugged into a power source when performing Wireless syncs.
If you find issues with apps, media and/or photos synced to your device, you can reset then resync. From Settings -> General -> Reset, choose Erase all Content and Settings. Then reconnect to iTunes and sync again.
In this beta, iTunes may incorrectly report Photos as "Other" in the capacity bar. Photo syncing otherwise works as expected.
Score: 6 Votes (Like | Disagree)
radiogoober Avatar
181 months ago
You kind of lost me there, did you mean to say "If you have to plug it in to charge it"? If so, I get your point, wireless syncing isn't a great advantage if you still have to connect the wire once every couple of days to charge. However, for some people it's easier just to connect to a power outlet rather than have to connect to their Mac/PC.

Of course, when inductive charging is incorporated into the iPhone at some point down the line...

You guys wouldn't be having these discussions if you read the release notes.

YOU DONT HAVE TO PLUG IT IN TO WIFI SYNC!
Score: 5 Votes (Like | Disagree)