Apple Seeds iOS 5.1 Beta 3 to Developers, Restores 'Enable 3G' Toggle - MacRumors
Skip to Content

Apple Seeds iOS 5.1 Beta 3 to Developers, Restores 'Enable 3G' Toggle

by

Returning from a holiday break, Apple today seeded iOS 5.1 Beta 3 to developers to allow for further testing of the next update to the company's mobile operating system. The new version arrives as Build 9B5141a, up from the previous Build 9B5127a released ad iOS 5.1 Beta 2 on December 12.

ios 5 1 beta 3 ota
Screenshot of iOS 5.1 Beta 3 over-the-air update (Source: @CDeeRON)

So far the update appears to only be available via the over-the-air update mechanism for existing iOS 5.1 beta users, but should become available for general download through Apple's iOS developer program site shortly. We'll have more information on the new build at that time.

Update: We're still waiting for Apple to post iOS 5.1 beta 3 to the developer site with release notes, but commenters in our forums have noted that the new build restores the toggle that allows users to turn off 3G cellular data access. As Apple notes on the setting, 3G offers faster data speeds but uses more battery power than EDGE.

ios 5 1 beta 3 enable 3g
Update 2: iOS 5.1 Beta 3 is now available via the iOS developer program portal. Xcode 4.3 Developer Preview 3 and Apple TV Software Beta 2 have also been released today.

ios 5 1 beta 3
The full release notes for iOS 5.1 Beta 3 still have not been posted.

Update 3: The release notes for iOS 5.1 Beta 3 have now been posted, and one item of note involves a new API to help developers flag app content that should not be backed up.

iOS 5.1 introduces a new API to mark files or directories that should not be backed up. For NSURL objects, add the NSURLIsExcludedFromBackupKey attribute to prevent the corresponding file from being backed up.

The addition appears to be an expansion of the company's iOS 5.0.1 effort to help deal with content being stored for offline use that does not need to be committed to a device backup but which should not be subject to removal during the purging of caches. Apple will be replacing the com.apple.MobileBackup file attribute introduced in iOS 5.0.1 with the new API usage in iOS 5.1.

Popular Stories

iPhone 18 Pro Deep Red Feature

iPhone 18 Pro Launching in Two Months With These 12 New Features

Friday July 17, 2026 10:39 am PDT by
It is now mid-July, and that means the iPhone 18 Pro and iPhone 18 Pro Max are now just two months away. The devices are expected to look similar to the iPhone 17 Pro and iPhone 17 Pro Max, but there will still be many year-over-year changes, with rumored features including a smaller Dynamic Island, 5G via satellite, and more. Apple is expected to unveil the iPhone 18 Pro, iPhone 18 Pro Max, ...
Read Full Article • 37 comments
Apple 2026 Back to School Graphic

Apple's 2026 Back to School Offer Just Went Live in Select Countries

Wednesday July 15, 2026 11:48 am PDT by
Apple's annual Back to School promotion is now live in select countries in Asia, including China, India, Malaysia, the Philippines, Singapore, Taiwan, Thailand, and Vietnam. The offer provides college students and educational staff with a free item with the purchase of an eligible Mac or iPad model. The exact offer varies by country, with options including a pack of four AirTags, AirPods 4,...
Read Full Article • 19 comments
iphone 17 cyber

Apple Closes Unlocked iPhone Loophole for T-Mobile and Verizon Financing

Wednesday July 15, 2026 3:20 pm PDT by
Carrier-financed iPhones purchased from Apple will soon be locked to the carrier, ending a workaround customers used to purchase an unlocked iPhone on a payment plan. Until the rule change, buying an iPhone from Apple and opting for financing through Verizon or T-Mobile meant you would get an iPhone not locked to either carrier's network. That's no longer the case, and now iPhones financed...
Read Full Article • 146 comments

Top Rated Comments

Mlrollin91 Avatar
Mlrollin91
190 months ago
Absolutely NOT. Edge is painfully slow. And other than battery life, it isn't like your data usage will be less on Edge. It'll just download slower.

But it can effect battery drastically. If you are in an area with poor 3G, your phone is constantly looking for that signal. If you manually switch to Edge it saves battery because its not looking for 3G.
Score: 28 Votes (Like | Disagree)
B
bmms8
190 months ago
guys, we all stand corrected.. in the latest beta, you can turn off 3G! this is great for me!
Score: 17 Votes (Like | Disagree)
M
mms13
190 months ago
Absolutely NOT. Edge is painfully slow. And other than battery life, it isn't like your data usage will be less on Edge. It'll just download slower.

Obviously....but that's not why people turn off 3G. Sometimes 3G can be bogged down or unresponsive. For example when I attend NFL games, it's sometimes impossible to send texts or get data on 3G, but when I switch to EDGE, things go through. Ever since I got my 4S though, this hasn't been possible.
Score: 15 Votes (Like | Disagree)
M
MattMJB0188
190 months ago
Anyone else crossing their fingers this enables 4s users to be able to switch 3G off and use EDGE only. I'm not talking about turning cellular data off.
Score: 15 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Peace Avatar
Peace
190 months ago


Anyone else crossing their fingers this enables 4s users to be able to switch 3G off and use EDGE only. I'm not talking about turning cellular data off.

Like this ?
Score: 11 Votes (Like | Disagree)
B
bmms8
190 months ago
Really or fake/troll post?

is something wrong with you? why dont you read my previous posts, or at least download and install the beta 3 before you comment.
Score: 10 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Read All Comments