Two weeks after Apple released the first beta version of iOS 7 following its unveiling at the company's Worldwide Developers Conference, Apple has just released a second beta for testing. The update is currently available through Apple's over-the-air updating system on iOS devices, and should be posted soon to the iOS Dev Center.
The beta 2 appears as build 11A4400f, up from the previous 11a4372q.
iOS 7 is scheduled for release in the fall of this year, undoubtedly alongside new iOS hardware. Apple's iPhone, iPad, and iPad mini will all be due for updates in the latter portion of this year, and if past history is any indication iOS 7 should be made available to the public just a few days before the launch of the next-generation iPhone.
Updates on changes in beta 2:
- Beta 2 is available not only for iPhone and iPod touch, but also iPad and iPad mini. The first beta released alongside the WWDC keynote did not include official iPad support, with Apple announcing that iPad versions of iOS 7 would follow in the coming weeks.
iOS 7 beta 2 for iPad home screen (Source: 9to5Mac)
iOS 7 beta 2 for iPad control center (Source: 9to5Mac)
- In line with previous hints, the Voice Memos app has returned in beta 2.
- The new male and female Siri voices showed off by Apple at WWDC are now available in English.
- Multiple users are reporting that Siri is much faster than in beta 1.
- In addition to iOS beta 2, Apple has also released Xcode 5 Developer Preview 2 and a second beta of Apple TV Software version 5.4.
Direct links (You must be a paid registered Apple developer to access these links.)
Wednesday December 17, 2025 3:50 pm PST by Juli Clover
There's now a dedicated Apple Music app for ChatGPT, which allows ChatGPT to make music recommendations and build playlists.
Apple Music can be added to ChatGPT through the Settings section in the Mac app, website, or iOS app. Apple Music is listed under the apps option, and connecting to it requires signing in with your Apple Account for authorization purposes.
ChatGPT can be used to...
Tuesday December 16, 2025 8:44 am PST by Joe Rossignol
Next year's iPhone 18 Pro and iPhone 18 Pro Max will be equipped with under-screen Face ID, and the front camera will be moved to the top-left corner of the screen, according to a new report from The Information's Wayne Ma and Qianer Liu.
As a result of these changes, the report said the iPhone 18 Pro models will not have a pill-shaped Dynamic Island cutout at the top of the screen....
You'd think things would be slowing down heading into the holidays, but this week saw a whirlwind of Apple leaks and rumors while Apple started its next cycle of betas following last week's release of iOS 26.2 and related updates.
This week also saw the release of a new Apple Music integration with ChatGPT, so read on below for all the details on this week's biggest stories!
Top Stories
i...
Thursday December 18, 2025 3:44 pm PST by Juli Clover
Since the AirPods Pro 3 launched, there have been complaints from users who have noticed a static-like sound or a crackling issue when using the earbuds, particularly when Active Noise Cancellation is on but no media is playing. Users have also run into strange high-pitched whistling sounds that happen intermittently.
We shared the issues back in late October, and despite two subsequent...
Tuesday December 16, 2025 4:42 pm PST by Juli Clover
There has been a whirlwind of rumors over the last few days, sourced from leaked internal software designed for the iPhone and the Mac, and news sites like The Information. Below, we have a quick recap of everything we've heard this week, which serves as a guide to Apple's product plans in 2026 and beyond.
We've organized the info by likely release date, though there are some products that...
Thursday December 18, 2025 1:31 pm PST by Juli Clover
Apple Maps no longer offers a Flyover feature that provides users with automated tours of notable landmarks in major cities. The Flyover option appears to have been nixed around when iOS 26 launched, but its removal went largely unnoticed.
Flyover city tours were introduced in 2014 with iOS 8 and OS X Yosemite, using Flyover imagery to generate an aerial tour. Most cities with Flyover...
Friday December 19, 2025 10:37 am PST by Juli Clover
Since the beginning of December, Apple has been pushing iPhone users who opted to stay on iOS 18 to install iOS 26 instead. Apple started by making the iOS 18 upgrades less visible, and has now transitioned to making new iOS 18 updates unavailable on any device capable of running iOS 26.
If you have an iPhone 11 or later, Apple is no longer offering new versions of iOS 18, even though there...
Can we please stop fighting about app icons for a phone? This has become incredibly blown out of proportion... IT'S A SQUARE PICTURE ON A SCREEN. That's it! I can't believe people are saying things like "Oh my god I'm switching to Android because of the new icons." Seriously? Grow up.
Noticed the dock is always blue regardless of background. As are folders. Compare beta 1 (left) to beta 2 (right) which shows the dock (font text is also still mostly illegible with this background):
And the folder color:
Also seeing a bunch of graphical redraw artifacts, in particular horizontal lines/flickering near the dock when exiting apps.
Looks like they're using not only adaptive color technology, but adaptive general taste tech, too. If you pick a butt-ugly wallpaper, it adjusts the OS to be more butt-ugly as well.
