iOS 8 Beta 5 Tidbits: SMS Relay, New iCloud Icons, Health App Updates, and More

Apple today released the fifth beta of iOS 8, which brings a number of improvements, tweaks, and bug fixes to the beta software that was first introduced on June 2.

iOS 8 beta 5, like previous betas, includes several minor interface modifications designed to make iOS 8 feel faster and more polished. We've gathered up a comprehensive list of all the enhancements that have been bundled into the new beta release below, and to find out about all of the under-the-radar changes in iOS 8 so far, make sure to check out our iOS 8 Hidden Features Roundup.

Health: According to the beta's release notes, Apple's Health app now collects Spirometry data. Spirometry tests measure lung function, tracking the volume and flow of air when inhaling and exhaling. The app has gained several new icons, the ability to export Health data, and a "Show When Logged" option to display Medical ID on the lock screen. There are also privacy settings for Health in the Settings app.

SMS Relay: iOS 8 users are getting a popup that asks them to use their phone numbers for SMS Relay on their MacBooks, one of the new Continuity features between OS X Yosemite and iOS 8.

smsrelay
Photos: Photos now displays a "Last Updated" notification to let users know when images were last synced to iCloud. There's also an iCloud Photo Settings option to store full resolution photos solely in iCloud while keeping device-optimized versions available on the iPhone to save storage space.

photosoptimize
iCloud icons: iCloud Drive, Backup, and Keychain have new icons in the iCloud section of the Settings app. The overall iCloud icon has also been updated, featuring a white cloud on a field of blue.

newicloudsettingsicons
WiFi Calling: When WiFi calling is enabled, it's now labeled T-Mobile WiFi at the top of the iPhone screen.

tmobilewifi
Predictive text: There's now an option on the keyboard to toggle on predictive text.

predictive
Wallpaper Settings: The Brightness toggle has been removed from the Wallpaper section of the Settings app. Changing screen brightness can now be done via the Display & Brightness section of the Settings app that was added in a previous iOS 8 beta.

Additional features in iOS 8 beta 5 will be added here as they are discovered. Apple is likely to continue pushing regular updates to iOS 8 at two or three-week intervals to bring minor performance boosts and changes ahead of the operating system's launch. For more information on iOS 8's features, major and minor, make sure to check out our roundups.

Related Forum: iOS 8

Popular Stories

iPhone 17 Air Pastel Feature

iPhone 17 Air Battery Capacity and Weight Allegedly Revealed

Monday May 19, 2025 2:22 am PDT by
Apple is expected to launch an all-new ultra-thin iPhone 17 Air later this year, and while there have been plenty of rumors about the camera's overall design and thinness, we haven't heard any details about the device's weight and battery capacity until now. According to the leaker going by the account name "yeux1122" on the Korean-langauge Naver blog, the 6.6-inch iPhone 17 Air has a weight ...
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...
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 Glass

Apple Smart Glasses: Everything We Know So Far

Wednesday May 21, 2025 8:21 am PDT by
Google made waves yesterday by showcasing a set of lightweight smart glasses featuring deep Gemini integration and an optional in-lens display. The demo has reignited interest in Apple's own smart glasses project, which has been the subject of rumors for nearly a decade. Here's a recap of where things stand. Current Development Status Apple is actively working on new chips specifically...
WWDC 2025 Banner

Apple Announces WWDC 2025 Schedule, Including Keynote Time

Tuesday May 20, 2025 8:13 am PDT by
Apple today announced a more detailed schedule for its annual developers conference WWDC, which runs from June 9 through June 13. The schedule confirms that Apple's keynote will begin on Monday, June 9 at 10 a.m. Pacific Time, with a live stream to be available on Apple.com, in the Apple TV app, and on YouTube. During the keynote, Apple is expected to announce iOS 19, iPadOS 19, macOS 16,...
macOS 16 visionOS Inspired Feature 1

macOS 16: Everything We Know So Far

Tuesday May 20, 2025 7:31 am PDT by
The Worldwide Developers Conference (WWDC), Apple's annual developer and software-oriented event, is less than three weeks away. We haven't heard a great deal about macOS 16 ahead of its announcement this year, so we could be in for some major surprises when June 9 rolls around. Here's what we know so far about the next major update to Apple's Mac operating system. macOS 16 Name? Every year ...
Apple Intelligence General Feature

Report: Apple's Next-Gen Version of Siri Is 'On Par' With ChatGPT

Monday May 19, 2025 9:00 am PDT by
Apple has big plans to improve Siri over the next few years, Bloomberg's Mark Gurman and Drake Bennett report. Some Apple executives are now reportedly pushing to turn Siri into a true ChatGPT competitor. A next-generation, chatbot version of Siri has reportedly made significant progress during testing over the past six months; some executives allegedly now see it as "on par" with recent...

Top Rated Comments

AngerDanger Avatar
141 months ago
It's interesting to think that an actual human designed the menu area here:



I hope Apple innovates a method of consolidating those dots into, say, thin vertical rectangles. They could even be called something like poles… or… bars. :rolleyes:
Score: 21 Votes (Like | Disagree)
iBlazed Avatar
141 months ago
I like the new icloud icons. Actually the whole OS is just great. Beta 5 is already a solid upgrade over iOS 7 and this really puts the final touches on the aesthetics.
Score: 13 Votes (Like | Disagree)
dlewis23 Avatar
141 months ago
The T-Moible Wi-Fi is a little big for the status bar.

I'm trying to understand? Is this so messages can relay ALL types of messages not just iMessage or is this something different?
It means it will forward SMS messages (the green ones) to your iPad or mac.
Score: 10 Votes (Like | Disagree)
w00master Avatar
141 months ago
It's interesting to think that an actual human designed the menu area here:

Image (https://cdn.macrumors.com/article-new/2014/08/tmobilewifi.jpg)

I hope Apple innovates a method of consolidating those dots into, say, thin vertical rectangles. They could even be called something like poles… or… bars. :rolleyes:
Agreed with this. Btw... why does the carrier name need to even appear on the top? Makes no sense to me. As an example, my work Android phone does not have this at all, so I know it can't be a "carrier mandated" thing.

Apple, please get rid of the carrier name in the menu bar. It's totally unnecessary and redundant. The user *already knows* what carrier he/she belongs to!

w00master
Score: 5 Votes (Like | Disagree)
dav465 Avatar
141 months ago
I really like the idea of icloud drive but 5GB is stingy. With all of the other major companies offering around 15gb for free, do you think Apple may change their minds and offer 15gb as well? Let alone flickr give 1TB for free storage and auto upload!
Granted their prices for extra storage aren't extortionate but 5GB really is a bit mean IMO.
Score: 3 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Dan70 Avatar
141 months ago
I've just seen another update, the AirDrop icon when selecting pictures has been re-done to fit in with the buttons at the button. Not a big change but looks nicer I think.
Score: 3 Votes (Like | Disagree)