Apple Releases First Beta of iOS 11.3 for Public Beta Testers

by

Apple today released the first public beta of an upcoming iOS 11.3 update to its public beta testing group, one day after seeding the first beta to developers and a few days after releasing the iOS 11.2.5 update.

Beta testers who are members of Apple's beta testing program will receive the iOS 11.3 beta update over-the-air after installing the proper certificate on an iOS device.

Those who want to join the beta testing program can sign up on Apple's beta testing website, which gives users access to iOS, macOS, and tvOS betas. iOS betas are not always stable and should not be installed on a primary device.

Subscribe to the MacRumors YouTube channel for more videos.

iOS 11.3 is a significant update that introduces multiple new features like Messages on iCloud for storing your iMessages in iCloud, and ARKit 1.5, a new, upgraded version of ARKit that can more accurately map irregularly shaped surfaces and recognize and place objects on vertical surfaces like walls.

Four new Animoji are available for the iPhone X, the Health app has a new Health Records feature where you can store your medical records, and AirPlay 2 features are available in both iOS 11.3 and tvOS 11.3.

Other features new to iOS 11.3 include an Apple News "For You" section that displays the top videos of the day, Advanced Mobile Location (AML) for sharing more accurate location info when placing an emergency call in a supported country, and a new Privacy icon that will show up whenever Apple asks you for info. iBooks has also had the "i" removed from its name, so it's just "Books" now.

In the future, Apple plans to introduce more detailed information about the health of a device's battery. The update should provide a lot more data about battery health, and there will also be an option to let customers turn off the power management feature entirely, though Apple does not recommend disabling it.

Business Chat, which will let you interface with businesses like Wells Fargo, Delta, Hilton and Lowe's right in the Messages app is coming when iOS 11.3 is released, and improvements to Apple Music will bring better support for music videos.

Apple says iOS 11.3 will be released to the public in the spring.

Related Forum: iOS 11

Popular Stories

m1 chip slide

Five Years of Apple Silicon: M1 to M5 Performance Comparison

Monday November 10, 2025 1:08 pm PST by
Today marks the fifth anniversary of the Apple silicon chip that replaced Intel chips in Apple's Mac lineup. The first Apple silicon chip, the M1, was unveiled on November 10, 2020. The M1 debuted in the MacBook Air, Mac mini, and 13-inch MacBook Pro. The M1 chip was impressive when it launched, featuring the "world's fastest CPU core" and industry-leading performance per watt, and it's only ...
Read Full Article • 166 comments
iOS 26

iOS 26.2 Available Next Month With These 8 New Features

Tuesday November 11, 2025 9:48 am PST by
Apple released the first iOS 26.2 beta last week. The upcoming update includes a handful of new features and changes on the iPhone, including a new Liquid Glass slider for the Lock Screen's clock, offline lyrics in Apple Music, and more. In a recent press release, Apple confirmed that iOS 26.2 will be released to all users in December, but it did not provide a specific release date....
Read Full Article • 68 comments
All Screen iPhone 2027 Feature 1

Apple to Hide Selfie Camera Under Display of 20th Anniversary iPhone

Monday November 10, 2025 1:55 am PST by
Apple will conceal the front-facing camera under the screen of its 2027 iPhone, a Chinese leaker said today, corroborating reports that Apple's 20th anniversary iPhone will have no visible cutouts in the display. Weibo-based account Digital Chat Station said Apple's development of under-screen camera technology was progressing as planned for adoption in 2027, one year after it will...
Read Full Article • 45 comments
iphone pocket%402x

Apple Debuts iPhone Pocket, a Limited Edition iPod Sock-Style Accessory

Tuesday November 11, 2025 1:23 am PST by
Apple has teamed up with Japanese fashion house ISSEY MIYAKE to launch iPhone Pocket, a 3D-knitted limited edition accessory designed to carry an iPhone, AirPods, and other everyday items. The accessory is like a stretchy pocket, not unlike an iPod Sock, but elongated to form a strap made of a ribbed, elastic textile that fully encloses an iPhone yet allows you to glimpse the display...
Read Full Article • 273 comments
iphone air thinness

iPhone Air Sales Are So Bad That Apple's Delaying the Next-Generation Version

Monday November 10, 2025 11:41 am PST by
The thin, light iPhone Air sold so poorly that Apple has decided to delay the launch of the next-generation iPhone Air that was scheduled to come out alongside the iPhone 18 Pro, reports The Information. Apple initially planned to release a new iPhone Air in fall 2026, but now that's not going to happen. Since the iPhone Air launched in September, there have been reports of poor sales...
Read Full Article • 573 comments
homepod mini colors

New HomePod Mini Coming Soon With These Features

Tuesday November 11, 2025 7:30 am PST by
Apple is expected to announce a new HomePod mini imminently, headlining with new chips. Here are all of the new features we're expecting. The second-generation HomePod mini is highly likely to contain a more up-to-date chip for more advanced computational audio and improved responsiveness. The current HomePod mini is equipped with the Apple Watch Series 5's S5 chip from 2019. Apple is likely ...
Read Full Article • 117 comments
ios 26 digital id passport wallet

Apple Announces Launch of U.S. Passport Feature in iPhone's Wallet App

Wednesday November 12, 2025 9:15 am PST by
Apple today announced that iPhone users can now create a Digital ID in the Apple Wallet app based on information from their U.S. passport. To create and present a Digital ID based on a U.S. passport, you need: An iPhone 11 or later running iOS 26.1 or later, or an Apple Watch Series 6 or later running watchOS 26.1 or later Face ID or Touch ID and Bluetooth turned on An Apple Account ...
Read Full Article • 253 comments
iphone black friday gold

The Best Early Black Friday iPhone Deals

Monday November 10, 2025 10:18 am PST by
Cellular carriers have always offered big savings on the newest iPhone models during the holidays, and Black Friday 2025 sales have kicked off at AT&T, Verizon, T-Mobile, and more. Right now we're tracking notable offers on the iPhone 17, iPhone 17 Pro, iPhone 17 Pro Max, and iPhone Air. For even more savings, keep an eye on older models during the holiday shopping season. Note: MacRumors is...
Read Full Article • 5 comments
Early Black Friday Deals 1

The Best Early Black Friday Apple Deals on AirPods, Apple Watch, iPad, and More

Saturday November 8, 2025 6:16 am PST by
We're officially in the month of Black Friday, which will take place on Friday, November 28 in 2025. As always, this will be the best time of the year to shop for great deals, including popular Apple products like AirPods, iPad, Apple Watch, and more. In this article, the majority of the discounts will be found on Amazon. Note: MacRumors is an affiliate partner with some of these vendors. When ...
Read Full Article • 5 comments
homepod mini thumb feature

New HomePod Mini, Apple TV, and AirTag Were Expected This Year — Where Are They?

Wednesday November 12, 2025 11:42 am PST by
While it was rumored that Apple planned to release new versions of the HomePod mini, Apple TV, and AirTag this year, it is no longer clear if that will still happen. Back in January, Bloomberg's Mark Gurman said Apple planned to release new HomePod mini and Apple TV models "toward the end of the year," while he at one point expected a new AirTag to launch "around the middle of 2025." Yet,...
Read Full Article • 104 comments

Top Rated Comments

justperry Avatar
justperry
102 months ago
Have fun out there, some nasty bugs in this one. Obviously beta 1, just remember that kids.
Please tell us instead of using the word "some".
Score: 10 Votes (Like | Disagree)
MrGimper Avatar
MrGimper
102 months ago
Apple today released the first public beta of an upcoming iOS 11.2.5 update to its public beta testing group, one day after seeding the first beta to developers and a few days after releasing the iOS 11.2.5 update ('https://www.macrumors.com/2018/01/23/apple-releases-ios-11-2-5/').
Surely you mean 11.3?
Score: 4 Votes (Like | Disagree)
C DM Avatar
C DM
102 months ago
They should first fix all bugs of iOS 11 before they start to add new features.
No such thing really exists in the software (or even hardware) world.
Score: 3 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Chris Grande Avatar
Chris Grande
102 months ago
There's a part of me that likes the idea of Messages over iCloud but part of me that gets concerned about accidentally deleting something and having it gone permanently. I have multiple OS and iOS systems, and I had one important Messages thread that I accidentally deleted from my phone by swiping the wrong thread. 100% my fault. Fortunately, I still have the important stuff on my iPad. Yes, I could have theoretically restored from backup, but what a pain for one message thread. Had that occurred while managed on the cloud, it would have been a huge hassle.

Now what about this: I have a phone that has different messages on it than my iPad and Macs due to different uses, though they all sync to the same iCloud account and all initially receive the same iMessage texts. If I enable iCloud Messaging, does it simply sync every thread on all devices? Is there a chance that--since I have deleted some threads on different devices--those threads will be deleted across all devices?
These are all good questions, I have yet to test, but during the initial 11.0 betas it would sync up all convos in their current state on all devices.

But I recommend everyone who has the Feedback app request that the delete feature be replaced with "Archive" which would just hide the conversion on all devices and then make Delete a two step process.

Also another question is what happens with conversions that split across Apple ID's, the Mac merges them, iOS never did...
Score: 3 Votes (Like | Disagree)
lsutigerfan1976 Avatar
lsutigerfan1976
102 months ago
You get an Animoji! And you get an Animoji! And you get an Animoji!!!
Score: 2 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Shpyda Avatar
Shpyda
102 months ago
This seems like a very cool release. Can't wait to try it out.
Score: 2 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Read All Comments