Apple Seeds Second Beta of iOS 11.4 to Developers

by

Apple today seeded the second beta of an upcoming iOS 11.4 update to developers, two weeks after releasing the first beta and three weeks after releasing iOS 11.3, a major update that introduced several new features.

Registered developers can download the new iOS 11.4 beta from Apple's Developer Center or over-the-air once the proper configuration profile has been installed from the Developer Center.

ios114beta
The iOS 11.4 update introduces a new ClassKit framework for educational institutions, which will support new features announced at Apple's March 27 event.

For standard users, the iOS 11.4 update adds features that were originally present in the iOS 11.3 beta but removed ahead of release. It includes support for Messages on iCloud, designed to store your iMessages in iCloud and sync them across devices.

There's also support for AirPlay 2 features, with the Apple TV once again available in the Home app. With AirPlay 2, the same audio content can be played in multiple rooms. On the HomePod, there are signs of support for stereo sound, but stereo sound is not currently available as it requires 11.4 HomePod software not available for developers.

iOS 11.3, the previous update, introduces a new Battery Health feature for monitoring the status of your iPhone's battery, Business Chat for iMessage, which lets you communicate with companies directly in the Messages app, ARKit 1.5 with augmented reality improvements, new Animoji on iPhone X, Health Records from participating medical providers, and more.

Update: Mentions of the non-functional HomePod stereo pairing feature have been removed in iOS 11.4 beta 2, and Apple has added a new (PRODUCT)RED wallpaper for the iPhone 8 and iPhone 8 Plus.

Related Forum: iOS 11

Popular Stories

iOS 26

15 New Things Your iPhone Can Do in iOS 26.2

Friday December 5, 2025 9:40 am PST by
Apple is about to release iOS 26.2, the second major point update for iPhones since iOS 26 was rolled out in September, and there are at least 15 notable changes and improvements worth checking out. We've rounded them up below. Apple is expected to roll out iOS 26.2 to compatible devices sometime between December 8 and December 16. When the update drops, you can check Apple's servers for the ...
Read Full Article • 26 comments
ios 18 to ios 26 upgrade

Apple Pushes iPhone Users Still on iOS 18 to Upgrade to iOS 26

Tuesday December 2, 2025 11:09 am PST by
Apple is encouraging iPhone users who are still running iOS 18 to upgrade to iOS 26 by making the iOS 26 software upgrade option more prominent. Since iOS 26 launched in September, it has been displayed as an optional upgrade at the bottom of the Software Update interface in the Settings app. iOS 18 has been the default operating system option, and users running iOS 18 have seen iOS 18...
Read Full Article • 274 comments
iOS 26

Apple Seeds iOS 26.2 and iPadOS 26.2 Release Candidates to Developers and Public Beta Testers

Wednesday December 3, 2025 10:33 am PST by
Apple today seeded the release candidate versions of upcoming iOS 26.2 and iPadOS 26.2 updates to developers and public beta testers, with the software coming two weeks after Apple seeded the third betas. The release candidates represent the final versions of iOS 26.2 and iPadOS 26.2 that will be provided to the public if no further bugs are found during this final week of testing....
Read Full Article • 39 comments
Photos App Icon Liquid Glass

John Gruber Shares Scathing Commentary About Apple's Departing Software Design Chief

Thursday December 4, 2025 9:30 am PST by
In a statement shared with Bloomberg on Wednesday, Apple confirmed that its software design chief Alan Dye will be leaving. Apple said Dye will be succeeded by Stephen Lemay, who has been a software designer at the company since 1999. Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg announced that Dye will lead a new creative studio within the company's AR/VR division Reality Labs. On his blog Daring Fireball,...
Read Full Article • 297 comments
iOS 26

When Will Apple Release iOS 26.2?

Monday December 1, 2025 4:37 pm PST by
We're getting closer to the launch of the final major iOS update of the year, with Apple set to release iOS 26.2 in December. We've had three betas so far and are expecting a fourth beta or a release candidate this week, so a launch could follow as soon as next week. Past Launch Dates Apple's past iOS x.2 updates from the last few years have all happened right around the middle of the...
Read Full Article • 27 comments
maxresdefault

iPhone Fold: Launch, Pricing, and What to Expect From Apple's Foldable

Monday December 1, 2025 3:00 am PST by
Apple is expected to launch a new foldable iPhone next year, based on multiple rumors and credible sources. The long-awaited device has been rumored for years now, but signs increasingly suggest that 2026 could indeed be the year that Apple releases its first foldable device. Subscribe to the MacRumors YouTube channel for more videos. Below, we've collated an updated set of key details that ...
Read Full Article • 52 comments
iphone air camera

iPhone Air's Resale Value Has Dropped Dramatically, Data Shows

Thursday December 4, 2025 5:27 am PST by
The iPhone Air has recorded the steepest early resale value drop of any iPhone model in years, with new data showing that several configurations have lost almost 50% of their value within ten weeks of launch. According to a ten-week analysis published by SellCell, Apple's latest lineup is showing a pronounced split in resale performance between the iPhone 17 models and the iPhone Air....
Read Full Article • 209 comments
ive and altman

Jony Ive's OpenAI Device Barred From Using 'io' Name

Friday December 5, 2025 6:22 am PST by
A U.S. appeals court has upheld a temporary restraining order that prevents OpenAI and Jony Ive's new hardware venture from using the name "io" for products similar to those planned by AI audio startup iyO, Bloomberg Law reports. iyO sued OpenAI earlier this year after the latter announced its partnership with Ive's new firm, arguing that OpenAI's planned "io" branding was too close to its...
Read Full Article • 43 comments
Intel Inside iPhone Feature

Apple's Return to Intel Rumored to Extend to iPhone

Friday December 5, 2025 10:08 am PST by
Intel is expected to begin supplying some Mac and iPad chips in a few years, and the latest rumor claims the partnership might extend to the iPhone. In a research note with investment firm GF Securities this week, obtained by MacRumors, analyst Jeff Pu said he and his colleagues "now expect" Intel to reach a supply deal with Apple for at least some non-pro iPhone chips starting in 2028....
Read Full Article • 87 comments
iPhone 17 Pro Cosmic Orange

iPhone 17 Pro Lost a Camera Feature Pro Models Have Had Since 2020

Thursday December 4, 2025 5:18 am PST by
iPhone 17 Pro models, it turns out, can't take photos in Night mode when Portrait mode is selected in the Camera app – a capability that's been available on Apple's Pro devices since the iPhone 12 Pro in 2020. If you're an iPhone 17 Pro or iPhone 17 Pro Max owner, try it for yourself: Open the Camera app with Photo selected in the carousel, then cover the rear lenses with your hand to...
Read Full Article • 50 comments

Top Rated Comments

Chuck Kostalnick Avatar
Chuck Kostalnick
100 months ago
Béta 11.4.1 was a disaster for me.
I'm sure it was a disaster! They haven't even gotten 11.4 out the door and you're running 11.4.1. ;)
Score: 9 Votes (Like | Disagree)
imacken Avatar
imacken
100 months ago
So, it seems like I didn't misunderstand iCloud messages as I said earlier in this thread in reply to another poster.
Think about it like this, Messages in the Cloud is like IMAP compared to POP email.
Score: 5 Votes (Like | Disagree)
jclo Avatar
jclo
100 months ago
OK - well I do. It has been doing those things ever since I got my iPhone X. None of that is new. Maybe it's because of Digits, but all my messages already sync across all my devices.

And I don't understand the date structure you listed. I can't have it until November 1st to the 3rd?
Right now, your iMessages are delivered to any current device where you are signed into iCloud, but they aren't stored in iCloud. So if you get a new iPhone or iPad, your old messages aren't synced there automatically. With Messages on iCloud, your messages are synced to iCloud and will download on all of your devices including new devices. Storing iMessages in iCloud allows for a better syncing system and it'll free up some on device space.
Score: 5 Votes (Like | Disagree)
ignatius345 Avatar
ignatius345
100 months ago
Yeah - those aren't really things I have value for. All I care is that notifications go away across the platform, and it already does that. Once I have seen a message I very rarely want to see it again. If I do I add it to my calendar or save the picture.
Well, that's you. I would be very happy to be able to offload to iCloud the several GB of iMessage attachments sitting on my phone, and still be able to get at my message history from any of my Apple devices.
Score: 4 Votes (Like | Disagree)
jclo Avatar
jclo
100 months ago
I'm not either. I uninstalled and re-installed the beta profile. o_O
Because I have the dev beta installed, I rely on tips to know when the iOS public beta is out. I received a screenshot of the public beta available on an iOS device and I see mentions on Twitter, but I've updated the post to remove the mention of the public beta until it's widely available since a lot of you can't see it. Let me know when it pops up and I'll update the post again.
Score: 4 Votes (Like | Disagree)
eoblaed Avatar
eoblaed
100 months ago
How is this different than what happens now? I get all my messages across all my devices, and if I read them on one device they are marked read and the notification goes away on my other devices. What is this new messages on iCloud adding? The ability to read them when I don't have any of my devices?

That sounds like a security nightmare for a fairly niche benefit.
Current behavior depends on at least one active device being able to update other devices when they ask for it. Things can get a bit out of whack if a device has been offline for a long time, or if you only have one device, or any number of other scenarios. The current model works ok-ish most of the time for most people, but there are quite a few cases where it can get confused, not update appropriately, etc.

Centralizing the history of your conversations in a spot that will always be accessible, even if you trash all your current devices not only provides a consistent, complete way for devices to get updates rather than the comparively messy way it does it today, it also saves your chats in perpetuity.
Score: 4 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Read All Comments