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.

Top Rated Comments

Chuck Kostalnick Avatar
Chuck Kostalnick
43 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
43 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
43 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
43 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
43 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
43 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

Top Stories

REC ASA CODE2016 20160601 205816 2745

Elon Musk Reportedly Demanded to Become Apple CEO as Part of Potential Tesla Acquisition [Update: Musk Denies]

Friday July 30, 2021 9:04 am PDT by
Tesla CEO Elon Musk reportedly once demanded that he be made Apple CEO in a brief discussion of a potential acquisition with Apple's current CEO, Tim Cook. The claim comes in a new book titled "Power Play: Tesla, Elon Musk and the Bet of the Century," as reviewed by The Los Angeles Times. According to the book, during a 2016 phone call between Musk and Cook that touched on the possibility of ...
Read Full Article • 262 comments
General Apps Messages

Android iMessage Competitor Puts Pressure on Apple

Friday July 30, 2021 3:15 am PDT by
Google and the three major U.S. carriers, including Verizon, AT&T, and T-Mobile, will all support a new communications protocol on Android smartphones starting in 2022, a move that puts pressure on Apple to adopt a new cross-platform messaging standard and may present a challenge to iMessage. Verizon recently announced that it is planning to adopt Messages by Google as its default messaging...
Read Full Article
a15 chip

iPhone 13 and Redesigned MacBook Pro Chip Production Hit With Gas Contamination

Friday July 30, 2021 5:44 am PDT by
The most important TSMC factory that manufactures Apple's chips destined for next-generation iPhone and Mac models has been hit by a gas contamination, according to Nikkei Asia. The factory, known as "Fab 18," is TSMC's most advanced chipmaking facility. TSMC is Apple's sole chip supplier, making all of the processors used in every Apple device with a custom silicon chip. Industry...
Read Full Article • 116 comments
Apple watch series 5 new case material made of titanium 091019

Titanium Apple Watch Series 6 Models Currently Widely Unavailable

Sunday August 1, 2021 6:21 am PDT by
Models of the Apple Watch Series 6 with titanium cases part of the "Apple Watch Edition" collection is currently widely unavailable for pick-up in several of Apple's retail stores in the United States and is unavailable entirely for delivery in major markets. Noted by Bloomberg's Mark Gurman in the latest edition of his "Power On" newsletter, titanium models of the Apple Watch Series 6,...
Read Full Article • 154 comments
iPhone 13 Always On Feature

iPhone 13 to Bring Over a Major Feature From the Apple Watch

Wednesday July 28, 2021 2:21 am PDT by
Apple's upcoming iPhone 13 lineup will feature an always-on display akin to the Apple Watch Series 5 and Series 6, according to recent reports. In his weekly Power On newsletter, Bloomberg journalist Mark Gurman, who often reveals accurate insights into Apple's plans, said that the iPhone 13 may feature an Apple Watch-inspired always-on mode. The Apple Watch Series 5 and Apple Watch...
Read Full Article
apple rtp land

Apple Preparing to Occupy 200,000 Square Feet of Temporary Space Ahead of New $1 Billion North Carolina Campus

Thursday July 29, 2021 9:14 am PDT by
Back in April, Apple announced a $430 billion investment over the next five years to create more than 20,000 new jobs as the company continues to expand. One significant piece of that plan is a new engineering and research center in North Carolina where Apple will be investing over $1 billion and hiring at least 3,000 employees. Assemblage of seven properties in Research Triangle Park owned by ...
Read Full Article • 84 comments
telegram

Bumper Telegram Update Enables Video Calls With Up to 1,000 Viewers

Saturday July 31, 2021 12:13 am PDT by
Telegram Messenger has received a major update to its video capabilities, including support for video calls with up to 1,000 viewers. Group video calls in Telegram allow up to 30 users to stream video from both their camera and their screen, and now a maximum of 1,000 people can tune into the broadcast. Telegram says it intends to continue increasing this limit "until all humans on Earth...
Read Full Article • 57 comments
app store blue banner

Elon Musk: Apple's App Store Fees Are a 'De Facto Global Tax on the Internet'

Friday July 30, 2021 10:04 am PDT by
Tesla CEO Elon Musk took to Twitter today to criticize Apple's App Store fees in a tweet that sides with Epic in the ongoing Epic v. Apple dispute. "Epic is right," wrote Musk, before going on to call Apple's App Store fees a "de facto global tax on the Internet." Musk earlier this week made veiled comments about App Store fees, but today's statement is a much more direct criticism....
Read Full Article • 364 comments
FaceID iMac REREREREMIX

Top Stories: Face ID on Future Macs, Elon Musk Criticizes Apple, and More

Saturday July 31, 2021 6:00 am PDT by
This week saw an interesting range of Apple news and rumors, including a blockbuster earnings report, rumors about next year's "iPhone 14" and Face ID coming to Macs, and more. Subscribe to the MacRumors YouTube channel for more videos. Other popular topics included Apple's crackdown on leaks, changes in the latest round of betas for iOS 15, iPadOS 15, and macOS Monterey, and several stories...
Read Full Article • 51 comments
duracell battery bitter coating

Apple Says Don't Buy AirTag Replacement Batteries With Bitter Coating

Wednesday July 28, 2021 11:08 am PDT by
Since AirTags were just released earlier this year and are expected to have a year-long battery life, it may be some time yet before AirTag users need a replacement battery, but when the time comes for a refresh, Apple is warning customers not to buy batteries with a bitter coating. AirTags use coin-shaped CR2032 batteries, which happen to be a size that's easy to swallow. Some battery...
Read Full Article • 170 comments