Apple today seeded the fifth beta of an upcoming iOS 11.4 update to developers, one week after seeding the fourth beta and more than a month 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.
The iOS 11.4 update introduces a new ClassKit framework for educational institutions, which supports new features announced at Apple's March 27 education-focused event.
For regular 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 rather than on each individual device, allowing for improved syncing capabilities. Currently, incoming iMessages are sent to all devices where you're signed in to your Apple ID, but there is no true cross-device syncing.
Messages on iCloud will allow you to download all of your iMessages on new devices, and a message deleted on one device will remove it on all devices. Older messages and attachments are also stored in iCloud rather than on-device, saving valuable storage space.
The iOS 11.4 update also includes 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 devices that support AirPlay 2. AirPlay 2 includes a feature that lets you ask Siri on one device to play content on another AirPlay 2-enabled device. So, for example, you can ask Siri on iPhone to play content on your Apple TV in another room if you're running the iOS 11.4 and tvOS 11.4 betas.
There were initially signs of support for HomePod stereo sound in the first iOS 11.4 beta, a long-promised feature, but stereo sound didn't work properly and the mention was removed in the second beta. It's not clear if it will return for the update's release.
For the iPhone 8 and iPhone 8 Plus, there is a new (PRODUCT)RED wallpaper available, which is not available on iPhone X.
iOS 11.3, the previous update to iOS 11, introduced 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: Apple has also released a new version of iOS 11.4 for public beta testers.
Top Rated Comments
[doublepost=1526347104][/doublepost]I feel for you. 16 GB was enough back in the 3G days but not by 2014 and definitely not in 2018! My only current 16 GB device is my iPad Air. Even my ATV has more storage! I'm limited to only having some essential apps, photo stream and iTunes match to make room for the cool Swift Playgrounds which takes up the largest percentage of storage. I bought it for $300 sealed right before the iPad Air 2 was released. I couldn't pass up on that price even knowing that the lack of more storage would limit my enjoyment.
I must say that while using them today would be really rough and a struggle, they were more exciting to me back then than the latest tech we have today. It's like going back to standard def video after being used to 720p, 1080p and now even 4K. I guess because it was all so new to me. Using AOL was really like magic! I was also mesmerized by stuff like MS Encarta and playing back MPEG 1 video on a computer screen. There was really no on demand content back then except for movies on VHS, cassettes and CDs and of course my own recorded tapes. But to see video and play music on a computer for the first time was really special.
The more we have the more we take things for granted and the less we truly appreciate all of it. Today for a couple of hundred bucks one can build a PC, use a Linux distro (more easy to setup than ever) with tons of great open source software like Audacity, VLC, Gimp, Inkscape, DOSBox, MAME, the browser of your choice, an IDE like Eclipse and have an awesome first PC great for learning and playing. Or just an iPad for $329 that can do all sorts of things.
Now we have iOS 11.4, an operating system with features people from 1980 could only dream, but in turn, the iOS is less exciting and more boring as time goes on. I use iPhone every single day, but I do not think using iOS is that exciting anymore. It’s the small things like 3D Touch cursor ties me to this system.
Someone can probably open a new thread entirely for nostalgia purpose, and relive old memories from 1980s and 1990s. I will stop here for now.
[doublepost=1526318912][/doublepost]Does not sync with Apple watch when deleting messages, only incoming...unless it does with this latest release