Apple Seeds Second Betas of iOS and iPadOS 13.6 to Developers [Update: Public Beta Available]

Apple today seeded the second betas of upcoming iOS and iPadOS 13.6 updates to developers, one week after seeding the first betas and a couple weeks after releasing iOS/iPadOS 13.5 with Exposure Notification API, Face ID updates, Group FaceTime changes, and more.

iOS 13
iOS and iPadOS 13.6 can be downloaded from the Apple Developer Center or over the air once the proper developer profile has been installed. Note that Apple has changed the version number of this beta to 13.6. When it was first released last week, it was iOS 13.5.5.

Though the feature is not live yet, iOS and iPadOS 13.6 include signs of a new Apple News+ Audio feature, which will see Apple offering some news stories in an audio capacity.

applenews1
Apple has been working with publishers to garner permission to create audio versions of some stories. Apple also plans to offer a recap of the day's top stories for subscribers to listen to.

Code in iPadOS 13.6 also suggests Apple is working on keyboard shortcuts that will allow users who have a Magic Keyboard or other attached keyboard to adjust the brightness level of the keys, but it's not clear if this will be a feature included in the update.

Related Forum: iOS 13

Popular Stories

Apple Shopping Event 2025

Apple Announces 2025 Black Friday Event, Here's What You Can Get

Thursday November 20, 2025 6:28 am PST by
Apple's annual four-day Black Friday through Cyber Monday shopping event is returning on Friday, November 28 through Monday, December 1 in many countries, including the United States, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, France, Germany, Italy, Spain, the United Kingdom, Belgium, the Netherlands, Sweden, Thailand, and others. During the shopping event, customers can get an Apple gift card with...
iOS 26

Everything New in iOS 26.2 Beta 3

Monday November 17, 2025 3:20 pm PST by
Apple provided developers with the third beta of an upcoming iOS 26.2 update, and there are still new features that are being added with each beta that we get. We've rounded up all of the changes that Apple made in beta 3. AirDrop Apple added new AirDrop functionality, providing a way for two people to share files temporarily without having to add one another as contacts. iOS 26.2...
applecare apple care banner

Apple Brings New AppleCare+ Options to India

Tuesday November 18, 2025 8:42 am PST by
Apple today announced an expansion of AppleCare+ coverage in India, with new options for monthly and annual plans, and the addition of Theft and Loss for iPhone for the first time. Options for monthly and annual AppleCare+ plans in India provide more choice and flexibility, allowing users to keep coverage for as long as they require. Apple's vice president of Worldwide iPhone Product...
iPhone 17 Pro Cosmic Orange

10 Reasons to Wait for Next Year's iPhone 18 Pro

Wednesday November 19, 2025 4:00 am PST by
Apple's iPhone development roadmap runs several years into the future and the company is continually working with suppliers on several successive iPhone models at the same time, which is why we often get rumored features months ahead of launch. The iPhone 18 series is no different, and we already have a good idea of what to expect for the iPhone 18 Pro and iPhone 18 Pro Max. One thing worth...
Apple Wallet ID Illinois

iPhone Driver's License Feature Launching in Illinois

Tuesday November 18, 2025 8:47 am PST by
In select U.S. states, residents can add their driver's license or state ID to the Wallet app on the iPhone and Apple Watch, providing a convenient and contactless way to display proof of identity or age at select airports and businesses, and in select apps. Starting this Wednesday, November 19, the feature will be available to residents of Illinois. The announcement confirmed that the...
ipad mini 7 feature red and blue

iPad Mini 8: Four Major New Features to Expect

Wednesday November 19, 2025 7:50 am PST by
Apple's eighth-generation iPad mini is highly likely to arrive next year, offering a significant refresh of the device with at least four major new features. OLED Display The next-generation version of the iPad mini could feature an OLED display, as part of Apple's plan to expand the display technology across many more of its devices. Apple's first OLED device was the Apple Watch in 2015, ...
iPhone 17 Pro and Air N1 Feature

iPhone 17 vs. iPhone 16 Wi-Fi Speeds: New Study Reveals the Winner

Tuesday November 18, 2025 10:53 am PST by
A new study has revealed that the iPhone 17, iPhone 17 Pro, iPhone 17 Pro Max, and iPhone Air achieve significantly faster average Wi-Fi speeds compared to the iPhone 16 series, thanks to Apple's custom-designed N1 chip. The study was conducted by Ookla, the company behind the popular Speedtest website and app. It said the results are based on global, crowdsourced Speedtest user data...
macbook black friday

The Best Early Black Friday Mac Deals

Tuesday November 18, 2025 7:32 am PST by
We're getting closer to Black Friday, which lands next week on Friday, November 28. In the lead-up to the shopping holiday, we're tracking a few lowest-ever prices on Apple's most popular Macs, including the M4 MacBook Air and brand new M5 MacBook Pro. Note: MacRumors is an affiliate partner with some of these vendors. When you click a link and make a purchase, we may receive a small payment,...
best early black friday deals

Best Black Friday Apple Deals Live Now - Save on AirPods, iPads, and Apple Watches

Saturday November 15, 2025 1:45 pm 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 ...
Magic Keyboard Touch ID Feature

Apple Releases New Firmware for 140W USB-C Power Adapter, Magic Keyboard and Magic Trackpad

Tuesday November 18, 2025 1:05 pm PST by
Apple today released updated firmware for several accessories, including the 140W USB-C Power Adapter, the Magic Trackpad 2, the Magic Trackpad USB-C, the Magic Keyboard with Touch ID, and the Magic Keyboard with Touch ID and Numeric Keypad. There is no word on what's included in the updated firmware at this time, but it could offer performance improvements and security updates. Accessory...

Top Rated Comments

Orizaba Avatar
71 months ago
I'm surprised they're adding new features this late in the iOS cycle...
Score: 10 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Mutepointer Avatar
71 months ago

Wait, wasn't 13.5.5 in beta 1 still? How is this in beta 2 already?
13.6 ate 13.5.5.
Score: 8 Votes (Like | Disagree)
chucker23n1 Avatar
71 months ago

I'm surprised they're adding new features this late in the iOS cycle...
I like it. Use WWDC to lay out the annual roadmap (fall through summer), but don't ship everything in one go.

I suppose there will be overlap this time, though: iOS 14 beta 1 will likely drop later this month, while iOS 13.6 final might ship the same day or even after.


Look, I don’t blame Apple for this, but here is an interesting comparison:
iOS 5
5.0: October 12, 2011
5.0.1: November 10, 2011
5.1: March 7: 2012
5.1.1: May 7, 2012.
Now for 13:
13.0: September 19, 2019
13.1: September 24, 2019
13.1.1:September 27, 2019
13.1.2:September 30, 2019
13.1.3:October 15, 2019
13.2:October 28, 2019
13.2.1: October 30 , 2019
13.2.2: November 7, 2019
13.2.3: November 18, 2019
13.3:December 10, 2019
13.3.1: January 28, 2020
13.4:March 24, 2020
13.4.1: April 7, 2020
13.5: May 20, 2020
13.5.1: June 1: 2020
And now 13.6
I really don't think the amount of releases is an indicator of quality. Windows used to be more Service Pack-focused, where bugfixes were only released about once a year (if that). It didn't mean that Windows was more stable, just that it was on a different schedule.
Score: 8 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Lounge vibes 05 Avatar
71 months ago
Look, I don’t blame Apple for this, but here is an interesting comparison:
iOS 5
5.0: October 12, 2011
5.0.1: November 10, 2011
5.1: March 7: 2012
5.1.1: May 7, 2012.
Now for 13:
13.0: September 19, 2019
13.1: September 24, 2019
13.1.1:September 27, 2019
13.1.2:September 30, 2019
13.1.3:October 15, 2019
13.2:October 28, 2019
13.2.1: October 30 , 2019
13.2.2: November 7, 2019
13.2.3: November 18, 2019
13.3:December 10, 2019
13.3.1: January 28, 2020
13.4:March 24, 2020
13.4.1: April 7, 2020
13.5: May 20, 2020
13.5.1: June 1: 2020
And now 13.6
Score: 7 Votes (Like | Disagree)
jclardy Avatar
71 months ago
While I think it is a bit crazy how many updates iOS 13 has gotten, but at the same time I prefer this versus keeping bugs/features held back till the next year’s OS release. Things like cursor support in 13.4 was a nice mid-cycle surprise.
Score: 7 Votes (Like | Disagree)
chucker23n1 Avatar
71 months ago

Just More and more ways to kill blocks of your Solid state memory by constantly slamming in big lumps of files over and over again. Brilliant!
I'm not aware of a single case where a critical amount of blocks died on an iPhone. Given how much better flash storage has become, and how relatively short the lifespan is (five years is probably stretching it), I don't think that's a big concern.
Score: 6 Votes (Like | Disagree)