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

Top Rated Comments

Orizaba Avatar
43 months ago
I'm surprised they're adding new features this late in the iOS cycle...
Score: 10 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Mutepointer Avatar
43 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
43 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
43 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
43 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
43 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)

Popular Stories

iOS 17

Apple Releases iOS 17.0.1 and iPadOS 17.0.1 With Bug Fixes, Plus iOS 17.0.2 for iPhone 15 Models

Thursday September 21, 2023 10:28 am PDT by
Apple today released iOS 17.0.1 and iPadOS 17.0.1 updates for the iPhone and the iPad, adding bug fixes to the new software. The iOS 17.0.1 and iPadOS 17.0.1 updates come just a few days after Apple launched iOS 17 and iPadOS 17. The software, which is build 21A340, can be downloaded on eligible iPhones and iPads over-the-air by going to Settings > General > Software Update. There is a...
iPhone 15 Pro Lineup Feature

iPhone 15 Models Feature New Setting to Strictly Prevent Charging Beyond 80%

Tuesday September 19, 2023 2:04 pm PDT by
All of the iPhone 15 and iPhone 15 Pro models feature a new battery health setting that prevents the devices from charging beyond 80% at all times when enabled, as confirmed by The Verge's Allison Johnson during a Q&A session today. The new setting is separate from the pre-existing Optimized Battery Charging feature on iPhones, which intelligently delays charging past 80% until a more...
emojipedia 15 1 emoji

Emoji Coming to Future iOS 17 Update Include Shaking Head, Brown Mushroom, Lime, Phoenix and More

Tuesday September 19, 2023 12:43 pm PDT by
As Apple was announcing new iPhone models last week, the Unicode Consortium was officially approving new emoji characters that are set to be added to smartphones starting in 2024. Mockup of new emoji from Emojipedia Approved Unicode 15.1 emoji include phoenix, lime, an edible mushroom, shaking head vertically (as in a "yes" nod), shaking head horizontally (a "no" head shake), and broken...
iPhone 15 Pro Max 5x Optical Zoom Limit Feature 1

Apple Explains Why iPhone 15 Pro Max is Limited to 5x Optical Zoom

Wednesday September 20, 2023 9:52 am PDT by
In an interview with Numerama's Nicolas Lellouche, Apple's VP of camera software engineering Jon McCormack explained why the iPhone 15 Pro Max's tetraprism lens system is limited to 5x optical zoom, instead of 10x like on Samsung's Galaxy S23 Ultra. The interview is in French, so quotes below are computer translated. Apple says the Telephoto lens on the iPhone 15 Pro Max features the...