Apple Seeds Fourth Betas of iOS 16.2 and iPadOS 16.2 [Update: Public Beta Available]

Apple today seeded the fourth betas of upcoming iOS 16.2 and iPadOS 16.2 updates to developers for testing purposes, with the betas coming two weeks after Apple seeded the third betas of iOS 16.2 and iPadOS 16.2.

iOS 16
Registered developers are able to download the iOS 16‌.2 and iPadOS 16.2 profiles from the Apple Developer Center, and once installed, the beta is available over the air.

iOS 16.2 and iPadOS 16.2 include the Freeform app, which can be used for jotting down notes, sketching, drawing, brainstorming ideas, creating mood boards, and more. Multiple people can work on the same Freeform board, with changes synced for all participants in real time.


For the iPad, iPadOS 16.2 brings external display support to the Stage Manager multitasking feature, allowing up to eight apps to be used at once. External display support is available for the M1 and M2 ‌iPad‌ models.

Apple has added a new Home app architecture coming in iOS and iPadOS 16.2, which Apple says is designed to bring faster, more reliable performance, especially in homes with a lot of smart home accessories. The new architecture requires the HomePod 16.2 beta software, and it causes the Home app not to work with devices updated to iOS 16.2, iPadOS 16.2, or macOS Ventura 13.1.

Unintentional Emergency SOS calls can be reported to Apple in iOS 16.2, there's a new Sleep widget, live sports scores are back for the TV app, there are changes to always on display on the iPhone 14 Pro, and more, with full details available in our iOS 16.2 feature guide. iOS 16.2 is expected to see a release in mid-December.

Related Forum: iOS 16

Popular Stories

apple music chatgpt

ChatGPT's Apple Music Integration Is Now Live

Wednesday December 17, 2025 3:50 pm PST by
There's now a dedicated Apple Music app for ChatGPT, which allows ChatGPT to make music recommendations and build playlists. Apple Music can be added to ChatGPT through the Settings section in the Mac app, website, or iOS app. Apple Music is listed under the apps option, and connecting to it requires signing in with your Apple Account for authorization purposes. ChatGPT can be used to...
iPhone Top Left Hole Punch Face ID Feature Purple

iPhone 18 Pro Features Leaked in New Report, Including Under-Screen Face ID

Tuesday December 16, 2025 8:44 am PST by
Next year's iPhone 18 Pro and iPhone 18 Pro Max will be equipped with under-screen Face ID, and the front camera will be moved to the top-left corner of the screen, according to a new report from The Information's Wayne Ma and Qianer Liu. As a result of these changes, the report said the iPhone 18 Pro models will not have a pill-shaped Dynamic Island cutout at the top of the screen....
top stories 2025 12 20

Top Stories: iOS 26.3 Beta, Major Apple Leaks, and More

Saturday December 20, 2025 6:00 am PST by
You'd think things would be slowing down heading into the holidays, but this week saw a whirlwind of Apple leaks and rumors while Apple started its next cycle of betas following last week's release of iOS 26.2 and related updates. This week also saw the release of a new Apple Music integration with ChatGPT, so read on below for all the details on this week's biggest stories! Top Stories i...
airpods pro 3 new blue

AirPods Pro 3's Static and Noise Issues Haven't Been Resolved

Thursday December 18, 2025 3:44 pm PST by
Since the AirPods Pro 3 launched, there have been complaints from users who have noticed a static-like sound or a crackling issue when using the earbuds, particularly when Active Noise Cancellation is on but no media is playing. Users have also run into strange high-pitched whistling sounds that happen intermittently. We shared the issues back in late October, and despite two subsequent...
apple beta 26 lineup

Apple's 2026 and 2027 Product Roadmap: Foldable iPhone, iPhone 18 Pro, M5 Macs, and More

Tuesday December 16, 2025 4:42 pm PST by
There has been a whirlwind of rumors over the last few days, sourced from leaked internal software designed for the iPhone and the Mac, and news sites like The Information. Below, we have a quick recap of everything we've heard this week, which serves as a guide to Apple's product plans in 2026 and beyond. We've organized the info by likely release date, though there are some products that...
iOS 26 Maps Glass

Apple Quietly Discontinued Flyover City Tours in Apple Maps

Thursday December 18, 2025 1:31 pm PST by
Apple Maps no longer offers a Flyover feature that provides users with automated tours of notable landmarks in major cities. The Flyover option appears to have been nixed around when iOS 26 launched, but its removal went largely unnoticed. Flyover city tours were introduced in 2014 with iOS 8 and OS X Yosemite, using Flyover imagery to generate an aerial tour. Most cities with Flyover...
iOS 26

Apple Releases First iOS 26.3 and iPadOS 26.3 Public Betas

Wednesday December 17, 2025 10:06 am PST by
Apple today provided beta testers with the first releases of upcoming iOS 26.3, iPadOS 26.3, tvOS 26.3, and watchOS 26.3 updates for testing purposes. The public betas come a couple of days after Apple provided the betas to developers. Anyone can download and install public betas, and all that's required is to sign up on Apple's beta site. Once you've opted in, the software can be...

Top Rated Comments

madmin Avatar
40 months ago
Give me all your loving, all your bugs & kisses too
Installin' every beta, don't let up until we're through
Score: 14 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Realityck Avatar
40 months ago
As predicted here is round four of the latest betas. Last year was Dec 1st also. Downloading iPadOS beta 4 currently.

released today

* iOS 16.2 beta 4 (20C5058d) - December 1, 2022
* iPadOS 16.2 beta 4 (20C5058d) - December 1, 2022
* macOS 13.1 beta 4 (22C5059b) - December 1, 2022
* watchOS 9.2 beta 4 (20S5357b) - December 1, 2022
* tvOS 16.2 beta 4 (20K5357b) - December 1, 2022
Score: 7 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Realityck Avatar
40 months ago
[SPOILER="iOS & iPadOS 16.2 Beta 4 Release Notes"]
[HEADING=2]Stage Manager[/HEADING]
[HEADING=3]Resolved in iOS & iPadOS 16.2 beta 4[/HEADING]

* While using Stage Manager with an External Display, dragging a second window to the workspace incorrectly hides the Recent Apps list—shifting all windows in the workspace to the right. (98540114)

[/SPOILER]
Not much in dev notes
Score: 5 Votes (Like | Disagree)
TheYayAreaLiving ?️ Avatar
40 months ago
Finally, it's here. Very nice! One step closer before this year ends. Let's goo!
Score: 3 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Realityck Avatar
40 months ago

Hopefully the final release comes soon.
Monday Dec 12th, like the last 2 years (13th/14th)
Score: 3 Votes (Like | Disagree)
MrRom92 Avatar
40 months ago
I’m waiting for 16.2.1
Score: 2 Votes (Like | Disagree)