Apple Seeds Third Betas of iOS 17.4 and iPadOS 17.4 to Developers

Apple today seeded the third betas of upcoming iOS 17.4 and iPadOS 17.4 to developers for testing purposes, with the updates coming one week after Apple seeded the second betas.

iOS 17
Registered developers are able to opt into the betas by opening up the Settings app, going to the Software Update section, tapping on the "Beta Updates" option, and toggling on the iOS 17 or iPadOS 17 Developer Beta. An Apple ID associated with a developer account is required to download and install the beta.

iOS 17.4 introduces sweeping changes to the way the App Store and apps operate in the European Union, paving the way for alternative app marketplaces, alternative payment systems, third-party browser engine support, and NFC access for banks and third-party payment providers. These features are limited to the EU, and won't be available in other countries.

There are, however, changes to gaming apps, and with the launch of iOS 17.4, Apple will be allowing cloud gaming apps like Xbox Cloud Gaming and Nvidia GeForce NOW. Mini games, chatbots, and plug-ins are also now able to use the in-app purchase system.

Along with these updates, iOS 17.4 adds new emoji characters, transcripts for podcasts in the Podcasts app, support for using SharePlay with the HomePod, Stopwatch Live Activities, and more. Full details on everything new in iOS 17.4 can be found in our iOS 17.4 features article.

Related Forums: iOS 17, iPadOS 17

Popular Stories

iOS 26

iOS 26.2 Coming Soon With These 8 New Features on Your iPhone

Thursday December 11, 2025 8:49 am PST by
Apple seeded the second iOS 26.2 Release Candidate to developers earlier this week, meaning the update will be released to the general public very soon. Apple confirmed iOS 26.2 would be released in December, but it did not provide a specific date. We expect the update to be released by early next week. iOS 26.2 includes a handful of new features and changes on the iPhone, such as a new...
iOS 26

iOS 26.4 and iOS 27 Features Revealed in New Leak

Friday December 12, 2025 10:56 am PST by
Macworld's Filipe Espósito today revealed a handful of features that Apple is allegedly planning for iOS 26.4, iOS 27, and even iOS 28. The report said the features are referenced within the code for a leaked internal build of iOS 26 that is not meant to be seen by the public. However, it appears that Espósito and/or his sources managed to gain access to it, providing us with a sneak peek...
iOS 26

Apple Releases iOS 26.2 With Alarms for Reminders, Lock Screen Changes, Enhanced Safety Alerts and More

Friday December 12, 2025 10:10 am PST by
Apple today released iOS 26.2, the second major update to the iOS 26 operating system that came out in September, iOS 26.2 comes a little over a month after iOS 26.1 launched. ‌iOS 26‌.2 is compatible with the ‌iPhone‌ 11 series and later, as well as the second-generation ‌iPhone‌ SE. The new software can be downloaded on eligible iPhones over-the-air by going to Settings >...
AirPods Pro Firmware Feature

Apple Releases New Firmware for AirPods Pro 2 and AirPods Pro 3

Thursday December 11, 2025 11:28 am PST by
Apple today released new firmware designed for the AirPods Pro 3 and the prior-generation AirPods Pro 2. The AirPods Pro 3 firmware is 8B30, up from 8B25, while the AirPods Pro 2 firmware is 8B28, up from 8B21. There's no word on what's include in the updated firmware, but the AirPods Pro 2 and AirPods Pro 3 are getting expanded support for Live Translation in the European Union in iOS...
macOS Tahoe 26 Thumb

Apple Releases macOS Tahoe 26.2 With Edge Light

Friday December 12, 2025 10:08 am PST by
Apple today released macOS Tahoe 26.2, the second major update to the macOS Tahoe operating system that came out in September. macOS Tahoe 26.2 comes five weeks after Apple released macOS Tahoe 26.1. Mac users can download the macOS Tahoe update by using the Software Update section of System Settings. macOS Tahoe 26.2 includes Edge Light, a feature that illuminates your face with soft...
AirTag 2 Mock Feature

Apple AirTag 2: Four New Features Found in iOS 26 Code

Thursday December 11, 2025 10:31 am PST by
The AirTag 2 will include a handful of new features that will improve tracking capabilities, according to a new report from Macworld. The site says that it was able to access an internal build of iOS 26, which includes references to multiple unreleased products. Here's what's supposedly coming: An improved pairing process, though no details were provided. AirTag pairing is already...
ipados 26 1 slide over

Apple Releases iPadOS 26.2 With Multitasking Improvements

Friday December 12, 2025 10:09 am PST by
Apple today released iPadOS 26.2, the second major update to the iPadOS 26 operating system released in September. iPadOS 26.2 comes a month after iPadOS 26.1. The new software can be downloaded on eligible iPads over-the-air by going to Settings > General > Software Update. iPadOS 26.2 continues with the multitasking improvements that were added with iPadOS 26.1. You can now drag and...
iphone fold text

'iPhone Fold' Arrival Expected to Cement Book-Style Era for Foldables

Friday December 12, 2025 3:55 am PST by
Foldable smartphone panel shipments are projected to jump 46% year-over-year in 2026, with Apple's entry into the market serving as the main catalyst, according to Counterpoint Research's latest Foldable-Rollable Display Shipment Tracker. "Apple is the key driver as it starts to procure panels for its first foldable iPhone," said Counterpoint's Guillaume Chansin. The research firm expects...

Top Rated Comments

Realityck Avatar
24 months ago
To devs today

* iOS 17.4 beta 3 (21E5200d) - February 13, 2024
* iPadOS 17.4 beta 3 (21E5200d) - February 13, 2024
* macOS 14.4 beta 3 (23E5196e) - February 13, 2024
* tvOS 17.4 beta 3 (21L5212d) - February 13, 2024
* visionOS 1.1 beta 2 (21O5188c) - February 13, 2024
* watchOS 10.4 beta 3 (21T5202e) - February 13, 2024
Score: 5 Votes (Like | Disagree)
TestedLion Avatar
24 months ago

it's baffling to think apple dare release software in such a state. they're probably not using their own products to have bugs like that go unnoticed.
You mean, how dare they release beta software? Use at your own risk and only if you know what you are doing software? Ok. By the way, did you allow time for indexing to finish?
Score: 4 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Intelmaster Avatar
24 months ago
Installed it very smoothly

Battery life has been superb!!!
Score: 3 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Realityck Avatar
24 months ago
OTA showed up finally just now (iOS/UPadOS 17.4 beta 3)
Score: 2 Votes (Like | Disagree)
craigcoffee Avatar
24 months ago

no of course not. that's not what i meant.
what i meant was that it release software (and hardware product too) in unfinished state, that didn't undergo proper quality testing. the user/buyer are now considered as beta testers even though they buy product and software labeled as stable.
think about those:

- magic mouse: barely usable, it register lots of false events as soon as you put your hand on it. plus the need to put it belly up to charge. this obviously wasn't properly designed, and full quality testing would have indicated there was issues to be solved before putting it on sale.
- butterfly keyboard (same, not enough quality testing, bad design)
- touchbar (mine broke under 1 year, bad quality components used most probably, unsufficient quality testing, not to mention most people disliked it and apple had to scrap the darn thing.)
- more and more bugs on macos, they release new features that still contain problems and then they are very slow at acknowledging / fixing them (read: it takes years, all the while new customers buy the hardware with an ever growing list of bugs, old and new ones)
- apple pencil/ipad (the bug is on the ipad, the software that handle the pencil input)
- airpod max (condensation build up and can break the headset, plus no power button, missing codecs, average-ok sound quality for a very expensive product, etc.. not enough quality testing/ bad design, yet released on unsuspecting customers).

just to name a few..
This post and thread is about iOS 17.4 beta3. You should find a more appropriate place to complain about your butterfly keyboard friend.
Score: 1 Votes (Like | Disagree)
srbNYC Avatar
24 months ago
Dictaton of Messages is suddenly not working for me.
Score: 1 Votes (Like | Disagree)