Apple Seeds First Beta of iOS 13.7 to Developers With New Exposure Notification Opt-In [Update: Public Beta Available]

[MacRumors]

Apple today seeded the first beta of an upcoming iOS 13.7 update to developers to introduce new COVID-19 Exposure Notification options. The iOS 13.7 beta comes more than a month after the release of iOS 13.6, which introduced Car Keys and Apple News+ audio features.

The iOS 13.7 beta can be downloaded from the Apple Developer Center or over the air once the proper developer profile has been installed

According to Apple's release notes, the iOS 13.7 beta allows users to opt-in to the Exposure Notification system without the need to download an app that supports the functionality, which is how the feature works on in iOS 14. In iOS 14, there's a toggle to "Turn on Exposure Notifications" which then lets you know if the feature is available in your country, state, or region through a contact tracing app.

Using Exposure Notifications continues to require an app, and Apple says that System availability still depends on support from the local public health authority, but iOS 13.7 makes it easier to figure out whether an app is available to you. It also adds a dedicated Exposure Notification section to the Settings app, rather than burying the feature in the Privacy section of Settings.

There's also a new iPadOS 13.7 beta that has been released alongside iOS 13.7, and as iPadOS does not support Exposure Notification, that update focuses on bug fixes and performance improvements.

Article Link: Apple Seeds First Beta of iOS 13.7 to Developers With New Exposure Notification Opt-In [Update: Public Beta Available]

 

[ghostface147]

Well that was unexpected, at least to me.

 

[now i see it]

there's a toggle (for now)

 

[Radeon85]

Didn't expect to see another iOS 13 update this close to 14.

 

[mnsportsgeek]

9to5Mac is saying this is a general public release.

It’s not available to to me yet so I’d say MacRumors is the early leader right now.

 

[jonnyb098]

Is there even any mass use of this? Not to mention who would actually use it? By the time all this becomes even remotely useful the pandemic will most likely be behind us.

 

[jdclifford]

I'm not sure I understand the need for this beta since iOS 14 is on the way. any device using 13.6 will be able to upgrade to 14 and use this feature there if they want to.

 

[MrGimper]

Ok, that’s what I call “a left at the traffic lights”...

 

[dannyyankou]

Isn’t iOS 14 coming out in just a month anyway? And all devices that can run iOS 13 can upgrade to iOS 14.

 

[TheYayAreaLiving 🎗️]

Wow! its crazy we’re still getting updates.

 

[Mlrollin91]

9to5Mac is saying this is a general public release.

It’s not available to to me yet so I’d say MacRumors is the early leader right now.

It appears to be a GM release. In the dev portal it's called "13.7 Beta" and it has a public release build number.

 

[Jdizzle188]

Hang on..... I smell an iOS 14 delay

 

[bodonnell202]

This is surprising. I kind of thought 13.6.1 (with perhaps another minor update to 13.6.2) would be the end of the line for iOS 13, especially with iOS 14 coming to all devices that support iOS 13. Maybe a sign that iOS 14 won’t be released until late September or October?

 

[ruka.snow]

Is there even any mass use of this? Not to mention who would actually use it? By the time all this becomes even remotely useful the pandemic will most likely be behind us.

There is expected to be at least another year of the pandemic in Europe and most likely longer in the rest of the world.

 

[Vashetti]

Is there even any mass use of this? Not to mention who would actually use it? By the time all this becomes even remotely useful the pandemic will most likely be behind us.

This is the new normal.

 

[jdclifford]

Is there even any mass use of this? Not to mention who would actually use it? By the time all this becomes even remotely useful the pandemic will most likely be behind us.

IMO the Covid-19 pandemic will be around until there is a safe and reliable vaccine readily available. Some states are starting to incorporate this into an app. https://whyy.org/articles/pa-corona...-track-covid-19-exposure-coming-in-september/

 

[JPack]

Is there even any mass use of this? Not to mention who would actually use it? By the time all this becomes even remotely useful the pandemic will most likely be behind us.

The U.S. has at least a couple more years before this thing is resolved.

Other countries beat this thing and have hosted pool parties for the past couple weeks.

 

[zorinlynx]

Why does something this minor need a full version bump to 13.7? Can't this just be a 13.6.2?

 

[hagjohn]

14.6 PB is out.

 

[Howard Ellacott]

Why does something this minor need a full version bump to 13.7? Can't this just be a 13.6.2?

I expect it’s because there’s an API change

 

[hagar]

Is there even any mass use of this? Not to mention who would actually use it? By the time all this becomes even remotely useful the pandemic will most likely be behind us.

The way the US is dealing with the pandemic, they’re in it for the long run. Besides, there are already apps today making use of the API in version 13.6.

35 countries outside the US have, or will soon release, an app. And it’s not like this technology will become obsolete if COVID-19 magically disappeared. New viruses can make the jump to humans all the time.

 

[Homme]

Ah iOS 13

first ever to receive a .5, .6 and now .7 update😁

 

[JonaM]

Does it include any of the improvements to the API algorithm that various countries have been asking for to allow for more accurate measurement of how close devices were?

 

[bodonnell202]

Is there even any mass use of this? Not to mention who would actually use it? By the time all this becomes even remotely useful the pandemic will most likely be behind us.

A vaccine is really the only thing that is going to put this pandemic behind us, and the earliest one that actually completed all the proper safety testing would be available is around Spring 2021, but then you have to factor the time to manufacture and distribute it. We still have months of living with COVID-19 suppression ahead of us...

 

[TheYayAreaLiving 🎗️]

It appears to be a GM release. In the dev portal it's called "13.7 Beta" and it has a public release build number.

Should be released next week to public?