Become a MacRumors Supporter for $50/year with no ads, ability to filter front page stories, and private forums.

MacRumors

macrumors bot
Original poster
Apr 12, 2001
63,194
30,135



ios_9_icon.jpg
Apple today released the second beta of iOS 9 to developers for testing purposes, just over two weeks after unveiling the new operating system at its 2015 Worldwide Developers Conference. Changes that are new to iOS 9 beta 2 are covered in our iOS 9 beta 2 tidbits post.

The update, build 13A4280e, is available as an over-the-air update and it is also available for download through the Apple Developer Center. Apple has also released Xcode 7 beta 2.

According to the iOS 9 beta 2 release notes, today's update includes fixes for many bugs and problems that were present in the first beta. AirPlay connectivity is improved, changing a password in the Family section of iCloud Settings now works, restoring from a backup created in iOS 9 is faster, Mail no longer crashes when trying to print a message, and third-party keyboards work in search results.

There are many lingering problems with the beta. FaceTime calls do not work on the iPhone 6, iPhone 6 Plus, and the iPad Air 2, Lightning video dongles don't work, Activation Lock may say it's activated for Apple Watch when it is not, creating an Apple ID via Game Center may cause crashing, signing into an iTunes account when restoring from backup with 2fa can get stuck sending a verification code, the Music app doesn't show the Music tab, and more.

iOS 9's biggest focus is on intelligence and proactivity, allowing iOS devices to learn user habits and act on that information, providing recommendations on places we might like, apps we might like to use, and more. Siri is smarter in iOS 9, with the ability to create contextual reminders, and search is improved with new sources.

Many of the built in apps have been improved, including Notes, Maps, and Mail. Apple Pay has been renamed to Wallet, and iOS 9 introduces split-screen multitasking for the iPad along with a revamped keyboard. In addition to these consumer-facing features, iOS 9 brings significant under-the-hood performance improvements.

With battery optimizations, iOS devices have an additional hour of battery life, and a new Low Power Mode extends the battery even further. iOS updates take up less space in iOS 9, and many app install sizes are smaller due to a feature called app thinning. iOS 9 is capable of running on all devices that support iOS 8.

iOS 9 is currently only available to developers, but Apple plans to introduce a public iOS 9 beta in July before the final release of the software in the fall.

Article Link: Apple Seeds Second iOS 9 Beta to Developers
 

Glassed Silver

macrumors 68020
Mar 10, 2007
2,096
2,567
Kassel, Germany
Does app-thinning work retro-actively?
So, when upgrading to iOS 9 from iOS 8, will I end up with new free capacity or do I need to reinstall apps or update them instead?

Bonus question: If my thinned apps on the iPhone get synched to my Mac's iTunes library, will it download the rest of the app? Because when switching or adding devices, you'd otherwise need to re-download the app or something else needs to happen...
I like my iTunes library to be the complete offline-backup of all my apps etc, hence my strong disapproval of IAPs, as they don't backup. (awful... restoring IAPs in every app itself one by one... Also, dependent on the server... Seriously?)

Glassed Silver:mac
 

clukas

macrumors 6502a
May 3, 2010
990
401
Still waiting in the UK. Not available in OTA. Guess will have to wait until I get home. Sigh.
 

MikhailT

macrumors 601
Nov 12, 2007
4,582
1,325
Does app-thinning work retro-actively?
So, when upgrading to iOS 9 from iOS 8, will I end up with new free capacity or do I need to reinstall apps or update them instead?

Bonus question: If my thinned apps on the iPhone get synched to my Mac's iTunes library, will it download the rest of the app? Because when switching or adding devices, you'd otherwise need to re-download the app or something else needs to happen...
I like my iTunes library to be the complete offline-backup of all my apps etc, hence my strong disapproval of IAPs, as they don't backup. (awful... restoring IAPs in every app itself one by one... Also, dependent on the server... Seriously?)

Glassed Silver:mac

No, apps have to be updated to support app-thinning. You won't see any freed up capacity until iOS 9 final is released and all of your apps are updated.

iTunes will download the full version and sync thin versions to specific devices.
 
  • Like
Reactions: joshavtech
Register on MacRumors! This sidebar will go away, and you'll see fewer ads.