Apple Seeds Sixth Betas of iOS and iPadOS 15 to Developers

[MacRumors]

Apple today seeded the sixth betas of iOS and iPadOS 15 to developers for testing purposes, with the updates coming one week after Apple released the fifth betas.

Registered developers can download the profile for the iOS and iPadOS betas from the Apple Developer Center, and once the profile is installed, beta updates will be available over the air.

iOS 15 is a major update that introduces a slew of new features focused on cutting down on distractions and spending more time with friends and family.

FaceTime has a revamped interface with new SharePlay features for listening to music, watching videos, and sharing your screen with your friends and family members, and in Messages, if something like a url, photo, news article, or song is shared with you, you can see the content in Apple's dedicated apps.

Focus lets you create custom notification modes that hide irrelevant apps and notifications when you're doing things like working or spending time with your family so you can better focus on the activity at hand, and there's a new notification summary that de-prioritizes less important notifications so you're not constantly inundated with information.

Maps includes a new 3D view in select cities that lets you see 3D landmarks, there are immersive AR directions when walking, and driving directions are better than ever, especially at complex interchanges.

Safari now supports Tab Groups for improved organization, and extensions can be used in Safari for iOS devices for the first time. Later this year you'll be able to add your ID card to the Wallet app in some U.S. states, and Apple is making it easier to add key cards for hotels, smart home locks, and more to the Wallet app.

Spotlight is better than ever and can bring up more tailored search results, and Photos has a "Live Text" feature that lets you take a photo of something with text like a receipt to translate it into typed text on your iPhone. Photos can also identify landmarks, books, plants, and pets, so you can snap a photo of a plant and get information on what it might be.

Apple has also added multiple privacy improvements, such as a new App Privacy report coming to the iPhone that will let you know how often apps access sensitive info like your location, a Mail feature that hides your IP address, and Siri processing that's done on device.

For a complete overview of everything that's new in iOS 15, we have a dedicated roundup that walks through all of the new features, and Apple has been adding feature refinements throughout the beta testing period. The fourth beta, for example, further tweaked the design of Safari, added MagSafe Battery Pack support, and more, while the fifth beta added smaller tweaks.

Article Link: Apple Seeds Sixth Betas of iOS and iPadOS 15 to Developers

 

[avi111]

FAST

 

[sniffies]

Safari on iPhone got a major redesign. Again.

The latest look is very similar to a mock-up done by one of the MR users (can’t remember his username).

Finally it looks clean and neat. Love it.

 

[jbachandouris]

So maybe public beta this week also.

 

[chrisdazzo]

iOS devices
Prev build 19A5318f
New build 19A5325f

Also, weird, Shareplay has been removed from this build and for now, the final Fall release.

 

[sniffies]

iOS devices
Prev build 19A5318f
New build 19A5325f

That is such a small difference.

The only change is probably one new Memoji.

⠀

 

[BWhaler]

Can't wait for the new iPadOS. Yes, it's nowhere near where he needs to be to live up to Apple's claim that the iPad is the future of computing, but at least it fixes a few headaches.

 

[SactoGuy18]

I wonder will Apple release eight beta builds plus one release candidate build before iOS 15 and iPadOS 15 arrives in mid-September 2021.

 

[jdclifford]

Maybe just adding CSAM ?

 

[chrisdazzo]

That is such a small difference.

The only change is probably one new Memoji.

I guess. Last week's was an 07 to 18 build update, but as we get closer to release (and with weeklies) I'm sure the Apple devs are iterating less and less.

 

[cicton]

universal control. please!

 

[FaustsHausUK]

How are people using the betas finding the stability at this stage? I normally put the public beta on at least one device in the weeks leading up to release.

 

[cwwilson]

I wonder why I still can’t download these betas on 5G? I have allow more data enabled and it’s only like a 850MB file but it still requires Wi-Fi?

 

[nutmac]

Any Safari changes?

IMO, Safari for iOS needs:

• About 2 seconds after the page is loaded, automatically hide the toolbar by docking it to the bottom.
• Docked toolbar should never undock and float when scrolling. Only when you tap on the toolbar.
• Click and holding the share button on the toolbar should open the sheet without the share options that take up so much of the screen.
• I should be able to scroll down on the tabs view to access history, favorites, shared with you, reading list, etc. Opening a blank page (+ button) to view them is counter intuitive.

EDIT: Ha, from the release note:

The bottom tab bar has been redesigned to appear below page content. An option to show the address bar at the top is also available. (81118141)

 

[I7guy]

I wonder when the CSAM will kick in.

 

[testcard]

Hoping iPadOS will allow Home Screen icon spacing to revert to what it used to be.

 

[pcd213]

Option present in this release to revert to the old Safari design with the bar at the top. I was convinced I would love the lower bar design until I started using it. I just couldn't get used to it.

 

[groovyf]

I kind of like the address bar at the bottom, but sometimes it gets in the way of buttons underneath. I’ll probably revert back to top bar.

 

[pcd213]

I kind of like the address bar at the bottom, but sometimes it gets in the way of buttons underneath. I’ll probably revert back to top bar.

When using the proposed design, I was reminded of Jobs' comment about design being about how it works and not how it looks. The 'design' with the bar at the bottom just did not work for me, especially at each first open of the app. I also found myself accidentally tapping the refresh button all of the time when I merely wanted to tap into the address bar.

 

[ProfessionalFan]

Safari bar back at the top, as it always should have been

 

[madsci954]

Safari on iPhone got a major redesign. Again.

Is this replacing the “snappier” jokes?

 

[Z3roFlaw]

With such a small build diff I really wonder what is new in this one outside of last weeks Beta 5. Seems like the diff might be the removal of Shareplay, mostly lol

 

[ProfessionalFan]

Is this replacing the “snappier” jokes?

It isn't a joke, it really did

 

[Realityck]

Had the release notes up fairly quick this time.

Spoiler: iOS & iPadOS 15 Beta 6 Release Notes

Overview​

The iOS & iPadOS 15 SDK provides support to develop apps for iPhone, iPad, and iPod touch devices running iOS & iPadOS 15 beta 6. The SDK comes bundled with Xcode 13 beta 6, available from Beta Software Downloads. For information on the compatibility requirements for Xcode 13, see Xcode 13 Beta 5 Release Notes.

App Store​

New Features in iOS & iPadOS 15 beta 6​

• A new onStorefrontChange(shouldContinuePurchase is available in StoreKit 2. You can use this purchase option to determine whether the transaction continues if the App Store storefront changes during a transaction. The default is true if this option isn’t added. (70757789)
• VerificationResult.unverified(SignedType) is now VerificationResult.unverified(SignedType, VerificationError) to provide a reason for unverified signed values. jsonRepresentation is available on Transaction and jsonRepresentation is available on renewalInfo; both properties provide the payload JSON as Data. payloadValue and unsafePayloadValue properties are available on VerificationResult as a convenience to access the signed value. (80701792)

Known Issues​

• The unfinished property might return VerificationResult<Transaction> for transactions that have already finished. (81346114)
• Purchases performed in the Sandbox environment return `VerificationResult.unverified’. (71949674)

Resolved in iOS & iPadOS 15 beta 6​

• All AsyncIteratorProtocol conforming types are now value types. (80982924)
• In-app purchases are now successful in TestFlight apps. (77332175)

AVFoundation​

Deprecations​

• supportedPhotoPixelFormatTypes(for and supportedRawPhotoPixelFormatTypes(for now return [OSType] instead of [NSNumber] in Swift. (64822071)
• recommendedVideoSettings(forVideoCodecType:assetWriterOutputFileType now returns nullable NSDictionary<NSString *, id> * instead of nullable NSDictionary * in Objective-C and [String: Any]? instead of [AnyHashable: Any]? in Swift. (33784279)
• cgImageRepresentation() and previewCGImageRepresentation() now return CGImage? instead of Unmanaged<CGImage>? in Swift. (44734827)
• recommendedAudioSettingsForAssetWriter(writingTo now returns nullable NSDictionary<NSString *, id> * instead of nullable NSDictionary * in Objective-C and [String: Any]? instead of [AnyHashable: Any]? in Swift. (50450334)

Core ML​

Known Issues​

• In automatic reference counting (ARC) mode, the compiler may extend the lifetime of MLMultiArray longer than expected when the .dataPointer property is used. This may increase memory usage. (80895213)
  Workaround: Enclose .dataPointer access in an @autoreleasepool {... } block.

Files​

Known Issues​

• Files might quit unexpectedly if you choose Open in New Window for a file. (79449679)

Find My​

Known Issues​

• When your iOS device needs to be charged, text indicating that the Find My network is active only displays if the device language is set to English. (78547946)

Focus​

Known Issues​

• You’re unable to switch to a Focus other than Do Not Disturb using Siri. (78263540)

Guided Access​

Known Issues​

• When using Guided Access with VoiceOver, you might be unable to enter the Guided Access passcode to end Guided Access. (79370792)
  Workaround: If a device passcode is set, force restart your device to end Guided Access.

Home​

Known Issues​

• You can’t pair with Matter accessories that use Thread. (80991829)
• You can’t pair a third-party app with Matter accessories through the app paring flow if the accessory is already paired with another app. (80059432)
  Workaround: Remove accessory pairing from other apps, then pair the third-party app.
• You can’t add a flow to a third-party app with Matter accessories if you haven’t created an Apple Home. (80058744)
  Workaround: Launch the Home app to create a Home before you add a flow.
• Matter accessories aren’t reachable while Apple TV is connected via Wi-Fi. (79582629)
  Workaround: Connect Apple TV via Ethernet.
• Matter accessories might enter a No Response state after pairing. (76019163)
  Workaround: Remove the accessory from Home, reset the accessory, and add it back to Home. If the issue persists, remove your Home hub from Home and re-add it. If the issue still persists, remove the home and create a new one.
• The initial pairing attempt with a Matter accessory might take an unexpectedly long time and eventually fail. (77967587)
  Workaround: Retry pairing the accessory.
• You can only pair up to five Matter accessories in a home. (77967671)
• Only the owner of a home, not an invited user, can pair Matter accessories. (76012945)

Home Screen​

Known Issues​

• After canceling a search in the widget gallery, the cancel button remains visible, which might blank out the widget gallery. (78572049)
  Workaround: Dismiss and reopen the widget gallery.

iCloud​

Known Issues​

• Legacy Contacts has been removed from iOS & iPadOS 15 beta 5 and will return in a future release. (81292885)

Maps​

Known Issues​

• The Bay Bridge might scale incorrectly at high zoom levels. (79217316)
• Rounded building corners might disappear. (80468151)

Deprecations​

• MKPinAnnotationView and MapPin are marked as deprecated in this beta. (78536295)

Networking​

Deprecations​

• Support for cleartext HTTP URL schemes for Proxy Automatic Configuration (PAC) is now deprecated. Use only HTTPS URL schemes for PAC. This affects all PAC configurations, including, but not limited to, configurations set via Settings, System Preferences, profiles, and URLSession APIs such as connectionProxyDictionary and CFNetworkExecuteProxyAutoConfigurationURL(_:_:_:_. If you configure a cleartext HTTP PAC URL, the system may upgrade it to HTTPS during PAC file loads. Web Proxy Auto-Discovery (WPAD) Protocol via DNS isn’t affected. Dynamic Host Configuration Protocol (DHCP) Option 252 WPAD may attempt to upgrade cleartext HTTP URLs to HTTPS during PAC file loads. (61981845)

Phone​

Known Issues​

• You might be unable to add additional participants to a phone call while using a 3G cellular network. (81584102)

Reality Composer​

Known Issues​

• You might be unable to create new projects in Reality Composer. (79418400)
  Workaround: Create a new project in Reality Composer on macOS and transfer the .rcproject file to your device via AirDrop or Mail.

Safari​

New Features in iOS & iPadOS 15 beta 6​

• The bottom tab bar has been redesigned to appear below page content. An option to show the address bar at the top is also available. (81118141)

Known Issues​

• When tapping in an input field in a Safari Web Extension popover on iPhone, the Extension UI might not move upward to make room for the keyboard. (81676564)
• When enabled, Safari Extensions won’t appear in the Smart Search field when Show Separate Tab Bar is selected. (80804327)
  Workaround: Force quit and relaunch Safari to make Safari Extensions appear.
• The clear button in the search bar might be clipped on iOS. (80132991)

SharePlay​

Deprecations​

• SharePlay has been disabled for use in iOS and iPadOS 15 developer beta 6 and will be disabled for use in its initial release this fall. SharePlay will be enabled for use again in future developer beta releases and will launch to the public in software updates later this fall. To continue your development, we have provided a SharePlay Development Profile which will enable successful creation and reception of GroupSessions via the Group Activities API. (81816137)

ShazamKit​

Known Issues​

• Media items added to the default instance of SHMediaLibrary don’t appear in Shazam. (77785557)
  Workaround: Touch and hold the Music Recognition Control Center module to view SHMediaLibrary contents.

Siri​

Known Issues​

• VoiceOver and Spoken Content users might not initially see all available voice options. Voice options should populate after some time. (79463000)
• On-device speech recognition only supports the following languages: Chinese (Mandarin - China mainland), English (Australia), English (Canada), English (United Kingdom), and English (US). (78483609)

SwiftUI​

Known Issues​

• Providing a binding to an OutlineGroup might require including wrappedValue in the init(_:children:content key path parameter, and isn’t available in iOS & iPadOS 14 and earlier. (77890799)
• Focusing a view in a newly added List row using FocusState requires deferring the focus state property update to the next time the main runloop runs. (78607356)

Resolved in iOS & iPadOS 15 beta 6​

• List now correctly respects safe area insets. (78833004)

Deprecations​

• controlProminence is deprecated. Use the new .borderedProminent ButtonStyle instead. (78908460)
• The Function (Fn) shortcut modifier is deprecated and reserved for system usage. (78627099)

Third-Party Apps​

Known Issues​

• VPN apps fail to connect if they use a private API that no longer exists in iOS 15. (79164225)

UIKit​

Known Issues​

• Collapsing the hardware keyboard shortcut bar doesn’t properly invoke leading and trailing edge changes for UIKeyboardLayoutGuide. (74440016)

Xcode​

Known Issues​

• MusicKit functionality, such as loading content with music requests, doesn’t work in simulated devices. (78559381)

 

[ipedro]

Safari on iPhone got a major redesign. Again.

The latest look is very similar to a mock-up done by one of the MR users (can’t remember his username).

Finally it looks clean and neat. Love it.


View attachment 1819936

Yuck. What a mess. Apple used to have more balls to implement design changes that in the long run, worked out once people got used to them. While this is a Beta and they needed to polish things up a bit, I really did love the floating bottom address bar. It was getting better at intelligently getting out of the way when appropriate and I liked the swipe gestures it came with. Hopefully it’s still an option.