Apple Releases New Betas of iOS 16.4, iPadOS 16.4, macOS Ventura 13.3, watchOS 9.4, More for Testing

Apple on Wednesday seeded new betas of its iOS 16.4, iPadOS 16.4, macOS Ventura 13.3, watchOS 9.4, tvOS 16.4, and new beta firmware for its Studio Display. The new beta releases come one week following the release of the operating systems’ third betas.

iOS 16.4 and iPadOS 16.4

The fourth betas of iOS 16.4 and iPadOS 16.4 are available to both developers and public beta testers. Developer betas are available to developers via the Apple Developer Center or as an over-the-air update on iPhones and iPads respectively, that have the proper configuration installed.

Public builds of the two betas can be downloaded from the Apple Beta Software Program website when users sign up to take part in the beta testing program. Users that are interested in trying the betas of the upcoming operating systems can enroll in the program by clicking the above link.

Please note, this is the last time a beta release will use certificates. Future betas will be linked to developers’ and public beta testers’ Apple IDs.

This beta has several updates and fixes, such as bringing back the Apple Books page-turning animation as an option, which should be welcome news for the Books readers who were miffed after it was removed with the release of iOS 16.

The code in the iOS 16.4 beta indicates that the long-expected Apple Music Classical app, could launch in the near future.

The code also indicates that South Korean users will soon be able to use Apple Pay.

AppleCare+ subscribers will find that the list of their Apple devices covered by AppleCare+ under “Settings” -> “General” -> “About” in the “Coverage” section now have an icon next to them.

The Podcasts app now supports channels in Library, brings improved CarPlay functionality, and an improved “Up Next” feature allowing listeners to resume episodes as well as skip podcasts they don’t want to listen to.

Safari Web Push notifications are now available for the iPhone and iPad, and users can receive them from websites they add to the Home Screen on their phone or tablet.

macOS Ventura 13.3

Apple has also released the fourth beta seed of macOS Ventura 13.3 to developers and public testers. The new beta seed comes a week following the release of the third beta.

The macOS Ventura 13.3 developer build can be downloaded by registered developers in the Apple Developer Center. Once the beta profile is installed, later betas will be available through the Software Update functionality in System Preferences.

Registered Public Beta Testers who install the proper profile can then download and install the macOS Ventura 13.3 public betas through the Software Update functionality in System Preferences.

Mac users who want to be a part of the macOS beta testing program can sign up on the Apple Beta Software Program website.

macOS Ventura 13.3 brings new emoji characters that include a shaking head, pink heart, blue heart, jellyfish, hyacinth, pea pod, ginger, fan, goose, wing, comb, flute, maracas, left hand, gray heart, donkey, moose, blackbird, and right hand.

The new beta also supports the new HomeKit architecture. The Messages app now displays content previews for Mastodon links, and Shortcuts now allows the creation of workflows with Siri notification announcements.

macOS Ventura is only compatible with these Mac models:

• iMac 2017 and later
• Mac Pro 2019 and later
• iMac Pro 2017
• Mac mini 2018 and later
• MacBook Air 2018 and later
• MacBook 2017 and later
• MacBook Pro 2017 and later

watchOS 9.4

Apple also seeded the fourth beta of watchOS 9.4 to developers. The new beta seed comes a week following the third beta release.

The watchOS 9.4 beta can be installed on a compatible Apple Watch that has the proper configuration profile installed, by using the Watch app on the device’s mated iPhone. Go to “General” -> “Software Update” to install the beta. The Apple Watch should be charged up to at least 50% battery, be on a charger, and be within range of the partnered iPhone.

watchOS 9.4 adds support for new emoji characters, including shaking head, hyacinth, pea pod, donkey, goose, blackbird, and more. 31 new emoji characters are available in total.

tvOS 16.4

Apple also seeded the fourth beta of tvOS 16.4 to developers. The new beta comes one week after the third tvOS 16.4 beta release.

The tvOS 16.4 beta is compatible only with the Apple TV HD and the Apple TV 4K (1st and 2nd generation). The new beta can be installed on a compatible Apple TV that has the proper profile installed. Profiles can be installed on a compatible Apple TV by using Xcode.

tvOS updates have traditionally been minor, Usually focusing on under-the-hood bug fixes and performance improvements. We don’t as yet know what’s included this time around, but we’ll update this article if we learn anything new about the seed.

Studio Display

Apple has also released a fourth 16.4 firmware beta for the Studio Display. The beta comes one week after the third beta. Apple has not published any details about what’s included or fixed in the new firmware beta release.

All Studio Displays are able to receive over-the-air firmware updates. However, this firmware update is currently limited to Macs running the latest macOS Ventura 13.3 beta.

Once the macOS Ventura 13.3 beta is installed and running, Studio Display owners can install the beta firmware by going to “System Preferences” -> “Software Update.”