Apple Releases Third Betas for All Operating Systems

Apple has seeded the third betas of macOS 10.12.5, watchOS 3.2.2, tvOS 10.2.1, iOS 10.3.2 to developers, bringing with them a host of security enhancements and minor bug fixes. The third betas come one week after the second betas were released, and so far, no major user-facing changes have been reported, nor have new release notes been published. It looks like this wave of third betas largely focuses on remedying the issues encountered in the last wave of major updates that came last month.

iOS 10.3.2 Beta 3

The third beta for Apple’s upcoming iOS 10.3.2 comes just one week after the company released its second beta. The update is available to registered developers for download from the Apple Developer Center, or over-the-air. Members of the Apple’s public Beta Software Program can also try out the third beta for free. You can sign up for the program here.

No major updates have been reported, nor has Apple provided detailed release notes, and it’s likely that the latest beta features your garden-variety software fixes and performance enhancements. iOS 10.3.2 will be an update to iOS 10.3, which was released in late March and introduced new features like ‘Find My AirPods’, CarPlay improvements, and a new API for reviews.

macOS 10.12.5 Beta 3

The third macOS 10.12.5 beta is also available for download for registered developers (from the Apple Developer Center or Mac App Store) and public beta testers. Again, there seem to be minor bug fixes and performance enhancement ahead of the anticipated release of macOS 10.13 at WWDC in June.

According to the release notes for the second beta, “The macOS Sierra 10.12.5 update improves the stability, compatibility, and security of your Mac”, which doesn’t yield many new insights into the features and improvements that have come with the latest beta.

Apple rolled out macOS 10.12.4 late last month, notably introducing Night Shift to the Mac, as well as new PDFKit APIs, and an expanded range of options for iCloud Analytics, as we’ve covered before.

watchOS 3.2.2 Beta 3

Apple has also rolled out the third beta for watchOS 3.2.2, which developers can download (by placing the Apple Watch on its charger and within range of its paired iPhone). While watchOS 4 is slated for release sometime later this year, the third beta likely focuses on bug fixes and minor security improvements.

watchOS 3.2 was released in late March, and brought with it new features like Theater Mode, which mutes alerts and turns off the raise-to-wake feature until you tap the screen or press on the digital crown or side button of your Apple Watch.

tvOS 10.2.1 Beta 3

The third beta for tvOS 10.2.1 for Apple TV is also open for developers, and again, there doesn’t seem to be any major changes other than fixes for glitches and security flaws, ahead of the anticipated release of tvOS 11. As with watchOS, Apple does not release tvOS betas to the public as part of its beta testing program.

tvOS 10.2 was also released in late March and brought a new SDK, VideoToolbox support, and faster scrolling for Apple TV.