Apple Seeds First Betas of iOS 12.2, macOS 10.14.4, tvOS 12.2 and watchOS 5.2

Apple on Thursday has seeded new beta versions of iOS, macOS, watchOS and tvOS, just one day after releasing updates to those platforms.

The first beta versions of iOS 12.2, macOS 10.1.4.4, watchOS 5.2 and tvOS 12.2 should now be available to registered Apple developers.

At this point, the full extent of the updates contained in the new software isn’t clear — though they are point releases, so it’s likely that they’ll be incremental in nature.

But there are already some notable changes being spotted.

• For one, there now appears to be HomeKit and AirPlay 2 TV support in the iOS Home app for upcoming Smart TVs.
• The iOS 12.2 and macOS 10.14.4 betas also bring Apple News support to users in Canada for the first time.

It’s also worth noting that Apple has been relatively conservative with its iOS version release schedule. The last few updates to iOS 12 have been point updates to iOS 12.1 — for example, iOS 12.1.2 and iOS 12.1.3.

Since the upcoming update to iOS jumps to iOS 12.2, it’s possible that it will contain other new user-facing features or software improvements. It may also have hidden hints at upcoming devices, like a new rumored iPad mini and 9.7-inch iPad successor.

In addition to other possible features, all of Apple’s upcoming software updates will undoubtedly introduce under-the-hood changes, bug fixes and important security updates.

Apple has also seeded new beta versions of device management platform Configurator 2.9 and macOS Server 5.8. The latter is notable because it’s the first new beta build of macOS Server in a while — which could hint that major changes are coming to the software.

How to Download

The new beta builds are available from the Apple Developer Center. They can also be downloaded as an over-the-air update on devices with the proper configuration profile installed.

It’s also likely that public software testing versions of the new betas will become available in the near future.

As always, it’s recommended that you avoid installing beta software on your daily driver or other important devices. If you must, at least perform a full backup of your device prior to proceeding.