Apple on Tuesday released the fourth public beta version of iOS 11 to registered testers, just two weeks after seeding public beta 3. The new beta features various bug fixes, design tweaks and under-the-hood changes. iOS 11 public beta 4 corresponds with the fifth developer beta released earlier this week, and today’s update shares that beta’s changes.
- The beta removes the Messages in iCloud feature which allowed users to store iMessages in the cloud to free up space — though it’s worth noting that Apple said it will re-release the feature “in a future version of iOS 11.”
- The Music icon in the Control Center has been revamped with a pulsing indicator that lists nearby audio devices that iOS can connect with.
- Calendar buttons now work on the first tap, Music notifications can function as expected, and Portrait images will no longer change when hitting Edit.
- Public beta four also fixes a large swath of bugs and issues with the iOS 11 software. Among the important updates is a wide range of fixes for native and third-party applications — essentially, many will now work with native functionality correctly and won’t crash upon launching.
- As far as other subtle design changes, Apple has tweaked the icons for the native Camera and Settings apps. The Camera icon is slightly simpler and more minimal, and the gears background of the Settings app has been made darker for a higher contrast.
- Additionally, the top indicator bar for built-in Screen Recording is now red instead of blue.
How to Install iOS 11 Public Beta 4
As always, it’s recommended that you don’t install beta software on your primary iOS device as it can be buggy — sometimes device-breaking. If you must, be sure to perform a full backup of your device to iTunes or iCloud before moving forward.
To install the latest public beta, you’ll need to sign up for Apple’s public software testing program, which you can do so by signing in with your Apple ID at beta.apple.com. Registered devices with the proper configuration profile installed can download the beta via an over-the-air update in Settings > General > Software Update.