iOS 14 Public Beta Officially Released | 10 Things to Try First
Credit: iPadizate
Apple unveiled iOS 14 last month at its 2020 WWDC conference and released this latest software version to developers. Today, the Cupertino company is rolling out the public beta version of iOS 14, allowing anyone to test out the company's next-generation software. A beta is often unstable, but this inconsistency is worth the risk to those who want an early look at Apple's latest software. If you take the plunge and install iOS 14, continue reading to browse ten new features you should check out right away (and how to get the beta).
New Home Screen
Apple redesigned the Home screen on the iPhone, but, unfortunately, not the iPad. The most significant change on the iPhone is the addition of widgets, which provide a snapshot of your data on the home screen. You can arrange widgets individually or create a stack of widgets and then flip through them as needed.
App Library
The App library is available by swiping left on the home screen. The panel automatically organizes and sorts your apps so you can find them and organize them more quickly.
Picture-in-Picture
If you like to multi-task, then you will love the new Picture-in-Picture feature that lets you watch a video or a videoconference while using another app. You can resize this Picture-in-Picture window or move it around your screen as desired.
Shrunken Down Siri
Siri has a new interface that only takes up a portion of the screen instead of taking over the entire screen. The Siri icon appears at the bottom of the screen, and answers are displayed in a banner notification.
Translate App
iOS 14 includes a new Translate app that can translate a conversation on the fly. Forget about a language barrier. Two people speaking different languages can communicate with each other. Just fire up the app, and start talking.
Safari Translation
Finally, mobile browsers can translate a webpage from a foreign language into the user's native language. Desktop browsers, like Chrome, have been doing this for years, so it's nice to see it on a mobile device.
Back Taps
Found in the accessibility settings, the back tap feature lets you tap on the back of the phone to launch apps or perform other actions or shortcuts.
New Memoji
Apple added a new memoji so you can create the perfect cartoon avatar. There's even a face mask option for a real 2020 feel.
Emoji Search
Gone are the days of looking through hundreds of emojis for the correct smiley. The iPhone keyboard now has a search tool that'll let you find an emoji using a descriptive keyword.
iMessage Improvements
iMessage got some handy new features for power users. First and foremost is the ability to pin important conversations to the top of the feed. You also now can mention a contact directly and use message threads within a group message.
How to Install the iOS 14 Beta
Before you install beta software, make sure you've backed up your iPhone via iCloud or iTunes. You don't want to lose any data if something goes wrong.
- Begin by opening Safari on your iPhone and visiting Apple's Beta Software Program website. You'll need to enroll your device in the program before you can download iOS 14.
- After signup, you then will be prompted to install a configuration profile. Follow the instructions to download and install this profile on your iPhone.
- To finish off the install, go to Settings > Software Update to update your iPhone with iOS 14.