The first beta release of iOS 15.4 brought with it a number of significant changes and updates, while the subsequent release contained only minor tweaks. The third beta of iOS 15.4’s developer preview series, developer beta 3, continues this trend. Subscribe to 9to5mac’s YouTube channel for more videos about the iOS 15.4 beta 3 changes and features we’ve seen in our hands-on video.
What’s new in iOS 15.4 beta 3?
Emergency SOS reminder
When you open the Settings app, you’ll notice a new Emergency SOS reminder that pops up. A Review Emergency SOS reminder can be found just below the iCloud preference panel in the Settings app’s root menu. Using this reminder prompt, which directs users to Settings Emergency SOS, users can review and update or add to their emergency contact information if necessary. Users can also configure the Emergency SOS emergency services triggers by either holding the Side and Volume buttons or by rapidly pressing the side button five times in a row..”
Video: iOS 15.4 beta 3 changes and features
Download software updates over 4G
Since the iPhone 12, users have been able to download OTA updates over 5G, but the release of iOS 15.4 today appears to allow users in previously unsupported locations to download updates over cellular LTE as well.
Updated iconography in Magnifier app
New iconography for the Auto, Close-up, and Front lens selections have been added to the Magnifier app’s lens selection UI in beta 3.
TV app Still Frame / Poster Art selection option now works
In the first iOS 15.4 beta, a new preference for the TV app was presented in Settings TV Up Next Display, but changing the settings had no effect. Switching between a paused image and promotional poster artwork in Apple’s TV app is now more noticeable in iOS 15.4 beta 3.
What’s New in Apple Podcasts splash screen
In the previous iOS 15.4 beta, new podcast filters and episode browsing were added to the Apple Podcasts splash screen.
Filter podcasts that you subscribe to by episodes
Unplayed or downloaded episodes can now be filtered in your podcast subscriptions. From the main podcast show page, you can access the new filter feature by selecting Episodes from the drop-down menu.
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Browse podcasts by seasons
For shows that have season metadata, you can also search for individual seasons in addition to episodes. It’s easy to switch between seasons by using the same Episodes dropdown menu that’s on the show’s home page itself. The Podcasts app lets you narrow your search by season and episode.
A new feature within iOS 15.4 will allow users to use Face ID with a mask on. Apple says the “iPhone can recognize the unique features around the eye area to authenticate.” iOS 15.4 is currently in beta and will be available to all users in the coming weeks pic.twitter.com/1jecJTFheb
— Apple Hub (@theapplehub) January 28, 2022
Scheduled summary weekly notification average
The Apps in Summary are now broken down by weekly notification average instead of daily notification average in the Settings Notifications Scheduled Summary.
New ‘Universal Control’ buttons in macOS beta
For the sake of simplicity, Apple has renamed the Advanced button in the System Preferences Displays window to Universal Control. The three most important Universal Control settings can be found by pressing this button. Make sure to check out our comprehensive Universal Control walkthrough for all of the juicy information.
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No new Xcode beta probably means hardware announcements soon
Even more importantly, there was no new Xcode 13.3 beta to download in yesterday’s beta updates, which is usually a sign of impending hardware upgrades. There could be several weeks before the next Xcode beta is released because Apple is rumoured to be holding an event on March 8th.
9to5mac’s Take
The initial beta release of iOS 15.4 appears to have seen all of the significant changes. Among the new features included in that release were Face ID unlock while wearing a face mask and Universal Control for iPadOS/macOS. As iOS 15.4 gets closer to a public release, updates like iOS 15.4 beta 3 continue to fix bugs and make minor adjustments.
What are your thoughts on the latest beta of iOS 15.4? Comments are welcome. You can also check out our previous two iOS 15.4 walkthrough videos for more information:
- Hands-on with iOS 15.4 beta 1
- Hands on with iOS 15.4 beta 2
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