Apple issues sixth betas for iOS 14.5, iPadOS 14.5, tvOS 14.5, watchOS 7.4 [u]

Apple has moved on to its sixth round of developer betas, with the strong possibility that the new builds of iOS 14.5, iPadOS 14.5, tvOS 14.5, and watchOS 7.4 could be one of the last before an official release.

The newest builds can be downloaded via the Apple Developer Center for those enrolled in the test program, or via an over-the-air update on devices running the beta software. Public betas typically arrive within a few days of the developer versions, via the Apple Beta Software Program website.

The sixth round follows after the fifth, which occurred on March 23, and the fourth from March 15. The third round of iOS and iPadOS 14.5 surfaced on March 2, followed by tvOS 14.5 on March 3 and watchOS 7.4 on March 4.

The second round and first round builds were issued on February 16 and February 1 respectively. Both the first and third developer betas for iOS and iPadOS were unusually pulled and reissued, though no reason was given by Apple for the changes.

For iOS and iPadOS 14.5, the inbound changes range from the rollout of App Tracking Transparency to the addition of support for PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X game controllers,. Apple Watch owners can take advantage of a feature that will assist Face ID unlocking on an iPhone in instances where a mask is being worn.

Apple Fitness+ users will be able to use AirPlay 2 support to stream their workouts to supporting devices. Refinements to Apple Music and over 200 new emoji also appear in the release.

AppleInsider, and Apple itself, strongly recommend users don't install the betas on to "mission-critical" or primary devices, as there is the remote possibility of data loss or other issues. Instead, testers should install betas onto secondary or non-essential devices, and to make sure there are sufficient backups of important data before updating.

Find any changes in the new betas? Reach out to us on Twitter at @AppleInsider or @Andrew_OSU, or send Andrew an email at andrew@AppleInsider.com.

Update: Public beta versions of iOS 14.5, iPadOS 14.5 and tvOS 14.5 are also available for download.

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