Apple seeds second developer betas of iOS 15.3, iPadOS 15.3, tvOS 15.3, watchOS 8.4

By Malcolm Owen

Apple is now on its second round of the current developer beta process, and has provided fresh builds of iOS 15.3, iPadOS 15.3, tvOS 15.3, and watchOS 8.4 for testing.

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 first builds for the current generation were seeded by Apple on December 17, 2021. Final release versions of iOS 15.2, iPadOS 15.2, tvOS 15.2, and watchOS 8.3 shipped on December 13, 2021.

The iOS and iPadOS 15.3 second betas have build number 19D5040e, replacing the first build, 19D5026g. The second tvOS beta is build number 19K5541d, and watchOS 8.4's second beta is build number 19S5539e.

So far, iOS 15.3 and iPadOS are shaping up to be a maintenance release, with bug fixes and performance improvements being the focus rather than features. More extras may surface in future betas.

AppleInsider, and Apple itself, strongly advise users don't install the betas on to "mission-critical" or primary devices, as there is the small possibility of data loss or other issues. Instead, testers should install betas onto secondary or non-essential devices, and to ensure 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.