Apple issues fourth iOS 15.5, iPadOS 15.5, tvOS 15.5, watchOS 8.6 developer betas

iOS 15.5 second developer beta now available

Apple has moved to the fourth beta round for this generation, handing over new builds of iOS 15.5, iPadOS 15.5, tvOS 15.5, and watchOS 8.6 to developers for testing.

The latest can be downloaded via the Apple Developer Center for those enrolled in the test program, or acquired via an over-the-air update on hardware running beta software. Public betas generally turn up shortly after the developer counterparts, accessible through the Apple Beta Software Program website.

The fourth beta round arrives after the third, which landed on April 26. The second landed on April 19, and the first betas for iOS 15.5, iPadOS 15.5, tvOS 15.5, and watchOS 8.6 were issued on April 5.

It is improbable that any major changes will be made to the features of the operating systems for the moment, as it is likely Apple will keep its main announcements for WWDC 2022 in June.

What was uncovered in the betas for iOS 15.5 include references to an "Apple Classical" app, as well as an update to the Home app showing Wi-Fi signal indicators for the HomePod, and Request and Send buttons for Apple Pay Cash in the Wallet app.

The new build number for iOS 15.5 and iPadOS 15.5 is 19F5070b, replacing 19F5062g. The tvOS 15.5 build number of 19L5569a takes over from 19L5562e, and the watchOS 8.6 build number is 19T5570a up from 19T5562f.

AppleInsider, and Apple itself, strongly advise users avoid installing beta software on to "mission-critical" or primary devices, due to 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 in the first place.

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