Apple releases fifth public betas of iOS 17, macOS Sonoma, others

By Wesley Hilliard

Apple has released the latest public betas for iOS 17, iPadOS 17, tvOS 17, watchOS 10, and macOS Sonoma.

iOS 17 public beta 5

Apple's upcoming operating systems are set to bring a host of new features that will enhance the user experience across various apps. People who are interested in downloading the latest operating systems can do so via the Apple Beta Software Program.

The fifth iOS 17 and iPadOS 17 public betas have a build number of 21A5319a, while the latest macOS Sonoma public beta build number is 23A5328b.

The fifth tvOS 17 and HomePod software public betas have a build number of 21J5347a, while the fifth watchOS 10 public beta build number is 21R5349b.

Safari offers users additional privacy features, Apple Notes provides improved PDF support, iMessage enables location sharing, Freeform enhances collaboration capabilities, and numerous other new and improved features await users. The latest updates include a new haptic feedback played when toggling Silent Mode on and yet another adjustment to the end call button.

New features in iOS 17

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Phone

Messages

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FaceTime

AirDrop

Journal (Coming later this year)

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Keyboard

Safari and Passwords

StandBy

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Music

AirPods

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Maps

The iOS 17 release will be compatible with the iPhone Xs and later as well as the iPhone SE (2nd generation).

New features in iPadOS 17

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Lock Screen

Interactive Widgets

Health

PDFs and Notes

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Freeform

Spotlight

AirPlay

The iPads that can download iPadOS 17 include iPad Pro 12.9-inch (2nd generation and later), iPad Pro 10.5-inch, iPad Pro 11-inch (1st generation and later), iPad Air (3rd generation and later), iPad (6th generation and later), and the iPad mini (5th generation and later).

New features in macOS Sonoma

General Features

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Video Conferencing

Macs that will be compatible with macOS Sonoma include iMac (2019 and later), Mac Pro (2019 and later), iMac Pro, Mac Studio (2022 and later), MacBook Air (2018 and later), Mac mini (2018 and later), and MacBook Pro (2018 and later).

What's new with watchOS 10

Apple rethought how Apple Watch works for watchOS 10. Some apps make better use of larger displays, there's a new widget view accessible below any active watch face, plus the app list is better formatted.

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tvOS 17 and HomePod updates

The Control Center in tvOS 17 is more prominent, FaceTime is now on Apple TV, plus there are new screensavers and a Find My remote option. HomePods also gain the ability to drop the "Hey" from the wake command for Siri.

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How to install the public betas

  1. Visit beta.apple.com
  2. Sign in with your Apple ID. Note: You don't need to use the same Apple ID as you use to sign in to your phone, but it can make it easier
  3. On your iPhone, go to Settings > General > Software Update
  4. It may take a moment, but below Automatic Updates a new option will appear for beta updates
  5. In this menu you can choose between off and the iOS Public Beta
  6. If you used a different Apple ID to sign up for the beta program, this is where you can sign in with that secondary ID
  7. Go back to the Software Update page and it will automatically refresh and show any available beta update

Once you've signed up for public betas on Apple's website, visit the Settings app on each product you'd like to download the public beta on. Once the public beta option is selected, you'll receive each beta update as if it were a regular update in the Settings app.