Fri. Mar 29th, 2024

Apple has finally released the betas of iOS 13, iPadOS and macOS Catalina which will be available to the general public for the first time. The feature to look out for is the coveted dark mode as well as big updates to improve apps like Mail, Maps, Notes and Reminders. With the betas rolling out, you can expect smarter photo browsing, Memoji sticker packs, an improved Siri voice and speedier app loading.

These betas will be updated periodically, culminating in the final release, which will be hopefully at the end of summer. It will likely be timed around the new hardware announcements made at Apple’s annual September event.

Let’s look out for a few important highlights of the betas :

In Catalina, Apple has replaced the iTunes app with three separate apps: Apple Music, Apple Podcasts and Apple TV. Just as useful, the revision lets Mac users run iPad apps they can download through the Mac App Store, and use an iPad as a second screen, much in the way you might use a monitor.

How to sign up for and download iOS 13, macOS Catalina, iPadOS, and tvOS:

In order to receive access to each beta, you’ll need to sign up to Apple’s Beta Software Progam, which requires an Apple ID (naturally).

  1. Open the Apple Beta Program page on whatever device you want the beta (and use the Safari browser to make this easy).
  2. Click “Sign up” and use your Apple ID to sign in
  3. Accept the user agreement.
  4. Select the beta you wish to enroll in, then scroll down to the “Get Started” section and click the “enroll you [device]” link.
  5. Apple will give you some additional instructions to follow. The short version: You’ll have to install a beta profile to your device, which will then unlock the beta as a regular Software Update—found within your device’s settings menu.

You can now download the Catalina public preview for free, but be aware of the bugs and other issues:

Apps may be unstable, features may not work as you expect, and you may come across bugs and software incompatibilities. Helpfully, the public beta comes with a handy tool for reporting bugs you find to Apple.

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