Apple iOS 16 sees the return of the clownfish.
David Phelan
The release of the first public beta versions of Apple’s software is usually highly anticipated. This year, there were widespread rumors that the first public beta would arrive late. Well, not much.
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Last year, the public beta for iOS 15 was released on June 30, almost a week after the second development beta. This year, it arrived today, July 11, a little over a week later by comparison, and just five days after the third beta of the developers.
And alongside the iPhone software, public betas have been released today for the iPad, Apple Watch and, unusually, the Mac. This is almost certainly the first time that the first public beta of Mac software arrives on the same day as the beta of the iPhone.
There are many new features, from Captcha avoidance to a full lock mode. Also, it looks like the Clownfish wallpaper for the iPhone.
Then there’s Stage Manager, a brilliant new way to do multiple tasks on selected iPads and Macs.
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Signing up for the public beta is easy, although you have to do it with your eyes open. Go to the beta software site, here, and register your device. Then download the right profile and, well, it’s more or less.
But it comes with warnings: Apple says (and, boy, I agree with that) that you shouldn’t put a public beta on a critical device. There will be problems, mistakes and problems. This is the nature of a beta. So if you’ve put it on your Mac which is your daily driver, don’t be surprised if all of a sudden some apps don’t work properly.
The first public beta is similar to the third developer beta that has just been updated with a revised version. When some beta testers complained that battery life dropped to the first beta, another common experience, there have been fewer issues with the latest updates.
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