iOS 9 Beta 5 Tidbits: New Wallpapers, WIFi Calling for AT&T Users, and More

Apple today released the fifth beta of iOS 9, and as with the previous iOS 9 betas, there are a few new features and tweaks bundled into the release. WiFi calling for AT&T users has been introduced and is coming soon, Apple’s debuted several new wallpapers, and there are tweaks to CarPlay and the iPhone 6 keyboard.

Several bugs have been fixed in iOS 9 beta 5, and features like News and Siri Suggestions are working more smoothly than ever. With approximately a month and a half to go until release, iOS 9 is feeling faster, more polished, and more full featured. For those eager to know all about what’s coming in iOS 9 ahead of its release, we’ve rounded up a complete list of the changes introduced with iOS 9 beta 5 below.

You can also check out all of the changes, large and small, that have been made in previous betas: iOS 9 beta 1, iOS 9 beta 2, iOS 9 beta 3, iOS 9 beta 4.

Wallpapers – Today’s update includes a wide selection of new wallpapers, introducing images featuring close ups of feathers, flowers, plants, and more. Many older wallpapers have been removed, so people running iOS 8.4 should save their favorites now before they’re deleted with the launch of iOS 9.

WiFi Calling for AT&T – Beta 5 adds WiFi calling options for AT&T subscribers, but attempting to turn the option on results in a message saying WiFi calling is not yet available. The addition of the setting heralds the imminent release of the feature for AT&T users. Previously, WiFi calling was limited to T-Mobile. There’s also a new WiFi Assist feature that will “automatically use cellular data when Wi-Fi connectivity is poor.”

Apple Music – There’s a new “Shuffle All” option at the top of My Music when in Song, Album, or Genre view. It’ll play all songs in a music library on shuffle mode.

Keyboard tweaks – On the iPhone 6 and 6 Plus, the keyboard has been tweaked and simplified with new shift and backspace keys.

Handoff – Handoff functionality has been changed in iOS 9 beta 5. Previously, Handoff had an option that would allow users to see lock screen suggestions for Apps in the App Store for a relevant location, but now only installed apps will be displayed. In the Settings app, Handoff options under General -> Handoff & Suggested Apps, the option to display App Store apps has been removed.

Regulatory info – The General portion of the Settings app has a new “Regulatory” section that displays regulatory information for iOS devices. This was information was previously hidden (and is still located) in General –> About –> Legal.

CarPlay – The CarPlay interface has been updated, changing the way images are displayed behind music controls and adding the ability to heart songs that are playing through Beats 1 radio or Apple Music.

Siri Suggestions – The Siri Suggestions interface has been tweaked slightly, removing the labels for calling and messaging a contact. Only icons are displayed now.

Text Replacements – In the Settings app, the section where you can create shortcuts for keys has been renamed “Text Replacements.”

WiFi animation – There’s a new animation that’s used when WiFi is turned off. Instead of the bars disappearing one by one, the WiFi symbol now fades to gray before disappearing.

Additional feature updates in iOS 9 beta 5 will be added here as they are discovered. Apple is expected to release at least one or two more update to iOS 9 before the operating system’s official launch. iOS 9 is expected to be released to the public in the fall alongside new iPhones.

Apple Seeds Fifth iOS 9 Beta to Developers

Apple today seeded the fifth beta of iOS 9 to developers for testing purposes, more than two weeks after releasing the fourth beta and two months after unveiling the new operating system at the 2015 Worldwide Developers Conference.

The update is available through Apple’s over-the-air update system on iOS devices and can also be downloaded through the Apple Developer Center. Apple has also seeded Xcode 7 beta 5.

It is not yet known what updates today’s beta will bring, but each of the prior beta updates have introduced some significant new features and tweaks as Apple works to refine the operating system ahead of its launch. We’ll update this post to add new features as they’re found.

iOS 9 beta 4 brought the return of Home Sharing for music and it fixed a bug that had prevented the iPhone’s volume buttons from being used as a camera shutter. It also introduced a new look for Handoff in the app switching interface.

In addition to providing developers with five betas, Apple has also seeded two iOS 9 betas to public beta testers. The company plans to release iOS 9 to the public in the fall, likely alongside new iPhones.

Apple Releases Second iOS 9 Public Beta

Apple today seeded a second beta of iOS 9 to public beta testers, nearly two weeks after beta testers received access to the first public beta. Today’s public beta offering has a build number of 13A4305g, which means content-wise, it’s the same as the fourth iOS beta that was seeded to developers yesterday.

Beta testers who have signed up for Apple’s beta testing program and already have the first public beta installed can update over-the-air.

The beta includes the return of Home Sharing for Music, which was removed in iOS 8.4, and it’s the first beta that supports Apple’s new iPod touch. Other changes include a new look for Handoff in the app switcher and a bug fix that once again allows the volume buttons on an iOS device to serve as a shutter for the camera. A full list of changes in the beta can be found in our iOS 9 beta 4 tidbits list.

Apple Seeds Fourth iOS 9 Beta to Developers

Apple today seeded the fourth beta of iOS 9 to developers for testing purposes, nearly two weeks after releasing the third beta and more than a month after unveiling the new operating system at the 2015 Worldwide Developers Conference.

The update, build 13A4305g, is available through Apple’s over-the-air updating system on iOS devices and is also available for download through the Apple Developer Center. Xcode 7 beta 4 is also available.

Today’s beta includes the return of Home Sharing for Music, which was removed in iOS 8.4. iTunes chief Eddy Cue said Apple was working to re-add the feature in iOS 9, and he’s kept his promise. This is also the first iOS 9 beta that’s available for Apple’s new iPod touch.

iOS 9 beta 3, which preceded beta 4, brought several much-desired features to iOS 9 including the News app, an updated Music app with support for the Apple Music service and Beats 1 radio station, folders for selfies and screenshots, 4×4 app layouts for folders on the iPad, and more.

iOS 9 is Apple’s latest operating system, focusing on intelligence and proactivity with much improved Siri and Search functions, plus improvements to several apps like Notes, Maps, and Mail. iOS 9 also brings several highly desired features like split-screen multitasking for the iPad and performance boosts that improve battery life and optimize storage space.

As of early July, iOS 9 is available to both developers and public beta testers. The software will be released to the public this fall after testing is complete.

What’s new in iOS 9 beta 4:

Home Sharing – Home Sharing is once again available for music.

iPod touch support – This is the first iOS 9 beta that can be installed on Apple’s newest iPod touch.

Picture-in-picture for Podcasts – Apple’s Podcasts app now supports iOS 9’s picture-in-picture feature that lets users watch videos while doing other tasks on their iPads.

iOS 9 Beta 4 Tidbits: Home Sharing for Music, Volume Button Photos, iPod Touch Support, and More

Apple today released the fourth beta of iOS 9, and as with the previous iOS 9 betas, there are quite a few new features bundled into the release. There are some major additions, such as the promised return of Home Sharing for Music, and several other minor tweaks intended to refine the look and feel of the operating system.

With approximately two months to go until release, iOS 9 is already feeling faster, more polished, and more full featured. For those eager to know all about what’s coming in iOS 9 ahead of its release, we’ve rounded up a complete list of the changes introduced with iOS 9 beta 4 below.

You can also check out all of the changes, large and small, that have been made in previous betas: iOS 9 beta 1, iOS 9 beta 2, iOS 9 beta 3.

Home Sharing – Home Sharing for music was removed in iOS 8.4 with the launch of the new music app and the new Apple Music service, but iTunes chief Eddy Cue said Apple was working to re-add the feature in iOS 9 and it has, in iOS 9 beta 4.

iPod touch Support – People who purchased one of the new A8-based iPod touch devices last week can now upgrade those devices to iOS 9 beta 4. With this beta, Apple added a new installation profile for the device.

Volume Button Photos – In iOS 9 beta 3, there was a bug that prevented the volume button from working as a shutter button for the iOS camera. That’s been fixed in beta 4 and it’s once again possible to snap a photo using the volume buttons on your iOS device.

Notifications icon – In the Settings app, the icon that represents the Notification setting has been updated with a new red color.

Picture in Picture for Podcasts – One of the iOS 9 features on the iPad is a multitasking Picture in Picture option that lets users watch a video while continuing to complete other tasks on their iPads. As of iOS 9 beta 4, this works with the Podcasts app.

Additional feature updates in iOS 9 beta 4 will be added here as they are discovered. Apple should continue to release regular updates to iOS 9 at two to three week intervals throughout the beta testing period to bring minor performance boosts and changes ahead of the operating system’s official launch. iOS 9 is expected to be released to the public in the fall.