Apple Seeds iOS 14.4 and iPadOS 14.4 Release Candidates for Developers and Public Beta Testers

Apple today unveiled the RC version of the upcoming iOS 14.4 and iPadOS.4 developer updates for testing purposes, with the new betas appearing a week after Apple released the second beta.

iOS 14.4 and iPadOS 14.4 can be downloaded via the Apple Developer Center or via the air after the correct profile is installed on an iPhone or iPad.

Coupled with the HomePod 14.4 beta which is only available for a limited number of testers, iOS 14.4 adds new HomePod mini features that use the mini’s U1 chip.

There are now visual, audio and haptic effects when transferring songs from a HomePod mini to a U1-enabled iPhone 11 or iPhone 12. If a ‌iPhone‌ is close to the ‌HomePod mini‌, it starts a soft haptic touch rhythm that speeds up and faster the ‌‌iPhone‌‌ comes closer until the interface to transfer a song between the ‌‌HomePod mini‌‌ and the ‌‌iPhone‌‌ opens.

These features will make the transfer faster and more reliable on a HomePod mini‌‌ and an iPhone 11 or 12 iPhone, all of which are equipped with U1 chips to make the devices better understand where they are in relation to each other.

In the Workout section of the Apple Watch app on ‌iPhone‌, there’s a new “Time to Walk” feature that includes the “Add Newest Workouts to Watch” link. This suggests that Apple plans to add guided walking workouts in the watchOS 7.3 beta. “Time to Walk workouts are downloaded when Apple Watch is connected to the stream and near your ‌iPhone‌. Completed workouts are automatically deleted,” reads the setting. It is not functional in the first beta of watchOS 7.3 and iOS 14.4, but can be activated later.

iOS 14.4 includes a setting to specify a device type for third-party Bluetooth-paired audio devices so that the headphone audio measurements can be taken correctly. Apple monitors headphone sound levels to send alerts when music is playing at a level that could damage hearing health over time.

iOS 14.4 contains code indicating that Apple will add a warning on iPhones that have had their cameras repaired or replaced with after-sales components. The warning, which says “Cannot confirm ‘iPhone’ with a genuine Apple camera ‘, will let users know that the camera is not a legitimate Apple camera. Apple’s full release notes for the update are below:

iOS 14.4 includes the following enhancements for your ‌iPhone‌:
– Smaller QR codes can be recognized by Camera
– Option to classify the Bluetooth device type in Settings for the correct identification of headphones for audio notifications
– Notifications when the camera on your ‌iPhone‌ can not be confirmed as a new, genuine Apple camera in ‌iPhone 12‌, iPhone 12 mini, iPhone 12 Pro and iPhone 12 Pro Max

This version also has the following issues:
– Image artifacts may appear on HDR photos taken with PiPhone 12 Pro‌
– The fitness widget may not display updated activity data
– Typing may be delayed and word suggestions may not appear on the keyboard
– The keyboard may not appear in the correct language in Messages
– Audio stories from the News app in CarPlay may not resume after being interrupted for spoken directions or Siri
– If you enable switch control in accessibility, you can prevent calls from being answered from the lock screen

There is no word yet on when iOS 14.4 will be released, but since the release notes are available, the public version may appear soon.