iOS 18 Beta 2 Released - What's New?
Summary
TLDRIn this video, Brandon discusses the release of iOS 18 beta 2, highlighting its key features and updates. He covers improvements such as the new dark mode App Store icon, changes to the control center, and iPhone mirroring with Mac integration. Other notable updates include a new RCS messaging toggle, enhanced search in control center, and various bug fixes. Brandon also mentions upcoming changes and provides insights on when to expect future beta releases. Viewers are encouraged to stay tuned for more detailed updates in his upcoming videos.
Takeaways
- 📱 Apple released multiple OS beta updates including iOS 18 beta 2, iPadOS 18 beta 2, watchOS 11 beta 2, macOS Sequoia beta 2, tvOS 18 beta 2, and visionOS 2 beta 2.
- 🔄 The iOS 18 beta 2 update size was approximately 1.44 GB, indicating a significant update from iOS 18 beta 1.
- 🆕 iOS 18 beta 2 introduced a dark mode icon for the App Store and minor changes to the Control Center, including a new power icon interaction method.
- 🎵 The Shazam icon in the Control Center was updated for a simpler interface, and the search functionality was improved for better accuracy in finding settings.
- 📶 Modem firmware was updated from version 2.1.0 to 2.3.0, which could resolve connectivity issues.
- 🔄 iPhone mirroring feature allows Mac users to control and see notifications from their iPhone when it's locked.
- 📲 RCS messaging received a toggle in iOS 18 beta 2, but it is not yet fully functional.
- 📺 SharePlay and screen sharing features were supposed to be included, but they were not working in the beta 2 release.
- 🌙 Dark mode icons are now displayed in the settings for apps like Calendar, Contacts, Health, and HomeKit.
- 🤖 Siri's description in settings has been updated, and the 'press side button for Siri' option is missing, indicating changes to Siri's functionality.
- 📊 Geekbench scores showed a lower multicore performance after the update, likely due to initial syncing and backup processes.
Q & A
What operating system updates did Apple release along with iOS 18 beta 2?
-Along with iOS 18 beta 2, Apple also released iPad OS 18 beta 2, watch OS 11 beta 2, Mac OS Sequoia beta 2, tvOS 18 beta 2, and vision OS 2 beta 2.
What is the approximate size of the iOS 18 beta 2 update?
-The size of the iOS 18 beta 2 update is just under 1.44 GB.
What is the new build number for iOS 18 beta 2?
-The new build number for iOS 18 beta 2 is 22A5297F.
What changes were made to the App Store icon in iOS 18 beta 2?
-In iOS 18 beta 2, the App Store icon now has a dark mode version to match the other first-party applications.
How has the control center been updated in iOS 18 beta 2?
-The control center in iOS 18 beta 2 has a few updates, including a change to the power icon functionality, a simpler menu for the Shazam icon, improved search functionality, and a new glyph icon for hover text.
What is iPhone mirroring and how does it work?
-iPhone mirroring is a feature that allows users to control and see notifications from their Mac on their locked iPhone. It's part of the iOS 18 and Mac OS Sequoia updates and can be managed through the AirPlay and continuity settings.
Is RCS messaging fully functional in iOS 18 beta 2?
-No, RCS messaging is not fully functional in iOS 18 beta 2. Although there is a toggle for it in the settings, it has not been working as expected in tests.
What issues were resolved with the camera functions in iOS 18 beta 2?
-iOS 18 beta 2 resolved issues where the portrait capture might take longer than expected to finish and camera functions might take up to 2 minutes to work after booting an iPhone or iPad.
What is the current state of screen time functionality in iOS 18 beta 2?
-Screen time is currently broken in iOS 18 beta 2. Attempting to access it causes the settings to freeze and eventually crash back to the home screen.
When can we expect the next iOS 18 developer beta?
-The next iOS 18 developer beta, beta 3, is expected to be released around July 8th or 9th, based on the typical release schedule.
Are there any indications of Apple intelligence features in iOS 18 beta 2?
-No, there are no new or relevant features related to Apple intelligence in iOS 18 beta 2. However, some Siri changes and the new Siri UI are expected to appear in later betas.
Outlines
📱 iOS 18 Beta 2 Release and Features Overview
Brandon introduces the release of iOS 18 beta 2, alongside updates for iPad OS, watch OS, Mac OS, tvOS, and vision OS. He highlights the significant size of the update, the new build number, and modem firmware version. Notable changes include a dark mode icon for the App Store, adjustments to the control center, improved search functionality, and iPhone mirroring, which allows users to control and receive notifications from a nearby Mac on a locked iPhone. Despite some features like RCS messaging and SharePlay not being fully functional, the video provides a comprehensive look at the new and updated features in iOS 18 beta 2.
🔄 Exploring Additional Features and Bug Fixes in iOS 18 Beta 2
The script delves into further details of iOS 18 beta 2, discussing the new toggle for RCS messaging, which is not yet fully functional, and the absence of SharePlay screen sharing. It mentions changes in settings, such as the appearance of dark mode icons and updates to Siri's description. The video also covers bug fixes related to the camera and control center, as well as issues that remain unresolved, like problems with screen time functionality. The script notes the absence of new Siri UI in this beta and hints at upcoming features in later betas.
📊 Geekbench Scores and Beta 2 Performance Insights
The script discusses the performance of iOS 18 beta 2, as measured by Geekbench scores, which showed a drop in multicore performance possibly due to iCloud syncing activities. It also addresses the known issues detailed in the release notes, including visual bugs and problems with the home screen interface. The video mentions fixes for certain camera functions and control center widgets, but notes that the Emoji tapbacks in group chats are now broken in beta 2. The script provides an expected timeline for the next beta release and speculates on when public beta testers can expect access to iOS 18 beta.
🔍 Anticipating Future Updates and Wrapping Up iOS 18 Beta 2 Discussion
In the final paragraph, the script sets expectations for the gradual introduction of Apple intelligence features, with significant AI updates expected in 2025. It acknowledges that while beta 2 does not include new Siri UI or related intelligence features, they are anticipated in subsequent beta releases. The script concludes by expressing intent to explore and share more changes found in iOS 18 beta 2 in an upcoming 'Apple weekly' episode, and it invites viewers to subscribe for updates on iOS 18 beta releases.
Mindmap
Keywords
💡iOS 18 beta 2
💡Control Center
💡App Store Icon
💡iPhone Mirroring
💡RCF Messaging
💡SharePlay
💡Dark Mode
💡Siri
💡Geekbench Scores
💡Beta Testing
💡Apple Intelligence Features
Highlights
Apple released iOS 18 beta 2 along with iPad OS 18 beta 2, watch OS 11 beta 2, Mac OS Sequoia beta 2, tvOS 18 beta 2, and vision OS 2 beta 2.
iOS 18 beta 2 update size is approximately 1.44 GB, indicating a significant update from beta 1.
New build number 22A5297F for iOS 18 beta 2, changing from 'm' to 'F' in the build number sequence.
Modem firmware update from 2.1.0 to 2.3.0, potentially resolving cell connectivity issues.
Dark mode icon introduced for the App Store in iOS 18 beta 2.
Control Center updates include changes to the power icon functionality to prevent accidental device shutdowns.
Shazam icon and menu simplification in the Control Center.
Improved search functionality in the Control Center for adding toggles.
Personal hotspot glyph icon updated with a slash in iOS 18 beta 2.
New glyph icon introduced in the customize menu of the Control Center.
iPhone mirroring feature allows control and notification viewing from a Mac when the iPhone is locked.
RCS messaging toggle added in iOS 18 beta 2, but not yet fully functional.
Shareplay and screen sharing features are included in iOS 18 beta 2 but not operational in this review.
Dark mode icons now appear in settings for default app icons when in dark mode.
Siri description and settings have been updated but lack the new Siri animation in beta 2.
iPad OS 18 beta 2 includes alternative app stores and other EU regulatory changes.
Music haptics icon color changed from blue to red in accessibility settings.
New warning message in display and brightness settings regarding energy usage when autolock is set to never.
Known issues and bug fixes listed in the release notes, including fixes for control center and camera functions.
Geekbench scores showed a lower multicore performance after updating to iOS 18 beta 2, likely due to iCloud syncing.
Screen time functionality is broken in iOS 18 beta 2, with settings freezing and crashing.
Next iOS 18 developer beta expected around July 8th or 9th, with the first public beta following shortly after.
No new features related to Apple intelligence in beta 2, but expected in later betas leading up to the final iOS 18 update.
Transcripts
what's up guys my name is Brandon and
today Apple released iOS 18 beta 2 for
registered developers and soon to public
beta testers now along with this release
Apple also released iPad OS 18 beta 2
watch OS 11 beta 2 Mac OS sequia beta 2
tvos 18 beta 2 and vision os2 beta 2 but
of course in this video we are focusing
primarily on iOS and iPad OS 18 beta 2
so you can see the size of this update
came in at just under 1 and2 GB on my 15
Pro Max so I would expect a pretty large
update even coming from IOS 18 beta 1 so
1.44 GB let's check out the new build
number for this update and our settings
General about the new build is 22A 5297
F so we went from an m at the end of the
build number in beta 1 to an F here in
beta 2 and if we go down to the modem
firmware we also received a pretty large
update here as well so we went from
2.1.0 to
2.3.0 so a nice update if you were
struggling with cell connectivity or
anything related to the modem that could
be resolved with beta 2 okay so now
what's new here in iOS 18 beta 2 and the
first thing you'll probably notice just
from looking at my home screen is one of
my top complaints that I've talked about
in every iOS 18 video so far and that is
the App Store icon so we finally have a
dark mode icon for the App Store to go
along with all of the other first-party
dark applications we also have a slight
change to the control center so if you
swipe down to go to the control center
and you tap on the power icon in the top
right you'll notice that nothing happens
whereas before in beta 1 if you tapped
on that it would go ahead and prompt you
to turn off your device so I believe
that this is not a bug I believe this is
intentional that way we can prevent
accidental Taps of the power icon there
so I've actually you know put my device
into that mode it locks it many times so
now you have to press and hold on the
power icon and you will see you have a
little animation there and then it
prompts you to slide to power off and
while we're in that control center
there's also a slight change to the
Shazam icon so the recognize music
toggle before when you hatic pressed on
that icon you had this little menu but
now if you havep to press on that icon
you get a much more simple menu than we
had previously also in the control
center you'll notice that in beta 1 the
hover text icon was just blank but now
it should shows the glyph for hover text
and then also the search is much better
in control center now so when you search
for something like personal hotspot for
example it does not pull up airplane
mode cellular data all of that it pulls
up just personal hotspot like you were
searching for so it seems like search
has been improved for adding control
center toggles and also the personal
hotspot glyph icon has changed as well
so there's now a slash through the
personal hotspot whereas before it just
showed as to chains linking on the home
screen if you have to press and then go
to edit up in the top left and then go
to customize you'll see that we have a
new glyph icon to the right of customize
so it's now a brush over top of an
iPhone whereas before it was just a
paintbrush also in the top left of this
section we have the little sun right
there which changes the brightness of
the background from light and dark mode
and you can now do that from the
automatic section before that was there
but you could only do it I believe when
you were in dark mode so now you can do
it no matter which one of these options
you select iOS 18 beta 2 also brings
iPhone mirroring which is one of the
biggest features included in iOS 18 and
especially Mac OS Sequoia so what this
does is it allows you to control and see
notifications from your Mac when your
iPhone is locked so you can go into your
settings and then into General and then
AirPlay and continuity and you'll notice
that we have a new section here for
iPhone mirroring and it says this allows
you to use your iPhone and receive
iPhone notifications from your nearby
Mac so when you into there that's where
you can see a list of devices or Macs
that are able to you know control your
iPhone when it's locked and you can see
that my iPhone is mirroring to my Mac
right here when my iPhone is locked and
I'm able to control the iPhone from my
Mac which is that that alone is awesome
and you can go to the home screen with
this button and into the app switcher as
well you can receive notifications on
your Mac when you get them on your
iPhone you get a nice little sound to go
along with that as well it's pretty
awesome I will say like it's not fully
there yet you can't drag and drop things
at least I've not been able to get that
to work so it's not fully functional yet
of course it is still a beta this is the
first beta that we've seen that
introduced but it's pretty awesome and I
can really see myself using this all the
time and this is the notification you'll
see on the lock screen of the iPhone
that's currently being mirrored to the
mac and you'll also see this once you're
done mirroring so it says iPhone was
used from Mac and then you can go into
settings and maybe remove that device if
it was not a device that you maybe
wanted it to be connected to and if you
guys want to see a full video on iPhone
mirroring with the iPhone and the Mac
let me know in a comment down below
because I think it's really useful for
typing out long emails and just I don't
know using a mouse on the keyboard for
your iPhone is pretty cool especially
when it's already on your Mac so let me
know if you want to see that video now
another big change in iOS 18 beta 2 is
this new toggle under settings messages
and under the text messaging setting
you'll notice that there's a new toggle
for RCF messaging so yes RCS now has a
toggle in iOS 18 beta 2 however I have
not been able to get this to work so
Apple actually mentions in the release
notes they say this existing RCS one:1
or group chats will downgrade to SMS
even if RCS is still registered so it
looks like RCS is there as a toggle but
it's not fully functional just yet I
have tested this multiple times and I've
tried Force quitting out of the messages
application which Apple says is a
workaround for this bug but I still you
know had people tell me that the video
quality is bad when I sent it to their
Android device so RCS hopefully we see
that very soon but as of now not fully
functional in beta 2 now iOS 18 beta 2
was also supposed to bring shareplay
screen sharing but I've not been able to
get that to work so what this is is if
you FaceTime somebody and you share your
screen or they share their screen you
can control their iPhone from your
iPhone so this is great if you maybe
have grandparents who need help with
something and you know they call you and
you can control their iPhone and perform
the task for them so I've not been able
to get this to work but it is supposedly
in iOS 18 beta 2 and if you head into
the settings and go anywhere where you
have default app icons showing so for
example in the privacy and security
section and then you change your phone
into dark mode so if you go into dark
mode on both of these devices you'll
notice that the dark mode icons now show
up here on the left so any where in the
settings where you have default icons
like calendar contacts Health homekit
all of those show the dark mode icon for
those select apps whereas before it
would still show the light mode icons
for calendars contacts Health homekit
all of those so a nice minor Improvement
there that makes a big difference in the
settings if we head into our settings
and go down to the Siri section
unfortunately we do not have the new
Siri animation as you can see it just
shows as normal and also if you did do
the kind of hacky way to get the new
Siri
in beta 1 that is now dead with beta 2
it no longer works so anyways in our
settings here for the series section
you'll notice up top that not only is
this platter smaller but also the
description has changed so it used to
say what it said for a long time up here
before in beta 1 but now in beta 2 it
says Siri is an intelligent assistant
that helps you find information and get
things done so it seems like apple is
kind of gearing up for the Apple
intelligence features to be in this
section and settings and you'll also
notice that in this section there's no
more press side button for Siri so I'm
not sure why that is not here in beta 2
but it's missing and then also if you go
to listen for there's a new toggle down
here that has no description it just
says talk to Sir so that is a new one
and if you turn that off and on nothing
changes there's no description and
there's also a change in the face ID and
passcode section and settings as well so
it's also been a bit condensed so now
you can see the verbiage up there has
been changed in beta 2 in the photos
application if you go to the filters in
the bottom leftand corner and tap on
that and then go to view options there's
a new option for show shared with you
and a new glyph icon next to that that
was not there in beta 1 if we head over
to the lock screen and haptic press
right here and go to customize into our
lock screen you'll notice that now when
we add the open app shortcut so right
here the open app and then we tap on it
it pops up right away you actually don't
even have to tap it prompts you right
away so that was broken in beta 1 you
would have to basically go out of this
and then back into it and then tap again
but now the open app shortcut for the
lock screen is working as expected now a
big change for the iPad is that iPad OS
18 beta 2 includes the alternative app
stores and other EU changes so all the
changes that we saw for the EU with iOS
17 and those changes didn't come to the
iPad they are now coming to the iPad so
this includes the third party app stores
and all of the other changes to Safari
and the App Store if we head into our
accessibility settings the music haptics
icon has been changed so before in beta
1 it was blue now in beta 2 it is red
also in the accessibility settings if
you go into it tracking there's a new
description underneath of it so it's a
bit lengthier so it's now two sentences
instead of just one short sentence about
what it does also we have this new
placeholder for our Apple account if our
photo does not show up it's no longer
blank it just shows this new icon with
the Apple in there and if we go into our
iCloud settings the badge in the top
right has changed so it used to say
subscriber Edition now it says
subscriber iCloud so still a completely
meaningless badge in my opinion but that
is still there just the text has been
slightly tweaked also a feature that was
in beta 1 but I didn't notice until beta
2 is inside of our settings display and
brightness and then down to autolock and
if you set this to never there's a new
warning at the bottom that says your
iPhone may use more energy with this
setting now as far as the release notes
go there are a lot of details in these
release notes so I'm not going to go
through everything but there are quite a
few known issues as expected some of
these are leftovers from beta 1 but
there are also quite a few specific new
features and also a lot of known issues
so a lot of the known issues are related
to the visuals on the home screen like
when you switch from light mode to dark
mode some things don't change over apple
is aware of that along with a lot of the
other UI based bugs that we've been
talking about since beta 1 and for the
camera I did want to mention two
resolved issues that I've had so the
portrait capture after boot might take
longer than expected to finish that was
something I faced in beta 1 along with
camera functions might take up to 2
minutes to work after booting an iPhone
or iPad that has also worked and there
are also fixes for document scanning and
for portrait mode preview and there are
three control center resolved issues so
there's a bug fix for the empty pages in
control center that was given a lot of
people issues beta 1 so now the empty
pages no longer stay there After exiting
the edit mode and then there's a fix for
control widgets and also for the voice
memos control also the Emoji tapbacks
are broken in group chats in iOS 18 beta
2 specifically with SMS messages so if
you have an SMS group chat I've noticed
that the tapbacks are now broken even
though those were working properly in
beta 1 and then also screen time is
still broken in iOS 18 beta 2 and it's
actually gotten worse than beta 1 so if
you go to your settings and try to go
into screen time it just freezes you
can't do anything on your device and
then it will eventually crash and go
back to the home screen if you don't do
it manually it will just crash out of
settings and go back to the home screen
so screen time still broken in beta 2
and there are going to be a few other
bugs as well since we still are in an
early beta for iOS 18 now I did want to
touch on the geekbench scores because if
we go into my history here you can see I
ran a geekbench test shortly after
installing so we scored a 27 92 on the
single core and a 6759 on the multicore
so a very low multicore especially
compared to our last run just 3 days ago
you can see we got a
7272 versus a 6759 so clearly an anomaly
because I was you know uploading to
iCloud my iCloud was backing up and
everything like that so that's to be
expected when you download a update and
you know run these scores shortly after
so I will be running another test at the
end of the week to see how it compares
to a later run of iOS 18 beta 1 which is
this one right here but of course I will
continue using iOS 18 beta 2 throughout
the week to see how it compares to beta
1 and I will touch on that in my Apple
weekly episode coming on Saturday and
the same goes with the battery life of
course it's way too early to tell how
battery life is so far but a good way to
judge early is to see what my battery
percentage is now compared to when I
started the video so 84% now you guys
will have to go back to the beginning
and let me know how the battery life was
or what the battery life was at the
beginning and how much I lost throughout
this video now as far as when to expect
the next beta I would expect to see iOS
18 developer beta 3 in about 2 weeks
from now so that puts us at around July
8th or July 9th so apple does not
typically release betas on Monday so
today was you know a difference an
anomaly but I would expect to see beta 3
most likely on a Tuesday but from now on
we can't really rule out Mondays anymore
I guess so I'm going to say either the
eth or the 9th is when we can expect to
see developer beta 3 and then as far as
the first public beta for public beta
testers you're probably going to see the
first public beta around the same time
so either that week or even the
following week the week of July 15th but
I do not see the public beta coming
anytime after the week of the 15th so
it's going to be within one of those two
weeks and then as far as any Apple
intelligence features I know some people
have been asking me about Apple
intelligence we do not see anything new
or relevant to Apple intelligence in
this beta 2 update but we should start
seeing some of those features in beta 3
or later now we're not going to see
everything until 2025 so a lot of the
really Advanced and the really awesome
AI features from Apple are not going to
come until 2025 so I would not expect
those but we are going to see the new
Siri UI and a lot of the Siri changes as
well coming in later betas because they
will be in the iOS 18 final update so
nothing here here in beta 2 though
related to Apple intelligence
unfortunately so that is IOS 18 beta 2
I'm sure there are even more changes in
the update and I will be exploring those
and finding those throughout the week
and I will share those additional
changes in my Apple weekly episode on
Saturday as I always do but if you
enjoyed this video I would appreciate if
you give it a thumbs up also make sure
to subscribe so you don't miss out on
future iOS 18 beta update videos but
anyways guys thanks again for watching
and I'll see you soon
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