The latest version of Apple’s operating system, iOS 14.6, is now available as a public beta. That means you can download it, but it may contain some bugs, as Apple is still working on it before its final release.

Apple doesn’t publicly announce when it will release a new version of iOS, but there are some clues. Since the public beta became available on April 23, and releases come out roughly once a month, we expect to see the final version of iOS 14.6 sometime in May, especially since this is likely to be a smaller update. Plus, we’re expecting Apple to unveil iOS 15 at its Worldwide Developers Conference in June.

How can you download Ios 14.6 Public Beta?
If you do want to download the iOS 14.6 public beta and try out some of the new features (again, we’d recommend doing so on a device you don’t typically use, since there could be bugs), you first have to sign up for Apple’s Beta Software Program. To do that, go to beta.apple.com/sp/betaprogram, and click Sign Up. You’ll have to enter your Apple ID and password, and agree to the terms and conditions. Tap iOS, and under Get Started, click Enroll your Apple device. From there you’ll find more instructions on how to do so.
Once you’re part of the program, you can go to Settings > Software Update, and when you see iOS 14.6 Public Beta, hit Download and Install.

How can you download iOS 14.6 once it’s generally available?
When it’s released, you should get a prompt telling you that iOS 14.6 is now available and asking if you’d like to download it. Or you can do the following:

1. Open the Settings app.
2. Select General
3. Tap Software Update

Your device will connect to Apple’s servers and prompt you to download and install the update. Follow the prompts to complete the installation. When your device reboots, it will be running iOS 14.6.
What devices will iOS 14.6 work on?
iOS 14.6 will be compatible with all the same devices as iOS 14. Generally, these include the iPhone 6S ($269 at eBay) all the way up through the iPhone 12, along with the iPhone SE ($99 at Back Market) and the seventh-gen iPod Touch ($140 at Back Market).

New features
We’re slowly finding out more about what new features iOS 14.6 will bring. Again, since iOS 14.5 was a larger update with a lot of new features, it’s likely that this one will be smaller, and more focused on under-the-hood changes. The beta download page says that it “contains bug fixes and improvements.”

• Better beta tools

The beta versions of iOS 14.6 include a tool that lets app developers and public beta testers upgrade to an iOS release candidate without removing their developer or beta profile. Before iOS 14.5 went live to the public, developers could choose between upgrading their device to the iOS 14.5 release candidate or to the beta version of iOS 14.6. Under the Software Update menu in Settings, there’s a new Also Available section where you can find this option.

• Hi-fi support for Apple Music

On May 17, Apple said that in June, it would add support for high-quality, lossless and spatial audio to Apple Music through Dolby Atmos at no additional cost. However, Apple did not specify if this release would be part of iOS 14.6, or arrive sooner or later.
High-fidelity streaming could help Apple Music compete with Spotify.

The Apple AirTags are another great addition to the Apple ecosystem

One of the best things about being an iPhone user is that as long as you are committed to Apple’s ecosystem, you get superior cohesive connectivity across a wide range of devices and gadgets that other phone brands simply have not been able to match.

An AirTag is a slightly larger-than-a-coin-sized disc that beams its location to Apple’s “Find My” network, which can be accessed via iPhones, iPads, or Macs. Those with iPhone 11 or iPhone 12, because they have the special U1 chip, can locate an AirTag/multiple AirTags with pinpoint precision if the AirTag and iPhone are not too far away.

Apple’s upcoming M2 chip enters mass production

Аpple’s latest transition, from x86 to their own in-house ARM CPUs last year, for the first time  has full control over their computers’ software and hardware like with their smartphones and tablets, but the CPU itself, the Apple M1, manages to trade bouts with the most powerful Intel Core and AMD Ryzen CPUs out there in terms of performance.

The Apple M1 SoC has already shipped in the 13-inch MacBook Air and MacBook Pro as well as the Mac Mini, and this M1-powered product lineup was joined by a redesigned iMac and a more powerful iPad Pro during the last Apple event.

ARM refresh and the 14-16 inches MacBooks are to launch with another chip that’s apparently called the “Apple M1X”, featuring a 12-core design instead of an 8-core.

However, given that we’re about to enter the second half of the year in some months and seeing that these chips are set to start shipping in July, just less than 3 months from now, we might just be talking about the same SoC. If it’s indeed the same SoC, we’re seemingly going to see considerable performance improvements, whether it launches as the Apple M1X or as the Apple M2.

Of course, this is all just speculation. We might learn more about this SoC and maybe even about the upcoming MacBooks on WWDC 2021, which is set to be held from June 7 to June 11.

Speaking of Apple and iOS:

Spotify has introduced podcast subscriptions

With the release of iOS 14.5 this week, Apple has introduced a way for creators to offer subscriptions through its Podcasts app. Spotify hasn’t wasted any time following suit, bringing new podcast monetization tools to its platform.

Spotify introduced paid podcast subscriptions, allowing creators to make money off their shows.

Podcasters who use its platform can mark their episodes as subscriber-only and then publish them to Spotify. Interested creators can join a waitlist.

Apple is finally launching iOS 14.5 and iPadOS 14.5 on 26 April. It will include several additional features — such as new Siri voices and a fancy new Face ID feature that makes it possible to use your iPhone while wearing a face mask. However, being an early adopter of iOS 14.5 or any new software doesn’t always pay off. No matter how excited you are to get a glimpse of the new update, it can bring a lot of issues to you, if you update it immediately, due to the following reasons:

Every once in a while, there’s a disastrous bug.

It hasn’t happened often, but there have been a few iOS updates that have all but ruined iPhones and iPads for those who installed them the second the update was available. For example, an update in 2016 bricked Apple’s iPad Pro for some owners. You should wait a few days or even a week after the update is available before installing it. That way there will have been time for any first or second-day issues to crop up, prompting Apple to either remove the update and replace it with a fixed version or issue a second update with bug fixes.

Not every developer will be ready on launch day

Apple makes changes to the iPhone or iPad’s underlying code that developers have to adapt to, and if the developer takes some extra time to make sure all its changes work, most of the time there aren’t any problems. There are times when OS updates break an app entirely and unless the developer has its iOS 14.5 optimized app ready to go, you could be stuck waiting. By giving developers a few days to push out their respective updates, you’re reducing the chances that you’ll run into any problems.

iOS 14 was first launched in September, ahead of the release of the iPhone 12. While new versions of Apple’s mobile operating system typically arrive once a month with new features and bug fixes, the latest version — iOS 14.4 — was released on Jan. 26. But iOS 14.5 is a larger update, so it has taken longer to arrive.

Photo Credits: CNet

Today, 26 of April, is the day iOS 14.5 has to be launched. Apple is still working on the bugs, but you can already download it or you can do the following:

1. Open the Settings app.

2. Select General.

3. Tap Software Update.

Your device will connect to Apple’s servers and prompt you to download and install the update. Follow the prompts to complete the installation. When your device reboots, it will be running iOS 14.5.

iOS 14.5 will be compatible with all the same devices as iOS 14. Generally, these include the iPhone 6S all the way up through the iPhone 12, along with the iPhone SE and the iPod Touch. For the full list of devices compatible with iOS 14, click here.

Here are some of the new features of iOS 14.5

-> Apple Watch owners will be able to opt into a feature that lets you use Face ID to unlock your iPhone when your Watch is on and unlocked, even if your face is obscured by a mask.

-> You’ll be able to set a default music player of your choice

-> 217 new emojis

-> an updated voice of Siri

-> Stream Fitness Plus workouts with AirPlay

-> App tracking transparency

-> Dual-SIM 5G global support

-> Console controller support

The upcoming iOS 14.5 update follows the company revealing back in November that it was working with Microsoft to include support for the Xbox Series X controllers.

The new update will also include the ability to unlock an iPhone with an Apple Watch while wearing a mask, Siri emergency contact calling, CarPlay ETA sharing, and dual-SIM 5G support.