The last iOS 16.5 beta release date & iOS 16.5 release candidate
iOS 16.5 developer beta 4 release date & iOS 16.5 public beta 4 release date info, plus likely features
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We’ve seen the final iOS beta release date come to pass in the form of the second iOS 16.5 release candidate, which followed on from the first iOS 16.5 release candidate, which came after the last proper iOS 16.5 beta 4 release date. The full iOS 16.5 release is imminent, so this is all the betas we’ll get for this version of iOS.
iOS 16.5 beta release date history
iOS 16.5 beta 1 release date
So far the first developer beta of iOS version 16.5 released on the 28th March 2023, sticking to the expected pattern of coming out only one or two days following the full public release of the previous version (in this case, the day after iOS 16.4 released on the 27th March).
iOS 16.5 beta 2 release date
The iOS 16.5 developer beta 2 release date landed on the 11th April, 2023. The second betas harder to predict than the first developer beta, because when looking at the iOS 16 version history, there’s no real pattern to the release of the second beta of each version – the timeframe ranges from 6 days after the launch of developer beta 1, to 28 days later. But our loose prediction was right in that we expected to see it release before the end of April 2023, and lo!
iOS 16.5 beta 3 release date
Regarding the iOS 16.5 developer beta 3 release date, we had a window of time in which we thought it was most likely to fall i.e. 7-14 days after the release of the second beta. This put it at sometime between the 18th April – 25th April, 2023.
As predicted the iOS 16.5 beta 3 release date was on the 25th April, 2023.
iOS 16.5 beta 4 release date
The iOS 16.5 beta 4 release date was on the 2nd of May 2023.
iOS 16.5 release candidate 1 release date
The first iOS 16.5 release candidate release date was on the 9th of May 2023, a week after the previous ‘proper’ beta.
iOS 16.5 release candidate 2 release date
The second iOS 16.5 release candidate release date was on the 15th of May 2023, 6 days after the previous one. Given the imminent iOS 16.5 release date for the full version, we do not currently think there will be an additional beta after this one.
You can read the iOS 16.5 RC release notes on the Apple site for more information.
iOS 16.5 beta features
Based on the releases of every iOS 16.5 beta so far, it looks like iOS 16.5 is going to be a relatively modest update, with most of the big new features being saved for the iOS 17 release date. Below is what we’ve seen so far and what we expect to see going forward.
iOS 16.5 beta 1 features
- Siri screen recording – in addition to the previous screen recording method (activated under Settings > Control Center) you can now just say “Hey Siri – start a screen recording”.
- Apple News Sports Tab – info previously available in the ‘Today’ tab relating to sports now has its own dedicated tab within Apple News.
iOS 16.5 beta 2 features
- HomePod Safety & Security – Via the Office app you can now setup your HomePod to recognise if there’s a smoke detector or similar going off at your home when you’re out, and to send you an alert.
- Apple Card savings account – offered via Goldman Sachs, this purportedly high interest savings account (though we don’t yet know the exact APR) can be linked with Daily Cash automatic deposits, managed through the Wallet app.
iOS 16.5 beta 3 features
Despite what we thought were features we could see in beta 3 (such as the iMessage Contact Key Verification security option and possibly the Apple Music Classical app), it actually ended up being an extremely minor update to the previous two betas.
What we got amounted to minor aesthetic changes, such as to the Apple News Sports tab, which now has combination of the ‘Following’ and ‘Search’ sub-tabs within the app.
iOS 16.5 beta 4 features
Most of the changes with iOS 16.5 beta 4 were minor background changes, including MagSafe charger firmware and AirPods firmware updates. The one main visual change you can see is under the ‘Wallpaper’ app, a new Pride section has been added for Pride wallpapers.
READ NOW: iOS 17 release date & iOS version history
iOS 16.5 beta 4 FAQs
When will iOS 16.5 beta come out?
The first four proper iOS 16.5 betas have already come out: beta 1 first releasing on the 28th March, beta 2 coming out on 11th April, beta 3 on the 25th April, and beta 4 on the 2nd May. This was followed by the first iOS 16.5 RC (release candidate) on the 9th of May, and the second on the 15th of May.
It’s likely that these could be all the betas we will see for iOS 16.5.
What is new in iOS 16.5 beta?
So far we’ve seen Siri screen recording, an Apple News Sports Tab, HomePod Office alert, and Apple Card savings account features added.
iOS 16.5 beta 4 release date : Final Word
We hope that you now feel a lot more informed on the subject of the iOS 16.5 beta release date. Do be sure to also take a looksie at our myriad other Apple and phone guides whilst you’re here, to keep up to date on the latest news.