Apple Releases Fourth iOS 12.4 Developer Beta Today

With iOS 13's developer beta in full swing, it can be easy to forget that there's an entirely separate iOS beta cycle still running right now. Yes, iOS 12.4 is still in beta, and unlike iOS 13, it's available to the public for testing.

This fourth beta update comes exactly two weeks after the release of iOS 12.4 beta 3. That beta update did not include any noticeable changes or features. Beta 4 appears to follow suit, with no significant impact on the iOS 12.4 experience. According to the release notes, the only update is to Instruments, with a fix when working with the Leak instrument in iOS 12.2 and later.

Update: Apple's iOS 12.4 Public Beta 5 Now Available for iPhone

Here are the full release notes:

Overview
The iOS 12.2 SDK provides support for developing iOS apps for iPhone, iPad, or iPod touch devices running iOS 12.4. The SDK comes bundled with Xcode 10.2.1 available from the Mac App Store. For information on the compatibility requirements for Xcode 10.2.1, see Xcode 10.2.1 Release Notes.

Instruments — Resolved Issues
Resolved an issue where running an app in iOS 12.2 or later under the Leaks instrument resulted in random numbers of false-positive leaks for every leak check after the first one in a given run. You might still encounter this issue in Simulator, or in macOS apps when using Instruments from Xcode 10.2 and later. (48549361)

Other than this bug fix, Apple's imminent software update seems to be exclusively designed to support its upcoming credit card, Apple Card. However, the Apple Pay-ready form of payment isn't quite out yet. Unless you're on of the lucky few testing the card as well, you'll likely need to wait until the likely joint release of iOS 12.4 and Apple Card to get it a whirl.

To download and update your iPhone to iOS 12.4 dev beta 4, you will first need to be a registered developer with a valid configuration profile. If you have iOS 12's "Automatic Updates" enabled, you can let the software update overnight. To install right away, launch the Settings app, select "General," then "Software Update." Tap "Download and Install," then follow the on-screen prompts.