News: Apple Releases iOS 13.4 Developer Beta 5 for iPhone

Look, we like a new beta update as much as the next tester. There's nothing better than downloading and installing a fresh iOS seed, hunting down any and all new changes and features from the last. That said, we're a bit surprised Apple decided to release iOS 13.4 developer beta 5 on March 10 since dev beta 4 was such a minor update.

Apple released the fifth developer beta for iOS 13.4 at 10 a.m. PDT. If you're a long-time beta tester, that release time will come as no surprise to you. The public beta version came out just three hours later.

• Update: Apple's iOS 13.4 Developer Beta 6 Is Now Available

We don't know what's new about dev beta 5 yet since the update is so fresh. For all we know, Apple could add fun new features and changes that make this beta release one for the ages. Yet, we advise you to temper your expectations. If we base this release off dev beta 4, there won't be much to say at all. That release seemingly introduced zero surface-level changes, which we took as an indication the official 13.4 release was on its way. Perhaps next time.

iOS & iPadOS 13.4 Beta 5 Release Notes

Overview

• The iOS & iPadOS 13.4 SDK provides support to develop apps for iPhone, iPad, and iPod touch devices running iOS & iPadOS 13.4. The SDK comes bundled with Xcode 11.4, available from Beta Software Downloads. For information on the compatibility requirements for Xcode 11.4, see Xcode 11.4 Beta 3 Release Notes.

General - Known Issues

• To install iOS 13.4 beta 5 using the Restore Image, first install Xcode 11.4 beta 2.

Keyboard - New Features

• QuickType Keyboard now supports predictive input for Arabic.
• QuickType Keyboard now supports Live Conversion for Japanese and Chinese (Zhuyin).
• QuickType Keyboard now supports Swiss German layout for 12.9-inch iPad layout.

Keyboard - Resolved Issues

• 12.9-inch iPad layouts for several languages now match the hardware keyboard layouts.

Location Services - New Features

• When an app requests Always authorization for the first time after having previously been authorized for While Using the App, the device immediately presents the location authorization prompt. (57106235)

Photos - New Features

• New keyboard shortcuts are available in Photos on iPadOS, which create quick navigation between tabs, search, and create albums. While in full screen mode, you can also delete, duplicate, and enter Edit mode using a keyboard. (57195967)

RealityKit - Known Issues

• After updating to iOS & iPadOS 13.4, you won't be able to synchronize scenes with peers using earlier versions of RealityKit due to a fundamental change in the physics system. If two peers running a MultipeerConnectivityService have incompatible versions, they will remain connected in the underlying MCSession but won't synchronize scenes. iOS & iPadOS 13.4 adds a new NetworkCompatibilityToken class so a host can avoid inviting incompatible clients to its MCSession. Please see the NetworkCompatibilityToken documentation for additional details. (59262764)

SwiftUI - New Features

• When using a NavigationView with multiple columns, the navigation bar now shows a control to toggle the columns. (49074511)
• The onDrag and onDrop modifiers are now available on iOS. (49661347)

To update your iPhone to iOS 13.4 dev beta 5, you need to be a registered developer. You can use the restore image for your iPhone available in the Developer portal (install with iTunes or Finder) or install the configuration profile, then update over the air. If you already have the profile installed on your iPhone, head over to Settings –> General –> Software Update to start installing the latest beta build, or you can wait until it installs automatically if "Automatic Updates" is enabled.