Apple's iOS 13.5.5 Developer Beta 1 Includes Evidence of Audio Support in Apple News+

Apple released the first developer beta for iOS 13.5.5 on Monday, June 1. The update comes on the same day Apple released iOS 13.5.1 to the public, which patched the unc0ver jailbreak, and 12 days after iOS 13.5, which introduced COVID-19 exposure notifications, in addition to other new features.

Apple released the update at 11 a.m. PDT, an unusual time for Apple, as 10 a.m. PDT is its go-to for software updates. It's possible the company wanted to clear that time slot for the 13.5.1 release and release the 13.5.5 beta on its own. The public beta version was released a few hours afterward.

Update: Apple's iOS 13.6 Beta 2 Now Available for Developers

That said, this update is only for registered developers. If you're a public beta tester, you'll need to wait until Apple releases 13.5.5 public beta 1, which we expect to see at either 1 p.m. PDT today or 10 a.m. PDT tomorrow.

So far, the only major change of note is evidence for audio support in Apple News+. As reported by MacRumors, there are images in 13.5.5's code that show "News+ Audio." It supports rumors from Digiday that Apple is working with publications to make audio versions of articles, which would then be available to Apple News+ subscribers.

Apple's iOS 13.5.5 Developer Beta 1 Includes Evidence of Audio Support in Apple News+ — *Image via MacRumors*

iOS & iPadOS 13.5.5 Beta Release Notes
Update your apps to use new features, and test your apps against API changes.
Overview
The iOS & iPadOS 13.5 SDK provides support to develop apps for iPhone, iPad, and iPod touch devices running iOS & iPadOS 13.5.5. The SDK comes bundled with Xcode 11.5, available from the Mac App Store. For information on the compatibility requirements for Xcode 11.5, see Xcode 11.5 Release Notes.

— Apple's release notes

To update your iPhone to iOS 13.5.5 dev beta 1, you'll 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.