News: Apple's iOS 13.6 Developer Beta 3 Offers a Minor Update for iPhones

Apple just released the third developer beta for iOS 13.6 today, Tuesday, June 30. This update comes three weeks after the company released the second 13.6 developer and public betas, which changed the name of the software from 13.5.5. It also comes eight days after Apple released the first developer beta for iOS 14.

Apple released this update at 10 a.m. PDT. If you're an iOS beta tester, you might know that Apple usually releases developer betas at this time. Of course, the keyword here is "developer," as this particular beta is only for registered developers. If you're a public beta tester, you'll need to wait for Apple to release 13.6 public beta 3, which we expect to see at 1 p.m. PDT today, or 10 a.m. PDT tomorrow.

• Update: Apple's iOS 13.6 GM for iPhone Is Now Available

Because this update is so new, we aren't sure what new features and changes Apple is bringing to iPhones, if any. Dev beta 2 introduced a name change, as Apple moved from iOS 13.5.5 to iOS 13.6. The company changed the name of iOS 13.4.5 in the same way, upgrading the software to iOS 13.5 with the third beta update. The third 13.5 beta introduced COVID-19 exposure notification API, which explained Apple's desire for a more substantial iOS name.

This time around, things aren't so clear. The second 13.6 beta introduced a new "Symptoms" feature for Health, which allows you to track a wide variety of symptoms just like you can for other Health information. It also updated the Automatic Updates section of Settings, which now lets you separately choose to automatically download updates, as well as automatically install downloaded updates.

While those features are definitely interesting, they wouldn't be too far from home under the "13.5.5" name. Why Apple ultimately decided to upgrade the name again is still up for debate. Either way, here we are.

iOS & iPadOS 13.6 Beta 3 Release Notes

Overview

• The iOS & iPadOS 13.6 SDK provides support to develop apps for iPhone, iPad, and iPod touch devices running iOS & iPadOS 13.6. The SDK comes bundled with Xcode 11.6 beta, available from Beta Software Downloads. For information on the compatibility requirements for Xcode 11.6 beta, see Xcode 11.6 Beta Release Notes.

HealthKit - New Features

• New data types are available in HealthKit to track symptoms including headaches, chills, sore throat, and more. (63148620)

Home Screen - Resolved Issues

• Home Screen web apps support data: URLs as expected. (62738434)

To update your iPhone to iOS 13.6 dev beta 3, 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.