Apple Releases iOS 14.5 Public Beta 8, Features Under-the-Hood Changes

Apple released the eighth iOS 14.5 public beta on Tuesday, April 13. The update (build number 18E5199a) comes three hours after Apple seeded developers 14.5 beta 8, so we know that it contains little-to-no surface-level features or changes. Any changes, at this time, appear to be under the hood.

That's why it's surprising to see Apple release an eighth 14.5 beta, and not the 14.5 RC. Even beta 7 was a bit of a shock, seeing as Apple isn't making any overt changes to its software. This release also marks Apple's first time putting out an eighth beta update for non-major software (e.g., iOS 14, iOS 13, etc.).

Update: Apple's iOS 14.5 RC Now Available for iPhone

In iOS beta testing, the RC (release candidate) is the "final" version of a piece of software. Apple seeds it to developers and beta testers first to figure out if there are any major issues left unchecked. If there are any issues, Apple will fix them and seed an "RC 2." Whenever Apple decides that an RC is free from enough significant issues, that version becomes the one that eventually goes out to the public.

iOS & iPadOS 14.5 Beta 8 Release Notes
Overview
The iOS & iPadOS 14.5 SDK provides support to develop apps for iPhone, iPad, and iPod touch devices running iOS & iPadOS 14.5 beta 8. The SDK comes bundled with Xcode 12.5 beta 3, available from Beta Software Downloads. For information on the compatibility requirements for Xcode 12.5, see Xcode 12.5 Beta 3 Release Notes.

General
There are no new release notes for this beta software update.

How to Download & Install the Latest iOS 14.5 Beta on Your iPhone

To update your iPhone to iOS 14.5 public beta 8, sign up through Apple's beta site, download and install the configuration profile, then update over the air. If you already have the profile, go to Settings –> General –> Software Update to begin the installation of the latest beta build, or you can wait until it installs automatically if "Automatic Updates" is enabled.