Apple Releases First Betas of iOS 17.4 and iPadOS 17.4 to Developers
Apple has seeded the initial betas of iOS 17.4 and iPadOS 17.4 to developers, following the recent releases of iOS 17.3 and iPadOS 17.3.
How to Access the Betas
Registered developers can access the betas by going to the Settings app on their iPhone or iPad and selecting the Software Update section. From there, they can tap on the "Beta Updates" option and toggle on the iOS 17 or iPadOS 17 Developer Beta.
Downloading and installing the beta requires an Apple ID that is associated with a developer account.
App Sideloading Support in iOS 17.4
In order to comply with the Digital Markets Act (DMA) in the European Union, Apple has until March 6 to introduce app sideloading. iOS 17.4 will include support for this feature, allowing European users to download apps from sources other than the App Store.
It's important to note that app sideloading will only be available in the EU and will not impact customers in other regions.
Possible Emoji Additions
While the specific details of iOS 17.4 have not been revealed, previous updates around this time have introduced new emoji characters. If this trend continues, we can expect to see the addition of Unicode 15.1 emojis in the update.
Some of the potential new emojis include a phoenix, lime, edible mushroom, vertical head shaking (for a "yes" nod), horizontal head shaking (for a "no" head shake), and a broken chain.
