Apple Seeds iOS 14.4 and iPadOS 14.4 Release Candidate for Developers and Public Beta Testers

Apple today seeded the RC version of upcoming iOS 14.4 and iPadOS 14.4 updates to developers for testing purposes, with the new betas a week after Apple released the second betas.

iOS 14.4 and iPadOS 14.4 can be downloaded from the Apple Developer Center or over the air after the appropriate profile is installed on an iPhone or iPad.

In conjunction with the HomePod 14.4 beta available only to a limited number of testers, iOS 14.4 adds new HomePod mini functionality that takes advantage of the mini’s U1 chip.

There are now visual, audio and haptic effects when transferring songs from a HomePod mini to a U1-compatible iPhone 11 or iPhone 12. When an iPhone near is near the HomePod mini, it starts a soft haptic touch rhythm that keeps getting faster. the ‌‌iPhone‌‌ will move closer until the interface for transferring a song between the ‌‌HomePod mini‌‌ and the ‌‌iPhone‌‌ opens.

This functionality makes transfers faster and more reliable on a “HomePod mini” and an “iPhone 11” or “iPhone 12”, all of which are equipped with U1 chips that allow the devices to better understand where they are in relation to each other.

In the Workout section of the Apple Watch app on iPhone, there is a new “Time to Run” feature with a toggle for “Add New Workouts to Watch”. This suggests that Apple may plan to add guided walking workouts to the watchOS 7.3 beta. “Time to Run Workouts are downloaded when Apple Watch is plugged into a power outlet and near your iPhone. Completed workouts are automatically deleted,” the institution reads. This is not functional in the first beta of watchOS 7.3 and iOS 14.4, but can be activated later.

iOS 14.4 includes a setting to specify a device type for third-party audio devices connected via Bluetooth so that the headphone audio level can be measured correctly. Apple tracks the sound levels of the headphones to send alerts when music is playing at a level that could damage hearing health over time.

iOS 14.4 contains code that suggests Apple will add a warning to iPhones whose camera has been repaired or replaced with aftermarket components. The warning, which says “Cannot verify this iPhone has a genuine Apple camera,” will notify users that the camera is not a genuine Apple camera. Apple’s full release notes for the update are below:

iOS 14.4 includes the following improvements for your ‌iPhone‌:
– Smaller QR codes can be recognized by Camera
– Option to classify the Bluetooth device type in Settings for proper identification of headphones for audio notification
– Notifications for when the camera on your iPhone cannot be verified as a new, original Apple camera in iPhone 12, iPhone 12 mini, iPhone 12 Pro and iPhone 12 Pro Max

This release also addresses the following issues:
– Image artifacts may appear in HDR photos taken with ‌iPhone 12 Pro‌
– Fitness widget may not display updated activity data
– Typing may be delayed and word suggestions may not appear on the keyboard
– The keyboard may not be displayed in the correct language in Messages
– Audio stories from the News app in CarPlay may not resume after paused for spoken instructions or Siri
– If you turn on Switch Control in Accessibility, phone calls may not be answered from the lock screen

There is no notice yet when iOS 14.4 will be released, but as release notes are available, the public version may be coming soon.