Apple Seeds Fourth Beta of iOS 11.3 to Developers [Updated]

Apple today seeded the fourth beta of an upcoming iOS 11.3 update to developers for testing purposes, two weeks after seeding the third beta and two weeks after the release of iOS 11.2.6, an update that addressed a bug causing iPhones and iPads to crash when a character from the Indian language Telugu was rendered improperly.

Registered developers can download the new iOS 11.3 beta from Apple's Developer Center or over-the-air once the proper configuration profile has been installed from the Developer Center.


iOS 11.3 is a major update that introduces a long list of new features, like Messages in iCloud for saving space and syncing messages across devices, and ARKit 1.5, a new version of ARKit able to more accurately map irregularly shaped surfaces, recognize images, and place objects on vertical surfaces like walls.

There are four new Animoji on the iPhone X (dragon, bear, skull, and lion), and in the Health app, there's a new Health Records feature that aggregates all of your medical records in one easy-to-access place.

animoji ios 11 3
As of iOS 11.3 beta 2, the update includes a new "Battery Health" feature that's designed to provide iOS users with more information about their batteries.


Battery Health offers details on maximum battery capacity and peak performance capability, and for devices with degraded batteries, it provides information on if and when a device is being throttled with performance management features. It also provides a way for customers who do have a device with a degraded battery to turn off performance management all together.

batteryhealthtoggle
By default, iOS 11.3 disables performance management on the iPhone, and the feature is only re-enabled once a device experiences an unexpected shutdown.

Early betas of iOS 11.3 and tvOS 11.3 included support for AirPlay 2 features, allowing audio to be played to multiple Apple TVs, but these features were removed in iOS 11.3 and tvOS 11.3 beta 3.

Other features in iOS 11.3 include a "For You" section in Apple News that displays the top videos of the day, support for Advanced Mobile Location (AML) for more accurate location when placing an emergency call in a supported country, more information about app size in the Updates tap in the App Store, software authentication for HomeKit, and a new Privacy screen and icon that will show up whenever Apple asks you for info.

iBooks has also had the "i" removed from its name, so it's just "Books" now, and the App Store now lets you sort reviews by most helpful, most favorable, most critical, and most recent, a handy change for better finding the app info you're looking for.

appstoreappsizeinfo
Business Chat, which will let you interface with businesses like Wells Fargo, Delta, Hilton and Lowe's right in the Messages app is coming when iOS 11.3 is released, and improvements to Apple Music will bring better support for music videos.

iOS 11.3 will be released to the public in the spring. Spring kicks off on March 20, so the update will be in testing for at least another couple of weeks.

Update: In iOS 11.3 beta 4, the renamed "Books" app has reverted to its original "iBooks" name.

Update 2: Apple has also seeded a fourth beta of iOS 11.3 for public beta testers.

Related Forum: iOS 11

Popular Stories

AirPods Pro 3 Mock Feature

AirPods Pro 3 Just Months Away – Here's What We Know

Friday April 18, 2025 5:16 am PDT by
Despite being more than two years old, Apple's AirPods Pro 2 still dominate the premium wireless‑earbud space, thanks to a potent mix of top‑tier audio, class‑leading noise cancellation, and Apple's habit of delivering major new features through software updates. With AirPods Pro 3 widely expected to arrive in 2025, prospective buyers now face a familiar dilemma: snap up the proven...
CarPlay Hero

Apple Releases Wireless CarPlay Fix

Wednesday April 16, 2025 11:28 am PDT by
If you have been experiencing issues with wireless CarPlay in your vehicle lately, it was likely due to a software bug that has now been fixed. Apple released iOS 18.4.1 today, and the update's release notes say it "addresses a rare issue that prevents wireless CarPlay connection in certain vehicles." If wireless CarPlay was acting up for you, updating your iPhone to iOS 18.4.1 should...
iphone 16 pro models 1

17 Reasons to Wait for the iPhone 17

Thursday April 17, 2025 4:12 am PDT by
Apple's iPhone development roadmap runs several years into the future and the company is continually working with suppliers on several successive iPhone models simultaneously, which is why we often get rumored features months ahead of launch. The iPhone 17 series is no different, and we already have a good idea of what to expect from Apple's 2025 smartphone lineup. If you skipped the iPhone...
Beyond iPhone 13 Better Triad

Apple's 20th Anniversary iPhone May Finally Go All Screen

Tuesday April 15, 2025 6:31 am PDT by
Apple is preparing a "bold" new iPhone Pro model for the iPhone's 20th anniversary in 2027, according to Bloomberg's Mark Gurman. As part of what's being described as a "major shake-up," Apple is said to be developing a design that makes more extensive use of glass – and this could point directly to the display itself. Here's the case for Apple releasing a truly all-screen iPhone with no...
maxresdefault

iPhone 17 Pro Launching Later This Year With These 12 New Features

Sunday April 13, 2025 7:52 am PDT by
While the iPhone 17 Pro and iPhone 17 Pro Max are not expected to launch until September, there are already plenty of rumors about the devices. Subscribe to the MacRumors YouTube channel for more videos. Below, we recap key changes rumored for the iPhone 17 Pro models as of April 2025: Aluminum frame: iPhone 17 Pro models are rumored to have an aluminum frame, whereas the iPhone 15 Pro and ...
iOS 19 Roundup Feature

iOS 19 Will Add These New Features to Your iPhone

Tuesday April 15, 2025 7:37 am PDT by
The first iOS 19 beta is less than two months away, and there are already a handful of new features that are expected with the update. Apple should release the first iOS 19 beta to developers immediately following the WWDC 2025 keynote, which is scheduled for Monday, June 9. Following beta testing, the update should be released to the general public in September. Below, we recap the key...
top stories 2025 04 19

Top Stories: iPhone 17 Pro Rumors, CarPlay Bug Fix, and More

Saturday April 19, 2025 6:00 am PDT by
This week saw rumor updates on the iPhone 17 Pro and next-generation Vision Pro, while a minor iOS 18.4.1 update delivered not just security fixes but also a fix for some CarPlay issues. We also looked ahead at what else is in Apple's pipeline for the rest of 2025 and even the 20th-anniversary iPhone coming in 2027, so read on below for all the details on these stories and more! iPhone 17 ...

Top Rated Comments

MrGimper Avatar
93 months ago
They've had almost a year... I genuinely don't understand how it can be this delayed.
Because you’re not a developer for a massive company with millions of users and devices that could feck up if you make a mistake...
Score: 12 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Michael Goff Avatar
93 months ago
So no AirPlay 2?
Probably not, and that’s okay. I’d rather they work on making sure it works 99% of the time than throw it out to meet a deadline.
Score: 9 Votes (Like | Disagree)
itsmilo Avatar
93 months ago
Would anybody with an iPad Air 2 want to comment on how well 11.3 is running by now?
Almost no difference to me and I use my Air 2 and 10.5 Pro daily side by side. However I am not one of those people that stop time to spot 0.000001 lag
Score: 9 Votes (Like | Disagree)
vipergts2207 Avatar
93 months ago
You’d prefer them to release it full of bugs?
I'd prefer them not to announce features a year before they're ready. It's obvious at this point that it wasn't even close to being done when they announced it at WWDC last year. This is the closest thing to vaporware I've ever seen from Apple. I do have confidence it will be released eventually, but the delay on this has been ridiculously long. I mean let's get real here, it's not even in the betas anymore.
Score: 7 Votes (Like | Disagree)
deanthedev Avatar
93 months ago
They've had almost a year... I genuinely don't understand how it can be this delayed.
Easy. Sending audio over WiFi to separate speakers is not as easy as it sounds. You need to make sure that both (if you have a stereo pair) get their audio at exactly the same time. Even the slightest delay in unacceptable.

Note that by delay I’m not talking about large obvious delays like the sound not syncing up with a movie where their lips are moving and their voice is completely out of whack. I’m talking about tiny millisecond delays. Our ears localize sound based on the volume and phase (time delay) that sound reaches our ears. If the signal is out of phase slightly (because of a slight time delay) it can have a significant affect on the sound.

I’m really very curious how Apple is going to deal with this.
Score: 5 Votes (Like | Disagree)
ck2875 Avatar
93 months ago
They've had almost a year... I genuinely don't understand how it can be this delayed.
The PowerBook G5 understands.
Score: 5 Votes (Like | Disagree)