Wait for iOS 16 Beta 4 Now the Longest Since iOS 6

iOS 16 beta testers have now waited longer for the fourth developer beta version than any new full iOS release since iOS 6 and iOS 7.

ios 16 lock screen feature
The minor landmark, highlighted on Reddit, was hit when Apple did not release the fourth beta version of iOS 16 yesterday. In 2012 and 2013, both iOS 6 and iOS 7's betas were in their third version for 21 days, the same as iOS 16's third developer beta as of today.

If the fourth beta version of iOS 16 is not released later today, iOS 16's third beta version will become the longest ever ".0" third beta of its kind. Regardless of exactly when the fourth beta version is seeded to developers and public beta testers, it is highly likely to occur sometime this week.

Most indications suggest that the development of iOS 16 has not been quite as smooth as recent years, with beta releases often not conforming to the patterns that have come to be expected of Apple based on previous years. Earlier this year, Bloomberg's Mark Gurman speculated that the beta versions could be running behind since internal seeds are currently a "bit buggy."

As rumored, iOS 16's public beta version was late this year. iOS 16's public beta became available on July 11, over two weeks later than the equivalent timeframe for iOS 15's first public beta last year.

Initial betas are often riddled with bugs that need to be fixed, which is why Apple goes through a months-long beta testing period before the updates are officially released to all device owners in September. Apple often recommends beta testers run the new software on a secondary device due to these issues.

Related Forum: iOS 16

Popular Stories

iPhone SE 4 Thumb 1

iPhone SE 4 With Apple's Own 5G Modem 'Confirmed' to Launch in March

Tuesday November 19, 2024 12:12 pm PST by
Barclays analyst Tom O'Malley and his colleagues recently traveled to Asia to meet with various electronics manufacturers and suppliers. In a research note this week, outlining key takeaways from the trip, the analysts said they have "confirmed" that a fourth-generation iPhone SE with an Apple-designed 5G modem is slated to launch towards the end of the first quarter next year. In line with previo...
at t turbo indicator iphone 16 pro max v0 8hrh7w5f3w1e1

AT&T Turbo Indicator Showing Up in iPhone Status Bar for Subscribers

Wednesday November 20, 2024 3:42 am PST by
AT&T has begun displaying "Turbo" in the iPhone carrier label for customers subscribed to its premium network prioritization service, according to reports on Reddit. The new indicator seems to have started appearing after users updated to iOS 18.1.1, but that could be just coincidence. Image credit: Reddit user No_Highlight7476 The Turbo feature provides enhanced network performance through ...
Generic iOS 18 Feature Real Mock

Apple Releases iOS 18.1.1 and iPadOS 18.1.1 With Security Fixes

Tuesday November 19, 2024 10:10 am PST by
Apple today released iOS 18.1.1 and iPadOS 18.1.1, minor updates to the iOS 18 and iPadOS 18 operating systems that debuted earlier in September. iOS 18.1.1 and iPadOS 18.1.1 come three weeks after the launch of iOS 18.1. The new software can be downloaded on eligible iPhones and iPads over-the-air by going to Settings > General > Software Update. Apple has also released iOS 17.7.2 for...
apple card feature2

Apple Card 3% Daily Cash Back Now Available From Two More Apple Partners

Tuesday November 19, 2024 10:36 am PST by
Apple has partnered with select merchants to offer Apple Card users three percent Daily Cash back on their purchases, and two new companies were added to the partner list today. When purchasing goods and services from Booking.com and ChargePoint, Apple Card users will now get more cash back. Booking.com is a site for reserving flights, cars, cruises, and hotels, while ChargePoint sells...
bug security vulnerability issue fix larry

Make Sure to Update: iOS 18.1.1 and macOS Sequoia 15.1.1 Fix Actively Exploited Vulnerabilities

Tuesday November 19, 2024 10:52 am PST by
The iOS 18.1.1, iPadOS 18.1.1, and macOS Sequoia 15.1.1 updates that Apple released today address JavaScriptCore and WebKit vulnerabilities that Apple says have been actively exploited on some devices. With the JavaScriptCore vulnerability, processing maliciously crafted web content could lead to arbitrary code execution. The WebKit vulnerability had the same issue with maliciously crafted...
airtag purple

AirTag 2 Rumored to Launch Next Year With These New Features

Sunday November 17, 2024 5:18 am PST by
Apple released the AirTag in April 2021, so it is now three over and a half years old. While the AirTag has not received any hardware updates since then, a new version of the item tracking accessory is rumored to be in development. Below, we recap rumors about a second-generation AirTag. Timing Apple is aiming to release a new AirTag in mid-2025, according to Bloomberg's Mark Gurman....
15 inch m3 macbook air

Amazon Takes Up to $300 Off M3 MacBook Air With New All-Time Low Prices

Wednesday November 20, 2024 7:05 am PST by
Amazon today has knocked the price off of multiple M3 MacBook Air models, with as much as $300 off select computers. Prices start at $849.00 for the 13-inch M3 MacBook Air (16GB RAM/256GB), and also include multiple 15-inch models as well. Note: MacRumors is an affiliate partner with Amazon. When you click a link and make a purchase, we may receive a small payment, which helps us keep the site ...
anker new xmas 1

Anker Kicks Off Massive Black Friday Sale With Up to 50% Off Sitewide, Free Gifts With Purchase, Mystery Boxes, and More

Thursday November 21, 2024 7:53 am PST by
Anker today kicked off its big Black Friday sale, which is set to run through December 9. This sale includes notable discounts on portable chargers, USB-C hubs, cables, and more. Note: MacRumors is an affiliate partner with Anker. When you click a link and make a purchase, we may receive a small payment, which helps us keep the site running. There are a few bonus offers during this event as ...

Top Rated Comments

MrPaperTrain Avatar
30 months ago
I’m unsure what’s more painful:
1. The fact that I’ve read this article
2. The fact it’s be written in the first place
3. The fact I’m bothering to comment on this post

It’s a slow day for everyone involved…
Score: 49 Votes (Like | Disagree)
dantracht Avatar
30 months ago
Take your time. Work out the kinks. No rush.
Score: 20 Votes (Like | Disagree)
nortonandreev Avatar
30 months ago
I would argue with what is written in the article. iOS 16 betas so far have been the most stable ones in years, with Beta 3 being of a production quality to me (excluding what is listed as known issues on Apple's website and some edge cases - in general, I have not had issues with it).

Apple releasing DB3 as PB1 makes more sense to me, both as a developer and a user. It also happened within the first half of July which aligns with what Apple promised.

The major issues I have been experiencing are with Safari on macOS Ventura and the Music app (which is already better in Beta 3) on macOS , but these two apps have always had ton of bugs and stability issues on macOS for me.

With that said, I am pretty happy with the beta releases of the new major updates this year and I think Apple is defo doing much better software quality wise, compared to the last year.

Which doesn't mean I'm not hoping for Beta 4! ?
Score: 14 Votes (Like | Disagree)
jarman92 Avatar
30 months ago
Fine with me, DB3 has been rock solid so far.
Score: 13 Votes (Like | Disagree)
TheYayAreaLiving ?️ Avatar
30 months ago
I have a good feeling about beta being dropped today.

Hopefully, today is the day we see a new beta being released. Fingers are crossed. ??
Score: 12 Votes (Like | Disagree)
DC Wallaby Avatar
30 months ago
Honestly, I have forgotten numerous times that I’m even running the iOS 16 public beta on my iPhone. I can count the number of issues I’ve run into on one hand. It’s pretty darn solid. Heck, there are general releases of iOS software that are buggier than this first-round public beta.

Now that I say this, Beta 4/Public Beta 2 is probably going to break more stuff and make me eat my words. ?
Score: 9 Votes (Like | Disagree)