Apple Seeds iOS 14.4 and iPadOS 14.4 launch the candidate for developers and public beta testers

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

iOS 14.4 and iPadOS 14.4 can be downloaded through the Apple Developer Center or live after the correct profile has been installed on an iPhone or iPad.

Along with the HomePod 14.4 beta, available only for a limited number of testers, iOS 14.4 adds a new HomePod mini feature that takes advantage of the mini’s U1 chip.

There are now visual, audio and haptic effects when songs are transferred from a HomePod mini to an iPhone 11 or iPhone 12. U1 enabled. When an ‌iPhone‌ is near the ‌HomePod mini‌, a soft touch rhythm starts, which becomes faster and faster ‌‌iPhone‌‌ approaches until the interface opens to transfer a song between ‌‌HomePod mini‌‌ and ‌‌iPhone‌‌.

This feature will make transfer faster and more reliable on a ‌‌HomePod mini‌‌ and a ‌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 training section of the Apple Watch app on the iPhone, there is a new “Walking Time” feature that includes a switch to “Add the latest workouts to watch.” This suggests that Apple might plan to add walking workouts in the watchOS 7.3 beta. “The training time is reduced when the Apple Watch is connected to the mains and next to the” iPhone “. The completed workouts are deleted automatically “, it is shown in the setting. This is not functional in the first beta version of watchOS 7.3 and iOS 14.4, but could be activated later.

iOS 14.4 includes a setting to specify a device type for third-party audio devices connected via Bluetooth so that headphone level measurements can be performed correctly. Apple monitors the audio levels of the headphones to send alerts if the music is playing at a level that has the potential to affect hearing health over time.

iOS 14.4 includes code that suggests Apple will add a warning for iPhones that have had their cameras repaired or replaced with aftermarket components. The warning, which says “Unable to verify this” iPhone “has an authentic Apple camera, will inform users that the camera is not a legitimate Apple camera. Apple’s full release notes for the update are below:

iOS 14.4 includes the following enhancements for ‌iPhone‌:
– Smaller QR codes can be recognized by the camera
– Bluetooth device type classification option in Settings for correctly identifying headphones for audio notifications
– Notifications for when the camera on unableiphone unable cannot be verified as a new, authentic Apple camera in ‌iPhone 12‌, iPhone 12 mini, iPhone 12 Pro and iPhone 12 Pro Max

This release also fixes the following issues:
– Image artifacts may appear in HDR photos taken with the iPhone 12 Pro
– The 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 appear in the correct language in Messages
– Audio stories in the CarPlay News app may not resume after they have been paused for voice guidance or Siri
– Enabling accessibility switch control may prevent answering phone calls from the lock screen

It is not yet known when iOS 14.4 will be released, but as release notes are available, the public version may be available soon.