Apple releases iOS 17.6 developer beta 4, plus visionOS 1.3, macOS 14.6, more

Apple has released developer beta 4 for its various software platforms…but maybe not the beta 4 you were hoping for. Today’s beta release is for the latest updates to Apple’s current OS versions: iOS 17.6, visionOS 1.3, macOS 14.6, and more.

iOS 17.6 public release drawing nearer

This time in the summer, Apple is building toward the big fall releases of its major new OS updates. As a result, betas like iOS 18, macOS Sequoia, watchOS 11, and visionOS 2 are getting most of the focus—both from customers and Apple itself.

But there’s at least one more notable update the company plans to ship for the current OS cycle, and that’s where today’s betas come in.

Developer beta 4 is the latest version of iOS 17.6, iPadOS 17.6, and so on—what may be Apple’s final OS updates of consequence before the fall launches.

Currently the only known new feature of iOS 17.6 is a ‘Catch Up’ feature in the TV app for sports viewers. Whenever you start watching a game after it has already started, ‘Catch Up’ will provide the option of quickly getting up to speed on what’s happened to that point.

Developers can choose to either run iOS 17.6 or iOS 18—each beta cycle is available as an option inside Settings ⇾ General ⇾ Software Update.

Have you installed the new betas? Let us know of any features you find via the comments.