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Apple releases iOS 9.3 beta 5 for developers + public beta testers w/ restored Apple Pencil features, tweaked Night Shift mode toggle

iOS 9.3 beta 2

Just nine days after the last developer beta, Apple has released iOS 9.3 beta 5 to registered developers and public beta users for testing. This beta version is expected to restore full Apple Pencil support for scrolling and navigation on iPad Pros after earlier betas removed that function. We’ll check out the latest release and update below with changes.

iOS 9.3, which is expected to be released to everyone later this month, adds loads of new features for iPhones and iPads including Night Shift mode to change the display temperature for evening reading, Touch ID/secure passwords to protect Notes, new 3D Touch shortcuts on the iPhone 6s and 6s Plus, enhancements to the Health and Activity apps, iCloud for iBooks PDF syncing, and much more.

For CarPlay users, iOS 9.3 also adds the full Apple Music experience with For You and New sections as well as Nearby in Maps. iOS 9.3 also includes a major new education initiative with multi-user support and much more.

Changes in the latest beta include an updated Night Shift icon in Control Center as well as new star icons on popular tracks/singles in Apple Music.

Check out our coverage of iOS 9.3 beta 4 for developers for more details.

  • New in today’s release, Apple Pencil regains full functionality for navigation that was previously removed in previous iOS 9.3 betas.
  • Apple has also tweaked how Night Shift is toggled on and off from Control Center. (iOS 9.3 previously used a confusing pop-up message here.)

Toggling off:

IMG_6066

Toggling on:

IMG_6065

  • Apple News isn’t an app I use frequently, but these animations appear new (whether in beta 5 or 9.3 in general).
  • New setting in iOS 9.3 to disable songs from playlists being added to My Music

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Comments

  1. staywhatyouare2 - 8 years ago

    Let us know if it fixes the notifications to the Apple Watch. It’s been driving me crazy!

    • ugh I hope it fixes that too! have you also been having iMessage issues with El Cap? Messages straight up doesn’t work even after a fresh clean install idk if it’s the 9.3 beta or not

    • works on my apple watch now.

    • frikova - 8 years ago

      It does!

    • Steven Melfi (@melfi) - 8 years ago

      Notifications are working again on my watch after the update

      • I have been having that issue with notifications and calls not registering on my watch.. it’s been annoying, I am updating now and hoping this fixes my issue also.

    • Dan Czarnecki - 8 years ago

      I hope it fixes mine! It’s been driving me bonkers. When I had beta 3, all my notifications came to my watch just fine (except if I was actively using my phone of course), but for some reason, my ESPN and Snapchat apps flat out stopped sending notifications to my watch when I had it on. Phone calls and messages still came in fine (though Messages were delayed if I was connected to wifi for iMessage on my Macbook Pro too), but it was those 2 aforementioned apps that were failing to send notifications to my watch. Hopefully this update fixes that annoying problem.

      • Dan Czarnecki - 8 years ago

        Actually, I meant to say beta 4, but you get what I meant. I noticed I can’t go back and edit my comment once it’s been posted, but oh well.\

  2. mahmudf2014 - 8 years ago

    Wow. That was fast!

  3. RP - 8 years ago

    Beta 4 is magic with the battery on my 5s, I’m scared to download it and possibly jinx it.

  4. notifications seems to be fixed on the apple watch..

    • gradly - 8 years ago

      What was the issue actually? cuz I didn’t face issues with notifications

  5. frikova - 8 years ago

    THIS FIXES THE APPLE WATCH NOTIFICATIONS ISSUE! Sorry for the caps, I’m really excited about this.

    • I’ve had the same problem.So I’m hoping that this update will sort it out. Any news of the fix? Does the io9.3 beat 5 really fix the problems of notify times on the Apple Watch

  6. what!? no new nightshift icon in this?! what are they playing at?! :P :P

  7. bsteels (@bsteels) - 8 years ago

    That the Night Shift button in the Control Center now displays its message in the same manner as Orientation Lock, etc. just reinforces that the Night Shift button is in the wrong place (should be on the top row, or built into the brightness slider bar).

  8. Ty Winters - 8 years ago

    shouldn’t nightshift and flashlight be on the other side of control centre… the camera calculator and stopwatch are all apps. the rest are toggles…

  9. Ty Winters - 8 years ago

    Shouldn’t nightshift and flashlight be on the other side of control centre. they are toggles and the camera calculator and stopwatch are apps… I feel the compass app should be called ToolBox as well as its not just a compass… Maybe just me.

    • Greg Kaplan (@kaplag) - 8 years ago

      Agreed. I kind of liked the idea of airdrop/airplay just being toggles too and then that space could be a whole second row for the circle icons. Then add compass or something else to the app launcher. Ideally we can customize it but that requires other stuff to be solved.

      but then airdrop and airplay aren’t really toggles. Nighstift kind of falls inline with them. They are like full on features that are accessed and live in control center with no app association. Flashlight too really. Maybe they all live on the same line?

    • Kamaldeep Singh Sandhu - 8 years ago

      That’s correct. I agree. As part of balanced UI design, the toggles should be present at each corner. I feel compass shouldn’t be present either or better, we should be atleast given an option to modify and choose our own 5 toggles/apps at the bottom row of control center where I would definitely keep
      Mobile Data(toggle) and Location Service(toggle).

  10. dfshrmn - 8 years ago

    Forgot to mention on beta 4, but the animations when you switch from Day, Week, Month, and Year in the Health App are different. Went from sudden change in beta 3, to a fade in beta 4 , to a sudden fade now in beta 5.

  11. benjaminmumford - 8 years ago

    Night shift completely stops you from using it when on low power mode. Greyed out in control centre and an explanation in settings.

  12. Jesse Lee Newcomb - 8 years ago

    Has not fixed watch notifications for me.

    • darrenoia - 8 years ago

      Caveat emptor: didn’t fix Notifications for me. Now for another long and painful downgrade process.

  13. Waldemar - 8 years ago

    I know the update fixes apple watch but does it fix the nfc apple pay?

  14. You can now scroll with a keyboard in Safari!

  15. Grgo (@G_Coric) - 8 years ago

    Reading the article, reading the comments.. and still, nobody seems to adress the performance issues on the iPhone 6 with all iOS 9 versions.

    Again, dear testers, does Apple finally bring back the 8.4.1-performance as it is rumored lately?

    Fingers crossed..

  16. robbiezet - 8 years ago

    Game Center still isnt fixed after 3 updates!

  17. It’s beta fine but if there’s anyone on 5s, I strongly recommend to upgrade. Way more better than 9.2

  18. alexandereiden - 8 years ago

    Swiping on the News app has been here at least since the beginning of 9.3. I didn’t realize before (I guess I never tried it), but we have had it on most if not every beta so far.

Author

Avatar for Zac Hall Zac Hall

Zac covers Apple news, hosts the 9to5Mac Happy Hour podcast, and created SpaceExplored.com.