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Apple releases iOS 16.6 beta 4 ahead of upcoming iPhone software update

6/28: Public beta versions of each release are now available as well.


While all the action is happening around iOS 17 beta, Apple is continuing to prepare a more imminent iPhone software update for release. Apple has released the fourth iOS 16.6 beta for developer testing.

iOS 16.6 has been in developer beta form since May. Today’s late update timing means we should expect to see iOS 16.6 officially go out for all users sometime in July.

The summer time release isn’t expected to include any new user-facing features. Those are all packed into iOS 17 which is due out in September. Instead, the release will likely be one of the last updates to iOS 16 before shifting into strictly security-focused updates.

iOS 15, for example, climbed to version 15.7.X as an option for users delaying the upgrade to iOS 16.

iOS 17 also drops support for the iPhone X, iPhone 8, and iPhone 8 Plus. That means this iOS 16 development cycle will mark the final updates for those phones as well. However, Apple continues to release security updates to hardware running older versions of iOS for several years.

Other developer betas reaching their fourth version today include iPadOS 16.6, tvOS 16.6, macOS 13.5, and watchOS 9.6.

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