Apple releases seventh iOS 10.3 and macOS 10.12.4 betas

Zac Hall | Mar 16 2017 - 10:00 am PT

Apple is rolling out the seventh iOS 10.3 beta for developer testing on iPhone, iPad, and iPod touch. The upcoming software update includes Find My AirPods support, CarPlay improvements, Apple’s new filesystem, and more.

Apple is also rolling out the seventh macOS 10.12.4 beta for developer testing. The upcoming version of macOS Sierra is the first to bring Night Shift to the Mac. We’ll update and highlight any additional changes discovered below.

iOS 10.3 is currently only available in beta for registered developers and public beta testers. The public beta version of each update usually follows a few days after the developer version if not the same day.

iOS 10.3 is the first version to include Find My AirPods in the Find My iPhone app, Wi-Fi Calling for iCloud-connected devices for Verizon customers, and a new 32-bit alert that suggests iOS 11 could be 64-bit only.

Apple will also introduce a way for developers to reply to app reviews with iOS 10.3, and a new system-wide app review request feature will be added. iOS 10.3 includes iCloud Analytics for the first time as well.

Here’s an overview of changes discovered so far:

Find My AirPods added to Find My iPhone app
Siri support for cricket scores from Indian Premier League and International Cricket Council
Safari support for Reduced Motion preference
Prominent user security section in Settings app
iOS 10.3 uses new Apple File System (APFS) which may free up some space
Podcasts app has a widget like Music app, same app design
New system level way for developers to request app rating, opt out option in Settings
CarPlay status bar has persistent quick access to media, communication, and travel apps for quick switching without accessing the Home screen
CarPlay gains quick access to albums from songs in Music, new Up Next screen
Weather data in Maps app now has 3D Touch forecast

You can see our hands-on with the first iOS 10.3 beta below:

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Learn More link on 32 bit app warning, new 32 bit app section in Settings

https://twitter.com/tapbot_paul/status/833754077737656321

iOS 10.3 beta 4 included an restart message whenever a button is hit during the update installation process.

Apple’s Feedback app is still bundled in this version which suggests this will not be the final version before release. We’ll update with any changes found in iOS 10.3 beta 7.

macOS Sierra 10.12.4 beta is currently only available to developers and public beta testers. Public beta versions usually come a few days after developer versions if not the same day.

macOS 10.12.4 beta also includes changes to Siri, Dictation, and Apple’s PDF API:

Night Shift now available on the Mac.
Dictation support for Shanghainese.
Ask Siri about cricket scores, schedules and player rosters. Siri knows about statistics and data from the Indian Premier League and International Cricket Council.
Updated PDFKit APIs for better displaying of PDFs in apps that use the framework.

This is how Apple describes its Night Shift feature:

Night Shift adjusts the color of your display after sunset. Many studies show that exposure to bright-blue light in the evening can affect your circadian rhythms and make it harder to fall asleep. After sunset, Night Shift will shift your display colors to the warmer end of the spectrum, making the display easier on your eyes. In the morning, your display returns to its regular settings.

See how to enable Night Shift and how the feature works on the Mac here.