Three weeks after the first beta of iPadOS 16.1, Apple today has seeded Beta 2 of the next release of iPadOS to developers. The build number is 20B5045d, and Apple has also released new download profiles for the beta that developers will need to install to receive the latest beta. Interestingly, on the Developer site, the new release is listed as iPadOS 16 Beta 8.
Last month, Apple indicated that there would not be a release of iPadOS 16.0, indicating more time was needed to refine the release. During the early beta testing, multiple developer and public beta testers bemoaned the flagship feature of the release, Stage Manager, has not being ready for release. Apple, seemingly, listened, and release Beta 1 of 16.1
16.1 is expected to bring the usual smattering of bug fixes on par with other “dot” releases and the core 16.0 features to your iPad. However, many features that Apple has not released as part of iOS 16 are expected in the coming months. These include:
- Clean Energy Charging
- iCloud Shared Photo Library
- Live Activities and the Live Activities API
- Matter Support for Smart Home connectivity
Which, if any, of these features are in this latest beta has not been determined.
Finally, this second beta of iPadOS 16.1 will likely hit those in the Apple Beta Program later today or tomorrow. As a reminder, iPad users are encouraged not to download beta builds of iOS to their primary device as there could be bugs or issues that slow down or make productivity difficult.