Not to sound like a broken record, but iOS 11.4 has to be the dullest iOS release on record.
Sure, there have been a few interesting things, like multi-room casting for Apple TV, Calendar support for Homepod, and a couple of new wallpapers (for some). These are mainly situational addendums, however, meant to fill in the gaps that exist in the overall Apple hardware ecosystem. What they do not do is offer any compelling features for the iPhone, iPad, and iPod Touch.
The good news? This is the last week you have to worry about being bored to death by Public Beta releases. All signs point to Apple releasing iOS 11.4 to the general public next week.
What's In This Release?
- HomePod streaming and Apple TV multi-room streaming have been tweaked throughout the beta in concert with the beta software for each device. Homepod is also getting Calendar support as of Public Beta 3 (the better to compete with Google Home). We'll see if it makes it all the way to release.
- Messages in the Cloud was included in iOS 11.3, but still didn't make it to the public release. Why? No clue. The feature has been rock solid since it came back for me then and it's been stable all throughout iOS 11.4. Here's hoping this super convenient feature is available to all soon.
- The other focus in iOS 11.4 has been on resolving music playback and other backend iOS issues. The only other new feature you'll see from a user perspective is, if you have an iPhone 8 or 8 Plus, you'll get a new (Product) RED wallpaper.
What's Next?
That's the million download question, isn't it? June is right around the corner, and with it, WWDC. All signs point to Tim Cook unveiling iOS 12 at that time, with the Public Beta coming soon after.
We could be in for a long couple of weeks while we wait for June 4. Alternately, Apple could decide that they want to kill one or two more bugs and need an iOS 11.5. Or maybe they'll pull Messages in iCloud from iOS 11.4 again and want one more chance before iOS 11 is put to bed.
It's anyone's guess, but at the most, we'll only have a couple of weeks to wait.
How Do I Start Beta Testing
If you want to try out Apple's Public Beta program, now is a great time to start. iOS 11.4, for all its lack of excitement, has been a very stable release overall. Hoping on late in the cycle, when the release has even more bugs fixed, is a great way to get used to the program.
Did you delete your beta profile after iOS 11.3 was released? Need to get signed up? Head over to https://beta.apple.com/ and sign in with your enrolled Apple ID (or create a beta account if you don't have one already) and follow the steps. They're fairly self-explanatory, but if you get stuck, check out my How To Install Apple Public Betas guide (to be honest, you should check it out anyway for helpful reminders of things to watch out for when beta testing).
