Apple have released the first beta of iOS 14 to all developers currently enrolled in the Apple Developer Program. This is the first beta of the new OS for the iPhone announced by Apple today at WWDC 2020.
iOS 14 beta 1 includes a lot of new features and a list of these features be found below. We’re still finding new things as we play through the software, so as we come across new features, we’ll update this article.
What’s new in iOS 14 beta 1:
- Redesigned Home Screen with resizable Widgets. Widgets can be configured in different shapes and sizes so you can pick the one you want most.
- Smart Stack widget that changes throughout the day based on your most used apps and daily activity.
- App Library with editable pages, search and suggestions.
- Picture in Picture (PIP) is coming to iPhone. You can drag and drop, resize, and pinch-to-zoom the PIP view.
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Siri:
- The full screen UI is gone, and it’s just a simple Siri icon appears in the bottom. There’s also several improvements in Siri:
- Siri can now send Audio Messages
- Dictation now runs on-device
- New app called Translate, which uses on-device machine learning to translate your conversation to your language selected language. It uses a side-by-side view to show which side of the conversation to follow.
- INSTER NEW LANAGUES
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Messages:
- You can now pin your favourite conversation to the top of the Messages app
- Over 20 new head and hairstyle options, new age options, face coverings in Memoji customisation.
- You can new “mention” someone in iMessage groups
- You can now select a cover photo for your group
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Apple Maps:
- The new and redesigned map is coming to the UK, Ireland, and
- Apple Maps will now offer guides to help you find shops, tourist attractions, and more in various locations.
- Cycling transit guides are coming to Apple Maps, and notifies you of elevation, steep passages, or if you need to carry your bike up a stairs/lift.
- EV Routing for electric cars. This will show charging stops in your area and on your selected route.
- Congestion Zones will now appear in Apple Maps.
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CarPlay:
- Wallpapers are coming to CarPlay
- Categories are coming to CarPlay apps.
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Introducing CarKey – where you can start your car with your iPhone. It uses NFC and you tap your car with your iPhone to unlock your car.
- You can share your key with your friends, and you can set options to restrict the access a person has to your car.
- The new 2021 BMW will be the first car that CarKey will work with, with more coming soon.
- CarKey will come to iOS 13 too with iOS 13.6
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App Store:
- Introducing App Clip, a new feature that finds your selected product, where can can buy it with Apple Pay.
- It’s integrate with NFC tags (e.g. parking meters), Messages, Maps, and more.
- It uses an Apple Designed QR code, which you can find around the world. When you scan them, it navigates you to the paired app.
iOS 14 beta 1 is available now and is compatible with all of the same models currently running any other version of the iOS 13 beta. You can find out what model iPhone or iPod touch you have by navigating to Settings > General > About and you’ll see you iPhone model under “Model Name”.
iPhone
- iPhone 11 Pro and iPhone 11 Pro Max
- iPhone 11
- iPhone XS Max and iPhone XS
- iPhone XR
- iPhone X
- iPhone 8 and iPhone 8 Plus
- iPhone 7 and 7 Plus
- iPhone 6s and 6s Plus
- iPhone SE (2nd Generation)
- iPhone SE (1st Generation)
iPod
- iPod touch (7th Generation)
Before you install iOS 14 beta 1, please be aware that this is the first beta of a brand new OS version. It’s going to have bugs, and it will likely crash, freeze, fail, lag, and otherwise not be as smooth as the experience you might normally get with a public release.
You can install the iOS 14 beta by navigating to Settings > General > Software Update and clicking the “Download and Install” button or by connecting your iPhone or iPod touch to a computer and installing the update via iTunes (macOS Mojave and earlier) or Finder (macOS Catalina and later).
Make sure you have downloaded and installed the correct iOS 14 profiles from the Apple Developer website. Also, this beta is only for members of the Apple Developer Program. This beta is not available to Public Beta Testers.