Beta 7 of iOS 14.5 & iPadOS 14.5 Released for Testing
The seventh beta version of iOS 14.5 and iPadOS 14.5 has been made available to users in the beta testing programs for iPhone and iPad. The new beta build is 18E5198a and is available to both developer beta and public beta users.
Additionally, Apple has released the seventh beta of watchOS 7.4 and tvOS 14.5, though a new build of macOS Big Sur 11.3 beta is not available (yet anyway).
Betas of iOS 14.5 and iPadOS 14.5 include new Siri voice options that are no longer labeled by gender or accent, instead referred to as Voice 1, Voice 2, etc. The beta builds also include support for unlocking iPhone with an Apple Watch (similar to the feature on Mac), support for Playstation 5 and Xbox X game controllers, dual SIM support for 5G, new privacy features, updates to the Maps app to allow crowdsourcing of things like speed traps and accidents, Siri can now select a preferred music streaming service, and there are a variety of new diverse inclusive and equitable Emoji icons including a woman with a beard and different skin color options for couples emojis, along with new general Emoji icons like a dazed face, coughing face, heart on fire, bandaged heart, and a syringe.
Users who are enrolled in the beta testing programs can download iOS 14.5 beta 7 or iPadOS 14.5 beta 7 from the Software Update feature within Settings app.
Apple typically goes through several beta builds before releasing a final version of system software to the general public, and with beta 7 here it suggests we may be very close to the final public releases of iOS 14.5, iPadOS 14.5, watchOS 7.4, tvOS 14.5, and macOS Big Sur 11.3.
Technically speaking, anyone can run a public beta version of system software, but because beta releases are buggier and less stable than final builds this is generally not recommended to anyone aside from advanced users and developers.
The most recent final stable builds of system software remain macOS Big Sur 11.2.3 for Mac, iPadOS 14.4.2 and iOS 14.4.2 for iPad and iPhone, watchOS 7.3 for Apple Watch, and tvOS 14.4 for Apple TV.
