4th Beta of iOS 17.6, macOS Sonoma 14.6, & iPadOS 17.6 Available for Testing
Apple has issued the fourth beta version of iOS 17.6, iPadOS 17.6, and MacOS Sonoma 14.6.
These new beta builds are separate from the concurrent beta tracks of upcoming system software, which most beta testers have likely installed instead, with iOS 18 beta, iPadOS 18 beta, and MacOS Sequoia 15 beta. If you are running any of those beta versions, you will not see beta updates to iOS 17.6, iPadOS 17.6, and MacOS Sonoma 14.6.
No major new features are expected in these releases, suggesting they’re likely to focus on security patches and bug fix updates.
Installing iOS 17.6 / iPadOS 17.6 beta 4
- Open the “Settings” app on your device
- Go to “General” and then go to “Software Update”
- Select to download and install the iOS 17.6 / iPadOS 17.6 beta 4 update
The iPhone or iPad will restart to finish installation.
Installing macOS Sonoma 14.6 beta 4
- Go to Apple menu and choose ‘System Settings’
- Go to “General”, and then to “Software Update”
- Choose to install macOS Sonoma 14.6 beta 4
The Mac requires a restart to finish installation.
While iOS 18, iPadOS 18, and MacOS Sequoia 15 are set to be released this fall, iOS 17.6 will come much sooner, possibly by the end of the month, or in August.
If you’re not interested in the beta track for your own device, the latest versions of system software are currently iOS 17.5.1, iPadOS 17.5.1, and macOS Sonoma 14.5.
If you’re participating in the beta program, now is a good time to test these updates and provide feedback to Apple to help refine the final release. For others, staying on the latest official versions, iOS 17.5.1, iPadOS 17.5.1, and macOS Sonoma 14.5, ensures you have the most stable and secure software available. Looking forward to seeing the final release of iOS 17.6 soon!
Ha! The majority of people who download betas don’t even know HOW to submit a bug report, let alone provide useful feedback. Apple needs to stop farming out beta testing to the public and should instead keep betas strictly available to people qualified to actually do the job.