iOS 16.4 beta 3 lets users download beta updates with a different Apple ID
iOS 16.4 Beta 3 has been released to participants in the Apple Developer Program. It adds an option to allow users to choose which Apple ID they want to use for getting the beta updates. In case you missed it, the first version of iOS 16.4 beta was released last month. It brought an important change, as Apple removed the option to use beta profiles downloaded from the internet to participate in the beta test program. The company's new rule now requires users to have a valid developer account to get early access to the beta.
As you may know, Apple charges developers an annual fee of $99, to get access to the Apple Developer Program, and to publish their apps on its App Store. The move to ban the use of downloaded profiles will prevent most users from downloading the beta versions. That's not exactly a big deal, as the Public Beta is still free for all users, and is usually made available in a day or two for minor iOS updates.
However, not all app developers use their work ID on their iPhone, some of them may prefer to use their personal accounts. But since Apple now requires users to have a developer ID to get access to the beta software, these developers couldn't opt in to get the update early. Their personal ID wouldn't be recognized as a developer account.
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iOS 16.4 Beta 3 solves this problem. Go to the Settings > General > Software Update > Beta Updates section. You should now see the Apple ID that is being used for downloading the beta version. Tap on it, and select "Use a different Apple ID", and sign in to the account that you would like to use for receiving the beta updates. For example, if you have a developer account, you can sign in to it, to get the iOS Developer Beta versions. Now, developers don't have to worry about paying for a 2nd subscription or to switch to their work ID on their personal device. This is a fine solution, isn't it?
Apple Music Classical is not here in iOS 16.4 beta 3, despite some references about it being found in the code. 9t05Mac reports that Car Key may drop support for NFC-only keys in the future, i.e., cars that only support NFC (near-field communication) keys may not be compatible with iPhones. Apple seems to be favoring Ultra wideband (UWB) keys instead, as it is better for security reasons than NFC.
Screenshots shared by users indicate that iOS 16.4 beta 3 is about 500 to 650 MB to download (depending on the device), the build number is 20E5229e. The public beta version of the update should be available for users later today. You can refer to the release notes on the developer portal to learn about known issues, and other changes in the latest version.
Apple has also released iPadOS 16.4 Beta 3, macOS 13.3 Beta 3, watchOS 9.4 Beta 3 and tvOS 16.4 Beta 3 to Developers. tvOS 16.3.3 was released yesterday for all users, it comes with a fix for the Siri Remote which could become unresponsive on Apple TV 4K (3rd gen).