Apple released iOS 16.4 beta 2 to developers earlier this week. The latest beta version of iOS 16 brings with it several new features and changes. In this article, we will take a look at everything new that we have found in iOS 16.4 and iPadOS 16.4 Beta 2.

iOS 16.4 and iPadOS 16.4 Features: What’s new

Table of contents:

• New Page Turning Animation in Apple Books
• Apple Music Classical Makes Another Appearance
• Changes to Always-On Display Settings
• Apple Pay Coming Soon to South Korea
• Apple Care Device Coverage Changes
• New Animations in Apple Music App
• New Emojis
• Safari Web Push Notifications
• Beta Opt-In Changes

New Page Turning Animation in Apple Books

Apple made a modification to the Apple Books app with the launch of iOS 16 by eliminating the traditional page-turning animation that had been in use since the app’s inception. Thankfully, Apple has added it back with the latest iOS 16.4 beta 2 version. There are now three ways to do it: side, none, and curl. While the default option is still ‘slide,’ none and curl have been added from iOS 15. These are also available in the latest version of iPadOS 16.

Apple Music Classical Makes Another Appearance

Code snippet found in the latest iOS 16.2 beta indicated that Apple is working on the development of an Apple Music Classical app. Although there is no confirmation on when the app will be launched, it is suggested that users will need to have the standard Apple Music app installed to listen to it. The MusicKit framework includes a line that reads, “To listen in Apple Music Classical, you’ll need to install Apple Music.”

While the app is still not included in the update package, it could be released as a later beta or as part of the next major update, which is likely to be iOS 17. It is worth noting that this is not the first time that Apple has referenced the service in an update.

Changes to Always-On Display Settings

Apple has made some minor changes to the Always On Display feature. In the Settings app, the option to turn off the feature is now listed under the notifications and backgrounds sections. 

Apple Pay Coming Soon to South Korea

According to the code found in the iOS 16.4 beta 2, users in South Korea will be able to add their debit and credit cards to the Apple Pay app. This suggests that the company will be adding the feature to the country in the next update. Apple has been working to bring the payment system to the country since 2017. With the imminent release of iOS 16.4, it’s believed that this will finally happen.

Apple Care Device Coverage Changes

In the Coverage section of the Settings app, Apple now lists your devices that are covered under AppleCare+. The new update has added icons for each product, including the iPhone and the Apple Watch.

And while we’re talking about the changes included in beta one, let’s take a look at some of the other changes that iOS 16.4 is going to bring:

New Animations in Apple Music App

Apple has added many minor tweaks to the Apple Music app. A notable change is the inclusion of a profile button in the Library section. Furthermore, the app’s interface has undergone several tweaks, with updated icons being among them. For instance, adding a song to your queue no longer triggers a full-screen pop-up; instead, a smaller notification now appears at the bottom of the screen, freeing up space for other activities.

New Emojis

Apple has added a number of new emojis to iOS 16. These include a shaking face, a goose, a hyacinth, a plain pink heart, and many more. These emojis are part of the Unicode Standard for Emoji Update 15.0, which was announced in July 2022.

Safari Web Push Notifications

Web apps on iPad or iPhone can now send push notifications. This new feature was first unveiled during the company’s Worldwide Developers Conference (WWDC) in June. To enable this feature, users must add the web app to their Home Screen. They can then grant the app permission to send notifications through a link or a direct interaction. However, it’s worth noting that support for this feature must be implemented by web developers, and therefore, it may not work immediately in iOS 16.4 and iPadOS 16.4.

Beta Opt-In Changes

The beta opt-in process has undergone a significant change with the release of iOS 16.4 and iPadOS 16.4 betas. The new feature will eliminate the previous need to install a profile from the Developer Center and instead allow developers to enroll in beta programs directly from the Software Update section within the Settings app. We have detailed this change here.