iOS 14 Public Beta Now Available: A New Era for Apple Devices

Apple's iOS 14 public beta is now live, and users can start test-driving the company's next-generation software for their iPhones. This move marks an exciting development in the world of mobile technology, allowing users to get a head start on the latest features and improvements before they are released to the general public. To access the beta, users can visit beta.apple.com and sign up for one of Apple's testing programs.

Before diving into the new features, it's essential to remember that the beta is not yet final and may contain bugs or issues that need to be addressed. As such, users should only use the beta on a secondary device that they don't rely on for their daily life or livelihood. The developer team has also emphasized that they cannot update the app store until after the general release of iOS 14 this fall, which means any problems encountered during the testing phase will not be resolved by Apple.

One of the most significant changes in iOS 14 is the redesign of the home screen. For almost a decade and a half, the home screen has been an uninterrupted grid of tiny little app icons. However, with the new beta, Apple has introduced widget-sized holes throughout the entire thing. Users can still swipe over to see all widgets on the minus one home page, but now they can also touch and hold on any widget they like and drag it directly onto the home screen as well.

This change is part of a larger effort by Apple to modernize its operating system and make it more user-friendly. The company has also introduced jiggle mode, which allows users to easily add or remove widgets from their home screen. To access jiggle mode, users can simply touch and hold on an empty area of the screen, then tap the plus button at the top left corner. From there, they can pull up the widget gallery to see all the different variations of widgets and drag any of them anywhere within the grid.

The new widgets in iOS 14 are designed to be more interactive than their predecessors, with features like deep linking and smart stacks that cycle between widgets based on things like time and location. For example, if a user has a meeting coming up, they can use the calendar widget to receive reminders and updates in real-time. The widgets also come with a range of different sizes, including small, medium, and large, each with its own unique set of features.

One of the most significant benefits of the new widgets is their ability to be stacked on top of one another to save space and prevent users from having to pick favorites. This feature allows users to create a customized home screen that reflects their individual needs and preferences. Additionally, smart stacks can cycle between widgets intelligently based on things like time and location, making it easier for users to stay organized and focused.

Overall, the new widgets in iOS 14 represent a significant shift in Apple's approach to user interface design. By introducing more interactive and customizable features, the company is aiming to make its operating system even more user-friendly and enjoyable. Whether you're a seasoned iPhone user or just starting out, the new widgets in iOS 14 are definitely worth checking out.

"WEBVTTKind: captionsLanguage: en- Sponsored by Ting.The iOS 14 public betais just going live now.So, if you're interested in test drivingApple's next generationsoftware for the iPhone,strap yourself in.Also, I'll be doing separate previewsfor iPadOS, macOS, watchOS,and all the AirPods home and CarPlays.So hit the subscribebutton and belt right now.so you don't miss any of them.To get on Apple software testing programs,any or all of them go tobeta.apple.com and sign up.Just remember that betareally does mean beta.So put it on a secondaryiPhone or iPod touch,nothing you absolutely need to depend onfor your daily life or livelihood.I mean, the beta hasbeen really solid so farway more like iOS 12 and iOS 13,but you never know what'll happenfrom one beta update to the next.And remember developers can't updatefor iOS 14 in the app storeuntil after it goes intogeneral release this fall.So if anything doesn't work,that's all on you, not on them.IOS 14 basically runson all the same iPhonesthat iOS 13 did.That means every iPhonefrom 2015 iPhone 6sto the 2016 original iPhone SE on up.Also the current generation iPod touch 7.Apple's willingness andability to update older phoneswith the latest softwares,once again just totally unmatched.Now, for almost a decade and a half,the home screen has beenan uninterrupted gridof tiny little app icons.But now Apple has gone andpunched like widget size holesthrough the entire thing.You can still swipe overto the minus one homepageto see all the widgetsbut now on the iPhone,touch and hold on any widget you likeand you can drag it rightonto the home screen as well.It's still Apple.So you can't drop themquite anywhere you like,the grid just makes moreroom for them on the sidesand it's four rowsbut they'll still attractstraight to magnetic top left.You can also go into jigglemode and yes, it's jiggle mode.That's what Steve jobscalled it at the beginning.And it's what CraigFederighi is calling it now,don't worry about it, but youcan now go into jiggle modeand the fastest way to do thatbecause icons now give youjust a bunch of optionsis to touch and hold on anempty area of the screen.Then you're right in.At that point tap the plusbutton at the top left,pull up the widget galleryto see all the different variationsof all the different widgetsand then drag and drop anyof them anywhere you wantwithin the grid of course, again.Now, if you have an Apple watchand these new widgets look a lot likethose old complications to youthat's because you're incredibly observantand that's precisely what they are.Apple just brought overthe killer design language,information density and glance abilityfrom the complications and have made themthe standard for widgetsacross all of the platforms.But because they come from complications,much of the previousiOS widget interactivityis just gone, blown away.Because this is a beta,unless you're on sometest flight or somethingwe only have Apple's new fangled widgetsto work with for now.But old-style widgets still workand should keep on workingfor about a year or so.For those new style widgets though,apps push updates to them,which then gets shownin chronological order.Whatever is being shown can then deep linkback into the app.Small widgets have a single deep link,but the medium and large size widgetscan have separate deeplinks for each section.And if something new is added,the widgets can be updated.So a small podcast widgetcould just link you right backto the now playing screenwhere a bigger one couldoffer you the current showand the next three show pages as well.It's super power efficient,but at the cost of thatold-style interactivity.And I don't know if that's philosophicalbecause Apple has always seen the homepageas more of a portal, not a destination.Or if it's practicalbecause it'll take time toadd that functionality backto the previously watch only system.We'll just have to wait and see.But if you want yourinteractive widgets back,just drop a like below.To save space and preventyou having to pick favorites,you can drop multiple same size widgets,one on top of the other toform what's called a stack.Then swipe through them on your homepageand you can hold down to remove or reorderany widget anyway you want.There's even a smart stackthat cycles between widgetsintelligently for you.Based on things like time andlocation and previous behaviorand priorities set by the apps themselves.For example, if youhave a meeting coming upcalendar can say \"Me, me, my turn.\"and jump right to the top of the stack.Now, real talk.I've never used widgets much on Androidand I've owned androids for decades.And I don't know ifI'm gonna use them muchon the iPhone either,except for the seriessuggested apps widget.That one disappears rightonto your home screen.And looks just like a normalset of home screen apps.But it uses the same intelligenceto try to predict which appsyou'll most wanna use next.And if you ever see an app,you never wanna see again,you can tap and hold it and banish it.So you can customize it somewhat toountil at least you next readd that widget.I've dropped two of them on my home screenand they don't duplicateapps, which is great.They also almost alwayshave the app I'm looking foreven if it does take me a second longerto zero in on where exactly is.Now I don't know how many nonnerds will use widgets eithereven find them, knowthat they can use them.Because historically those numbersjust have never been high,but as a nerd, super happythat they're finally here.And like with controlcenter, notification centerand a bunch of other more advanced,more sophisticated systems,I'm even super happierthat they're completely out of the wayfor absolutely anyonewho has absolutely no interest in them.Because surfacing functional complexitythrough interface depthis just exactly howyou matured operatingsystem for existing users.The more niche users,without making it impenetrable to the new,more casual users as well.Hey, I'm willing to be convinced aboutthis whole widget thing.So let me know your current favoritesand the ones you're most waitingfor in the comments below.If you had default appson your iOS 14 bingo card,then go ahead and circle it.But only a little,because you'll soon be able to setwhatever email client you want,including Gmail and Outlook.And whatever web browser you wantincluding Chrome and Edge as your default.Why only mail and browser?Because those are the onesApple got the most requests forand the one they wanna test out first.But that just means you haveto keep asking for thingslike maps, music and calendar as well.And why only soon, andnot now in the beta?Because developers haveto update their appswith a flag that says they're availablefor default mailer browser status.And Apple to make sure their real appslike Google and Microsoft apps, no problembut some scammer app that justwants to steal all your emailor take over your Amazon affiliate cookiesor spam you with ads orredirect you to phishing sites.Well, those just betterbe squashed and hardbefore Apple ever lets themanywhere near the app store.Now I value Apple's commitment to privacy.So I'll be sticking with Mail and Safari,but I love that Apple can't reston their default laurels anymore.And now it has to activelyfight for every userwhich will hopefully resultin better apps for everyone.Let me know what, if anythingyou'll be changing your defaults toand which default apps youwanna see next in the comments.Okay, confession, my homescreens are graveyardswhere so often apps are justdownloaded and left to die.Sometimes I'll search forthem later if I need them,other times, I'll just do a fresh installand blast them all clean and start over.But with iOS 14, Appleis using the same kindof series suggested smarts to impose,I'll say it again littleMarie Kondo style organizationon all of our apps.Now I never really usedthe very basic app draweron Android, both on theiPhone and on AndroidI just tend to search whateverI can't immediately find.And that kind of search by the wayis getting better on iOS 14 as well.In addition to knowledge search,essentially type to Siri,you can now search inside appsand use search to quick launch apps.Basically what its been in the Macfor the last few years now,it's great to finally have all of thaton the iPhone as well.But when it comes to thingslike app library versus app drawerit's the implementation andnot the idea that matters.So the app library sits all the wayto the right of the home screen stack.But now you can hideall those intermediategraveyard-like home screenpages if you want to.Just go into jiggle mode,tap the little navigationaldots above the dot,and uncheck any screens you nolonger want to ever be seen.That way the app librarycan be as few swipesfrom home screen primeas you want it to be.And for any pages you choose to leave,just tap and hold those little dotsand slide your finger back and forthto super scrub throughthem faster than ever.Now, the library looks like giant folderswith full-sized apps in them.With regular-sized foldersand tiny apps in them as well.Basically apps all the way down.Tap on a regular sized app,and you're teleportedstraight into that app.Tap on a tiny app thoughand you open the folder.Yeah, it's a bit much, butyou do get the hang of it.If not always quickly.The first app group is suggestedwhich works just like theseries suggested apps widget.The next is recently added,which is great if you, like me,download a bunch of stuff, get distracted,forget what you downloaded.Realize it didn't go at theabsolute end of all of your appsbut rather whatever slotwas just left free somewhereon a screen in betweenand then spend forever toolong trying to find it.Now it's all just in recent apps.The rest of the groups are categorizedbased on the apps inside.And often not that well.I'm guessing it pulls fromthe categories developersadd to their apps when they upload them.But the results justdon't always make sense.So here's hoping Apple requires an honoras a primary categorygets smarter about sortingor here's an idea letsjust change the labelsor hold on an app andchoose wrong category,wrong category, bad AI, bad AIand just to help train it to be smarter.There's also a search box on the topbut unlike the regular search box,if you tap into it you nowget a full alphabetized listof all your apps.Like watchOS got previously.I don't know that I'll ever use it,but my inner brain ordered to the galaxyjust loves knowing that it's there.Ever since Apple introducedextensibility in iOS 8basically breaking apart binary app blobsinto discrete sets of functionalitythat could be surfaced in other apps,even on other devices likeApple watch or CarPlayI've been waiting.I've been waiting for the appsthemselves to be downloadablein anything other thantheir binary blob form.So you don't have to figureout what they're called,find them, wait for them toinstall, set up an accountset up a payment systemdo just a ton of overhead,just to get something quick done.And app clips may andI emphasize on the maybecause we've all been here before,finally be what exactlywe've been waiting for.Developers spin themout of their main appsand they have to be really small.So they're really fast.You can grab them from the webor from inside maps or in real lifefrom an NFC tab or QR codeor a new hybrid Apple code.Even from messages ifsomeone sends one to you,then you just tap the card,sign in with Apple, use Applepay and you're done like done.You can even go to the applibrary to use them againor download the full app.Or at least we'll beable to once apps updateto include them in iOS14 goes live this fall.And situations wherethey'll most be valuablelike travel becomes possiblefor all of us again.But all the fingerscrossed this idea takes offbecause even though thisis still on a phone screen,we're gonna need techjust exactly like thisfor the augmented reality future.You know that feelingwhen you're about to tapsomething on your screenand a call comes in andit's too late to peel offand you just tap the hang up buttonbefore you can stop yourself,well that's finally beenfixed or at least mitigated.Now when the phone ringsor the FaceTime comes in,instead of a full screen take over,you get a fairly standardbanner notification.Same with apps like Skype comeiOS 14's release this fall.You can swipe it away to getrid of it like any banneror pull it down to getthe classic full interfaceand options like messaging weall know, and sometimes use.Same with Siri.It's no longer a full screen takeover.Now it's a swirlingpower ball assistant micthat just burst out on top of the dockand gives you results in verysimilar banner sized overlays.Now the ball does look kind of weird to mesitting halfway on top of the dock.So I'm hoping Apple tweaks itor just blanks out the dockand lets it settle into the middle of it.Likewise, you can see thescreen beneath Siri nowbut you still can't interact with it.And because you can see ityou think you can interact with itbut when you do it justobliterates the Siri resultsand you have to start all over.Yes like an animal and animal mutteringcan you just not.Flicking away the bannerwould be more consistentwith notification behaviorbut I can see how it would get annoying.Maybe letting me touch and holdto pin it would be the bestor I don't know the worst of both worldsor let me grab a resultI really wanna persistand drop it as a widgetso I can refer backto it again and again.Picture and picture on theiPhone works mostly like it hason the iPad for the last many years.Go to a video in Safari or any appthat eventually supports it.Make the video full screen, exit the appand then it goes picture and picture.You can't out it anywhere on the screenbut you can move it between the corners,pinch to make it bigger or smaller,hide it off to the sideor bring it back outand tap a button to close itor return to the host app.You can even use it with FaceTimeso you can leave the appand do something elsewithout it showing a big pause buttonand riding you out toeverybody else on the call,which is legit great.But I'm also hoping we get a buttonin the default mediacontroller lets us just tapto picture and pictureanytime we want as well.It'd be the same amount of steps,but way less cognitive loadif you're thinking PIP to begin with.Either way, I love all caps lovethat it's finally on the iPhone.Even if I loath that the YouTube appwill likely just never add support for it.And just hit that like buttonto show YouTube exactlyhow much you want it.If you've ever had to scrollscroll scroll past parentsand carrier spam and work groupsand Charles Boyle to tryto find that importantbut infrequent message thread,then pin conversationsin iOS 14 are for you.And really for all of us.Just swipe from left to right to pin,tap and hold to underpin.You can pin up to nine conversationsat the top of the message stacklike chat heads, frozen and time and spaceand they'll sync across your iPad and Macif you have one or both of those.So you can not onlyfind those convos fast,but see recent messages, emojis reactionseven typing indicators,right on the heads.For group messages, youcan set up a group phototo make them easier to tell apart.So you don't accidentallysend something to your PTAthat you really meant for your meme group.Even if a few of thepeople in them overlap.You can now also mention specific peoplewith or without an at symbol first.Just type their name, tap their face,and they'll be notifiedeven if they turn general group alerts offand only left say my name alerts on.You can also reply inlineto older specific messages,just tap and hold on themessage you wanna threadand choose reply.It's super useful if aconversation is mutating rapidlyor you just wanna addsomething back later.The interface is a bitconfusing to me thoughand everyone who's not on the betais still gonna see itin chronological order.So I found that extremely helpfulto keep overridingcontext at least for now.Memoji have gotten 10 new hairstyles now.And I don't ever think Applewould admit this or say this,I found that many of them are just perfectfor all the new longersheltered in place hairmany of us have been rocking lately.Also 18 new headwear options now,including bicycle helmet,old timey wimey aviator goggles,and even a chef's hat which is just(kisses)chef's kiss.There nine new age levels nowfrom baby to gamma and gampa,three new Memoji stickers,hug, gasp and fist bumpand masks for those of uswith empathy and sense enoughto just wanna show how importantour collective health andeconomy wearing them really is.There's also a new emojipicker, which finally,oh so finally has a search boxlike macOS has enjoyedfro a good long while now.And it makes it super easier.Yes, barely an inconvenienceto find your less recentlyless frequently used emoji,especially as the amountof emoji continues to soaryear after year.Camera's getting faster up to 90% on shotshitting up the four frames per second.Portrait mode is 15% fastershot to shot as well.You can also choose toprioritize speed over processingif that's what you want.Quick take video is nowsupported on the iPhone 10R.iPhone 10S and iPhone 10S Max.Also quick take can now be setto just the volume down button.So you get back burstmode on the volume up.And all iPhone modelsnow get on quick togglesfor video resolutions in frame as well.Just tap the readoutto toggle the setting.Night mode on iPhone 11will help you stay steadyor let you cancel out fasterand you can choose tocapture mirrored selfies.The difference between preview and photosis just always thrown you.In photos you can now filteryour collection by favorites,edited, videos and photos,and sort any album from oldestto newest or vice versa.You can also add captions to photosto better describe them for othersor better recall the importantdetails for yourself.Search for the captionsand they'll sync acrossall of your devices.New maps already rolled out across the USis coming to the UK, Irelandand Canada this year as well.And maps is adding cyclingdirections in New York,San Francisco, Los Angeles,and a number of cities in China,including Beijing and Shanghai.You'll get several options for the routes,including the fastestbut also easier ones thatthere's less elevationor stairs to navigate orbike lanes that may be safer.If you have an electric vehicleyou can enter the typeand maps will addcompatible charging stopsalong your routes.And if your city uses congestion zones,maps can route you around them.Also, it'll let you knowif you're approaching speedor red light cameras andwhere they're located.If and when travelingbecomes a thing again,new guides chock full of attractionscan help you choose whichcity you wanna go to.And which restaurants andsites do you wanna visitwhen you get there.Also if you're walking in a citywhere the buildings areinterfering with GPS,you know like when the blue circlejust covers an entire three block radiusno matter which way you goit's just always the wrong way,well, you can now use the camerato scan those buildingsaround you and reverselook around a far more precise location.And as much as I never wannabe the person scanning skylinesas passers by tourist shame melike I'm unfolding anold school paper map,I've so needed this in New Yorkand San Francisco so often.Previously we got a new measure appto show off all of theimprovements in AR kit.This year we're gettinga new translate appto take advantage of someof the new Siri featuresand on-device improvements.You can choose your language,the language you wantthings translated intoeven download the language if you want,or need everything done on device.For privacy, sure.But also if you justworry about the stabilityor even availability ofyour internet signal.You can dictate what you want translated,type it in as text tosave favorite phrases,to refer back to them in a pinch,even get dictionary definitionsif you want or need them.You can also just rotate to landscapeto get big honking tech signsso you can better get the attentionof whoever you wanna talk to.And if you wanna start aconversation with them,you can also rotate to landscapeto watch the screen split wide openand tap the mic to start playing pongbetween you langrage and theirs.And it'll even autodetect the languageto keep up between the two of you.It's nowhere, nearly a Babel Fishor everything but clingon Universal Translator.But I just love the Google and now Appleare pushing us closerto that scifi future.And again a future thatwill be just so much betterwhen audio and video augmented realityreally start to become a thing.Accessibility alwaysgets some of the coolestmost cutting edge features.Because the team's driving goalis to make the iPhoneeasier to use for everyone.This year that includes doubleand triple tap shortcutson any iPhone with face ID.And then you tap to wakeaccelerometer featurethat came with it.Just go into settings,accessibility, touchand pick things you wanna launchlike control center or notification centerThen just tap twice or three timeson the back of your phone.And it takes a second to workbut saves you several seconds and tapsyou'd otherwise have to doto get that work done over and over again.And yeah, let me know whatyou're setting this onin the comments.If FaceTime detectsyou're using sign langrageit'll make you more prominentso everyone else can make your signs outjust way more easily.And headphone accommodationslet you customize exactly theaudio experience you want.Amplifying soft sounds,adjusting frequencieseven making a personal profile.And there's also a voiceover recognitionwhere machine learning analyzes the screeneven if apps or websiteshaven't done their jobslabeling button andelements appropriately.Of a bug has come up thatjust interferes with them.It'll also do similar for images,explaining every element ina photo that can identifyas well as weeding anytexts that it makes out.You can now set up accessibilityto recognize alarms, pets,appliances, running water, cryingand screaming and alert you.And it's just beyond terrific.I sincerely love this stuff and this team.Apple has been talking aboutprivacy by design for years.It basically means every featureis created with privacy inmind each step, along the waynot just bolted on often badly at the endbut it's also come tome, new and creative waysto name and shame ordisclose and force consent,the apps and services that aren't doingeverything they can for our privacyeven in including Apple's own.This year that includes tracking control.So just like an app has to ask permissionto use your location in the real worldwhen you launch it,an app now has to ask yourpermission to cookie youand track you across the internetas you move from site tosite and app to app as well.And real talk.I can't imagine any legit advertiserwho's proud of their business modeland not trying desperately to hideor deceive any of us would objectto any of this in any way at all.For location, you can also chooseto give only an approximate locationinstead of a precise one.So an app only sees theneighborhood that you're in,not the room.Take that Tim Hortons.For copy and paste access,iOS will now tell you if and when an appis reading your clipboard.So if you copy a private photoor message, then switch appsthat other app can'tjust suck it up as well.If you're using iCloud clipboardto paste from another device,it'll tell you the device as well.And just like last yearwhen Bluetooth disclosurecaught a bunch of appstrying to use beaconsto get around location permissions,this year apps like Tik Tok and LinkedIn,have already been caughtreading our clipboardswithout our consent.Meaning without uschoosing to paste anything.And there've been fixing it fast.That's what all this stuff is meant to doso more like it, please.If anything is using the mic,including Siri after it activates,you'll see an orangedot in the status bar.Green if anything is using the camera.The photo library is alsogetting limited accessbefore you had to choosebetween basically yes and no access.Now you can choose toonly allow select photosat select times.So you're in control.And just like nutrition labels on foods,apps now have to provideprivacy informationon the app store.So you can see whatinformation they're collectingwhere it's going and get detailson how it's gonna be used.And if an app adds supportfor signing with Apple,you can now switch from your old loginto that system to better protectyour privacy going forwardand increase your convenience.Now that's not even allthe new features in iOS 14.I'm saving some of them like game centers,Safari, shortcuts and more foriPad iOS preview coming next.So really make sure you're subscribedwith the bell gizmo onor YouTube probably won't eventell you when it comes out.Just like your carrierswon't tell you about Tingwhich can help you savemoney no matter which iPhoneor which version of iOS you're running.Especially if you'reworking from home right nowwhich tons of wifi availableand no need to pay for any moredata than you actually use.Same with talk same with text.Ting offers coverage onVerizon, T-Mobile and Sprint.So no matter where you areor if and when you actually go somewhere,you'll have more serviceoptions in more places.And it works with almost any phone.The iPhone sure, absolutely.The Google pixel, SamsungGalaxy pretty much everything.And it's super easy to get started.Just go to rene.ting.com,create an account.They send you a SIM card.You put that in your phoneand you're good to go.And if you have any issuesthey have award-winning customer supportready and happy to help you out.The average Ting bill is just $23 a monthwith no contracts, no commitments.And since you're watching this video,you can get a $25 servicecredit to try them out.Bring your own phone,bring your own number tooif you want to.Just go to rene.ting.comor click the link in the descriptionsee how much you can save and get $25 off.Thanks Ting.Thanks to all of you for your support.Hit the iOS 14 playlist for more.See you in the next video.\n"