Apple pulls latest beta software on certain iPhone, iPad, and Apple Watch models
Apple released several new beta updates yesterday including iOS 18.4 beta 1 which included some new Apple Intelligence features including a new "Sketch" drawing style for the Image Playground. Some of the new features we are hoping to see in iOS 18.4, such as visual intelligence via the Action Button for the iPhone 15 Pro and iPhone 15 Pro Max, were not found in the beta. Nor was any sign of personal Siri which might not arrive until iOS 18.5.
Apple did have to pull the iOS 18.4 beta 1 and iPadOS 18.4 beta updates for some iPhone and iPad models after some devices had problems including boot looping. Not totally unfamiliar to iPhone users, boot looping occurs when a device starts to boot up, never finishes, starts the booting process again, only to rinse and repeat. This issue occurred last year when iOS 17.3 beta 2 was released by Apple and caused boot loops on the iPhone 12, iPhone 13, iPhone 14, and iPhone 15 lines.
The current problem has been found on the following iPhone and iPad models:
- iPhone 12 Pro
- iPhone 12 Pro Max
- iPhone 12 mini
- iPad 8 (Cellular)
- iPad Air 4 (Wi-Fi)
- iPad Air 4 (Cellular)
- iPad Air 11-inch (M2) (Cellular)
- iPad Air 13-inch (M2) (Cellular)
Two Apple Watch users reported on Reddit that installing watchOS 11.4 beta 1 on their timepieces bricked them. One of the the units was a Series 6 while the other model bricked was not specified. Apple decided to also pull watchOS 11.4 beta 1 for Apple Watch Series 6 models. This news came in a tweet written by @aaronp613 who said that all impacted units were Series 6 models including:
- Apple Watch Series 6 (GPS, 40mm)
- Apple Watch Series 6 (GPS, 44mm)
- Apple Watch Series 6 (GPS + Cellular, 40mm)
- Apple Watch Series 6 (GPS + Cellular, 44mm)
Apple is expected to re-release the updates that it had to pull but there is no clear date when we can expect this to happen. Obviously, the iPhone models and iPad models impacted by the boot looping issue are paperweights until Apple pushes out the re-releases.
At least one unlucky iPhone and Apple Watch user hit the Daily Double. As he wrote on social media, his iPhone got stuck on the words "Installing" while his Apple Watch Series 6 got stuck in a boot loop. The screen continued alternating between a black screen and the Apple logo. He's probably not the only one experiencing this on his iPhone and Apple Watch.
What happened with iOS 18.4 beta 1, iPadOS 18.4 beta 1, and watchOS 11.4 beta 1 is why most device owners prefer not to install beta software. But we should point out that the devices impacted are not the most recent models and while Apple tries to include as many devices in its beta program each year, let's face it. Older processors, lower amounts of RAM, and degraded batteries can make installing beta software a crapshoot. If your device is more than three years old, you might want to wait a few days after beta software is released to see if there are any issues reported by others who didn't have the patience to wait before installing it.
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