Today, Apple releases the public beta of iOS 17.4 alongside a revised build for developers. As per the details, the revised build addresses major issues affecting those who installed the first beta. Apple plants the revised build with a 21E5184k build number, whereas, last week’s build was seeding with a 21E5184i build number. The public beta weighs a whopping 6.08GB in size, which remains the same as last week’s build.
Apple iOS 17.4 beta, brings some new changes, especially for iPhone users in Europe. This beta aligns with new EU laws aimed at creating more competition.
One big change is the ability to choose other browsers besides Safari. iPhone owners can now select Chrome, Firefox or other browsers as their default. This update also allows browsers to use their own engine instead of just Apple’s WebKit.
In addition, the 17.4 update expands what you can do with the iPhone’s tap-to-pay feature. In Europe, third party payment apps and banks can now offer contactless payments directly from their own apps. You don’t need Apple Pay for these transactions. The update also lets you pick a default payment provider for stores that support tap-to-pay.
Gamers will appreciate that this beta officially allows game streaming apps. Services like Xbox Cloud Gaming and Nvidia GeForce NOW can now offer standalone apps on the App Store for iPhone and iPad. This is a change from Apple only allowing these apps as web versions before.
The update includes more emoji characters as well as enhancements to the Podcasts app. It will display transcripts similar to lyrics in Apple Music. There are also general improvements to make interacting with your iPhone easier.
The iOS 17.4 beta is now available for public beta testers and developers to test out on their iPhones. People using iPhones running iOS 17 or later can get the update. Since this is a beta there could be some bugs. If you decide to opt for beta you can choose beta updates in Settings > General > Software Update > Beta Updates. Before installing the update make sure to take backup and charge your iPhone to at least 50%.
