iOS 11.4 dev preview arrives with AirPlay 2 and Messages in iCloud

Carly Page
@CarlyPage_
03 April 2018

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APPLE HAS SEEDED the first iOS 11.4 beta to developers, just days after iOS 11.3 was released to the public.

After being bumped from iOS 11.3 ahead of its release last week, Messages in iCloud can be found in the iOS 11.4 developer beta. This feature lets users, er, see all of their conversations synced between iOS devices and Macs using iCloud.

AirPlay 2 is also included in iOS 11.4, an updated version of the original AirPlay protocol that brings multi-room and stereo pairing to Apple's HomePod speaker. However, stereo support doesn't yet work because it requires HomePod software that hasn't yet been released.

Apple's Schoolwork app and ClassKit API also make their debut in the first iOS 11.4 beta. Unveiled at Apple's education event on 27 March, alongside a humdrum iPad update, the Schoolwork app is designed for teachers to hand out information, make assignments, and keep track of their students' progress.

The new ClassKit toolkit allows developers to integrate their education apps with Schoolwork, essentially paving the way for an education focussed mini-ecosystem within the iOS ecosystem.

It's not yet clear whether these features will make it into the full iOS 11.4 release, and it could be that Apple is testing these features before they get baked into iOS 12, which is set to be unveiled at this year's WWDC conference in June.

According to reports, Apple is planning a "gentler" iOS update for 2018, choosing to nix significant features to instead focus on improving the stability and security of its bug-ridden mobile OS.

Separate reports, however, have claimed that iOS 12 will allow iPhone apps to run on macOS for the first time. This functionality will also be folded into Apple's macOS 10.14 update, according to rumours, and will see some of Apple's own iPhone apps, including Home, made available on the firm's desktop OS.

Registered developers can download the new iOS 11.4 beta from Apple's Developer Center or over-the-air. µ