Apple released iOS 18 Beta 2 to developers on 24th June 2024 and here’s what’s new –

How to update – Open settings < general < software update and click download and install

Build Number – 22A5297f

Device installed on:

• iPhone 13

The update:

What’s new?

Wireless iPhone Mirroring:

• Full iPhone Control on Your Mac: See your iPhone’s home screen with your custom wallpaper and icons, just like on your phone. Browse apps, launch them, and interact with them using your Mac’s keyboard, trackpad, or mouse.
• Seamless Integration: Drag and drop content effortlessly between your iPhone and Mac.
• Privacy and Security: Your iPhone remains locked while mirrored, so no one else can access your data. Plus, Continuity features work seamlessly with features like StandBy, allowing you to see information at a glance without interrupting your workflow.
• Enhanced Notification Management: Review and respond to iPhone notifications directly from your Mac for a more unified communication experience.

RCS Toggle

iOS 18 beta 2 introduces a toggle for the new RCS messaging protocol, which is set to replace SMS and MMS. However, RCS is not yet functional. Currently, the RCS toggle is available only for U.S. iPhone users with carriers that support RCS, including T-Mobile, Verizon, and AT&T.

RCS will enhance text messaging conversations with Android users by enabling higher-quality images and videos, read receipts, typing indicators, Tapback support, and more.

Home Screen

The App Store icon on the Home Screen now supports dark mode, which alters the background color of the app to match the darker theme. Additionally, a new wallpaper tinting toggle is available in automatic mode, a feature that wasn’t present before. This toggle darkens the selected wallpaper, enhancing the overall aesthetic.

In the second beta, the contrast of the tint feature has been improved for some icons by incorporating more dark areas, providing a sharper look.

However, it’s important to note that the tinting and icon colour changes in beta 2 are still quite buggy. Sometimes, tints won’t deactivate until the iPhone is restarted, indicating that the feature isn’t fully stable yet.

Widgets

There is a new Connected Card Wallet widget app, but it is currently not functional. Connected Cards are designed to integrate with the Wallet app to show the total card balance and transaction history. As of now, in the United States, this feature is only compatible with Discover.

Passwords App

The Passwords app now features a “+” button directly in the main view, allowing you to add a new item immediately upon opening the app. This eliminates the need to tap the “All” icon first, streamlining the process of adding new passwords or items. This update enhances user convenience and efficiency by simplifying navigation within the app.

Control Center:

The power button in the Control Center has a more pronounced haptic feel when pressing it, and it only triggers with a press rather than just a tap. The change will prevent the power button from accidentally being activated when using Control Center.

EU App Ecosystem Changes:

In the European Union, the iPadOS 18 beta adds support for alternative app marketplaces and downloading apps from websites. These are the same changes that Apple made to the ‌iPhone‌ in iOS 17.4, with the updates now extended to the iPad as required by the European Commission.

Tap To Cash:

Tap to cash seems to be working on iOS 18 Beta 2 in select regions.

That’s it for iOS 18 Beta 2!

Future Software:

iOS 18 Beta 3 – We can expect the 3rd Beta of iOS 18 to release within 2 weeks of Beta 2 being released