Apple continues its development cycle, today seeding the third round of developer betas for its upcoming software updates across its ecosystem. Registered developers can now get their hands on new builds for iOS 18.5, iPadOS 18.5, macOS Sequoia 15.5, watchOS 11.5, tvOS 18.5, and even visionOS 2.5. This latest release follows the second beta wave which arrived around April 14th, continuing the testing phase that initially kicked off back on March 17th. This steady progression suggests Apple is working towards refining these point updates ahead of any potential public release.
For those tracking the specifics, the third iOS 18.5 and iPadOS 18.5 developer betas carry the build number 22F5053j. Mac users testing the latest macOS Sequoia 15.5 will find build number 24F5053j. Updates are also available for tvOS 18.5 (build 22L5559d), watchOS 11.5 (build 22T5559d), and visionOS 2.5 (build 22O5459c). Developers keen on testing can download these updates over-the-air through the Software Update section in the Settings or System Settings app on their respective devices, ensuring their Apple ID is linked to their registered developer account first.
While new beta releases often spark excitement about discovering new features, this particular cycle appears relatively sparse so far. Initial findings in the iOS 18.5 beta pointed towards minor enhancements, such as an option within the Mail app to more easily toggle contact photos on or off, and potentially clearer presentation of AppleCare+ details within the Settings app. However, beyond these small tweaks, significant user-facing changes haven’t materialized in iOS 18.5 or macOS 15.5 during this beta period. It seems Apple might be focusing primarily on under-the-hood improvements, bug fixes, and stability enhancements with this round of updates.
This focus on refinement rather than major features isn’t entirely unexpected. With Apple’s Worldwide Developers Conference (WWDC) scheduled for June 9, the company is likely dedicating the bulk of its engineering resources towards the next major operating system versions, presumably iOS 19, macOS 16, and others. Therefore, updates like iOS 18.5 and macOS 15.5 often serve to tidy up the current generation software before the big shift. Despite the lack of headline features, it’s still possible some minor additions could surface or be detailed in the final release notes when the software launches publicly, which is anticipated sometime in May.
As always, caution is advised when dealing with beta software. Apple strongly recommends that developers and testers install these builds only on secondary or non-essential devices. Beta software inherently carries the risk of bugs and instability that could lead to issues, including potential data loss. Installing betas on mission-critical hardware is not advisable, and maintaining thorough backups of important data is crucial before proceeding with any beta installation.
