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iOS 15.4 Beta 5 ― Bug Fixes, Changes, and Improvements

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The first post of this thread is a WikiPost and can be edited by anyone with the appropiate permissions. Your edits will be public.
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Yeah. Just a disclaimer that's all.

"... As with every operating system beta, we recommend only downloading on a tester device, rather than your primary iPhone. Beta releases are intended to test for stability and bugs, which means they're not optimized like release versions -- you'll likely experience shorter battery life and app instability."
 
yukari said:
Yeah. Just a disclaimer that's all.

"... As with every operating system beta, we recommend only downloading on a tester device, rather than your primary iPhone. Beta releases are intended to test for stability and bugs, which means they're not optimized like release versions -- you'll likely experience shorter battery life and app instability."
Click to expand...
I always run betas on my main devices, can’t afford 2 phones, 2 macs, 2 iPads.

Heard Timmy boy is going to lower the price of apple products. ???
 
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Pearsey said:
OTA replaces only the files that are new.

IPSW wipes the iOS, and installs the new copy.

Much cleaner. OTA is saving files over files over files. Better, IMO and the reduced bugs I have, to have the iOS as a complete bundle.

Disclaimer: as far as I’m aware on the subject. Please correct me if I’m wrong or I’m out of date.
Click to expand...
Clarification: an IPSW-based update is still a delta and only replaces stuff that changed — it's just using the full OS install image as the source of the files being copied. (It may do different stuff in the upgrade scripts themselves than what the OTA install does, but I have no specific insights into that.)

It's an IPSW restore that wipes everything and installs a new copy of the OS wholesale (and, obviously, removes all user data in the process).
 
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When receiving a call, the photo associated to the contact doesn’t show up.
Anyone??!!!
 
SpecMode said:
Clarification: an IPSW-based update is still a delta and only replaces stuff that changed — it's just using the full OS install image as the source of the files being copied. (It may do different stuff in the upgrade scripts themselves than what the OTA install does, but I have no specific insights into that.)

It's an IPSW restore that wipes everything and installs a new copy of the OS wholesale (and, obviously, removes all user data in the process).
Click to expand...

Not being a developer, so actually not knowing for fact, but believing what’s largely on the web over anything else… is this below.

Not disbelieving you at all by the way, just this is what I’ve believed for some time. so I might need updating. ??

Why Update With iTunes or Finder?​

Over the years, iFolks that use iTunes or Finder to update their devices report fewer problems over time.

When you update your iOS via iTunes, you get the full build while Over-The-Air (OTA) updates using the Software Update function on your iPhone or iPad provides a delta updates, which are smaller size update files.

Delta vs. Full iOS Updates​

A delta update is an update that downloads only the code that has changed since the previous iOS version, saving both time and bandwidth.

Full updates download the entire code and replace the previous iOS.

Reference: AppleToolbox.com
 
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I'm trying to download the public beta profile and I get a popup that asks if I want to download "betaprogram". I have never seen this and wonder if it is OK to download.

Thanks in advance!
 
Thanks, but this is what I get and it is not in the video link...

1646261320835.png
 

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Yep, went to beta.apple.com and that was what I got. Never saw that before.

This was on my iPhone 13 Max Pro. I have had the beta on my Xs Max and just updated the public beta profile today and did not get this popup.
 
Pearsey said:
Not being a developer, so actually not knowing for fact, but believing what’s largely on the web over anything else… is this below.

Not disbelieving you at all by the way, just this is what I’ve believed for some time. so might need updating. ??

Why Update With iTunes or Finder?​

Over the years, iFolks that use iTunes or Finder to update their devices report fewer problems over time.

When you update your iOS via iTunes, you get the full build while Over-The-Air (OTA) updates using the Software Update function on your iPhone or iPad provides a delta updates, which are smaller size update files.

Delta vs. Full iOS Updates​

A delta update is an update that downloads only the code that has changed since the previous iOS version, saving both time and bandwidth.

Full updates download the entire code and replace the previous iOS.

Reference: AppleToolbox.com
Click to expand...
Yeah, whoever wrote that (it wasn't Apple) needs to update the wording in that last sentence — yes, the full IPSW does contain the full OS image, but it doesn't wipe and reinstall everything when you're just doing an update, only when you're doing a restore.

Updates are still deltas (in the context of which files are actually being replaced or modified on the device filesystem); the IPSW just lets you use a single file to update from pretty much any previous version on a given hardware platform while there are different OTA downloads depending on which specific version you're updating from (see this page on the iPhone Wiki which lists every single OTA image for iOS 15.3.1 for every supported model of iPhone and starting iOS version going back to 13.0 on the iPhone 6S, just as an example).
 
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LFC2020 said:
I’m team OTA as well, isn’t IPSW meant to be a cleaner install though?
Click to expand...
LFC2020 said:
Interesting, written this down. ?

I find OTA quicker, plus I’m lazy lol.
Click to expand...

Pearsey said:
OTA replaces only the files that are new.

IPSW wipes the iOS, and installs the new copy.

Much cleaner. OTA is saving files over files over files. Better, IMO and the reduced bugs I have, to have the iOS as a complete bundle.

Disclaimer: as far as I’m aware on the subject. Please correct me if I’m wrong or I’m out of date.
Click to expand...
Sort of correct. For super simplicity sake, say you have an app that has 10 files. An update to the app changes 3 of those files. So OTA would basically copy the 3 new files over the 3 old files with same name effectively removing the old files completely. Now a full install of said app (IPSW) would also overwrite those 3 files but will also recopy the 7 files that were never changed in the 1st place. So technically you are left with the same set of 10 files either way.

In a nutshell again a very basic explanation.
Pearsey said:
Not being a developer, so actually not knowing for fact, but believing what’s largely on the web over anything else… is this below.

Not disbelieving you at all by the way, just this is what I’ve believed for some time. so I might need updating. ??

Why Update With iTunes or Finder?​

Over the years, iFolks that use iTunes or Finder to update their devices report fewer problems over time.

When you update your iOS via iTunes, you get the full build while Over-The-Air (OTA) updates using the Software Update function on your iPhone or iPad provides a delta updates, which are smaller size update files.

Delta vs. Full iOS Updates​

A delta update is an update that downloads only the code that has changed since the previous iOS version, saving both time and bandwidth.

Full updates download the entire code and replace the previous iOS.

Reference: AppleToolbox.com
Click to expand...
This is also my understanding from back when OTA was first introduced. However, I also don't work for Apple either so......... :)
 
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Cu5co said:
When receiving a call, the photo associated to the contact doesn’t show up.
Anyone??!!!
Click to expand...
I also noticed this, but this bug has been on my iPhone 12 since I own it.
I thought they removed this feature, which I liked.
 
Battery life seems to be the same as beta 4.

Not bad, not great either, could be a little better.

57% ? left, 6h11m usage.

1646287910718.jpeg
 
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sbailey4 said:
Sort of correct. For super simplicity sake, say you have an app that has 10 files. An update to the app changes 3 of those files. So OTA would basically copy the 3 new files over the 3 old files with same name effectively removing the old files completely. Now a full install of said app (IPSW) would also overwrite those 3 files but will also recopy the 7 files that were never changed in the 1st place. So technically you are left with the same set of 10 files either way.
Click to expand...

This would make sense. The point is, we will never know, as hardly anyone outside of Apple has insight on how they handle IPSW updates/installs. It could be that they compare file date/size between the IPSW and what's already installed, and just copy it if there's a discrepancy, essentially making it not too different from an OTA update. Or it may be as you say, and they replace everything.

In any case, as a further anecdotal data point: I never ever did my updates with IPSW. Always OTA. And I've been through most betas. My iPhone works perfectly. So it's not OTA vs IPSW per se causing (nor solving) issues - there are so many other variables in play.
 
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ManuCH said:
This would make sense. The point is, we will never know, as hardly anyone outside of Apple has insight on how they handle IPSW updates/installs. It could be that they compare file date/size between the IPSW and what's already installed, and just copy it if there's a discrepancy, essentially making it not too different from an OTA update. Or it may be as you say, and they replace everything.

In any case, as a further anecdotal data point: I never ever did my updates with IPSW. Always OTA. And I've been through most betas. My iPhone works perfectly. So it's not OTA vs IPSW per se causing (nor solving) issues - there are so many other variables in play.
Click to expand...


I’m leaning towards the IPSW replacing everything, a “cleaner” way as I call it of installing. To back this idea up is, not to sound like a broken record, I don’t, and others using this method, see as many bugs as you guys… proofs kinda in the pudding.

But what ever works for us right as individuals. Theres not a right or wrong, my camps better than yours, just I’ve had a noticeably better experience using IPSWs from iOS 15, and it’s good to share with you all my positive findings which may or may not help. ?

“Perfectly”… wow, that’s a strong word for betas, you sure about that? ?
 
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