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Apple releases fourth iOS 13.4, iPadOS 13.4 developer betas, hints at upcoming new features

Apple has just released its fourth developer betas for iOS 13.4 and iPadOS 13.4, and they look to contain some cool new features.

First among these is iCloud folder sharing, which was first demoed at WWDC last summer. With this, devices running iOS 13.4, iPadOS 13.4, and macOS 10.15.4, will finally be able to share iCloud folders.

Apple has also included Combined Mac and iOS Purchases, which allow developers to sell iPad and iPhone apps bundled together. The new Xcode 11.4 beta automatically enables “unified purchases” for new Catalyst-based apps, but existing apps can enable the feature, too. 

The change applies to more than just initial purchases, too. In-app purchases can be shared across Mac and iOS versions of an app, if the developer enables unified purchasing.

There’s also new evidence that iOS 13.4 and watchOS 6.2 will include a “CarKey” API that both integrates apps with Wallet, and will allow you to use your iPhone or Apple Watch as your key to lock, unlock, or start your car, provided your car has NFC key capabilities.

Apple is also said to be adding navigation and call controls for third-party apps under CarPlay, though this will require development from other software companies to see what comes along.

The Mail app now features a new toolbar, which offers speedy access to common functions such as Send to Trash, Move Message, Flag, and Reply. The Reply button opens a panel with a host of common functions like reply, reply all, forward, and archive.

The presence of nine new Memoji icons seems interesting, and should at least offer something cool to send along to a friend during the day.

Finally, an “OS Recovery” feature seems to be in the works. This would allow an iPhone or iPad to recover its OS via the Internet or a connection to another iPhone without having to plug into a Mac or a PC. Macs already sport this feature, and it’s neat to see this come along on the mobile end.

If you’ve had a chance to tinker with the new betas, please let us know what you make of them in the comments.

Via Macworld and developer.apple.com