Apple drops macOS Catalina beta 6 to all [Updated]

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WWDC 2019
Catalina was unveiled in June and expected to hit Macs everywhere in September.
Photo: Apple

The day iTunes goes away for good moved a bit closer today with the release of a fresh developer beta of macOS Catalina. This is the sixth such, and the first in two weeks.

A version of this beta for the general public is expected shortly.

UPDATE: As expected, all can now access macOS Catalina Public beta 5. Devs got an extra beta early in this process, so this is the same version as Developer beta 6.

What to look forward to in macOS Catalina

More technically known as macOS 10.15, the next version of the operating system for Apple desktops and laptops will see iTunes split up into several applications: Apple Music, Apple Podcast and Apple TV.

Catalina also brings Sidecar: the built-in ability to use an iPad as a second display. And ScreenTime makes the jump from iOS.

Speaking of cross-platform moves, developers can get excited about Catalyst, which makes it easier for them to port their iPad apps over to the Mac.

The release notes for macOS Catalina Developer beta 6 — version 19A536g — don’t include any new features not already announced. This far in the beta process, and with the release expected next month, it’s likely also that remains is fixing bugs and possibly tweaking the look of the user interface.

No beta for you! Yet.

Currently, this pre-release version is only for paying members of the Apple Developer Program. A public version of this beta could be out tomorrow, or possibly even sooner.

Before installing either, consider that betas are by definition unfinished software. They inevitably include problems with the code likely to cause applications to crash. Use at your own risk.

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