Bundle of new developer OS betas highlight iPad Up Next widget functionality

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iPadOS 13.4 includes an improved Up Next home screen widget.
See locations in the Up Next home screen widget in iPadOS 13.4 beta.
Photo: Ed Hardy/Cult of Mac

The Up Next widget on the iPad home screen gets a handy tweak in iPadOS 13.4, showing the location of upcoming events if they’ve been specified in the Calendar. This is just one of the improvements in this version, which is still in beta testing,

But the release is getting closer, as Apple just released the third beta of iPadOS 13.4 to developers. Plus, there are new pre-release editions of macOS 10.15.4, iOS 13.4, tvOS 13.4 and watchOS 6.2.

More tweaks in iOS 13.4 and iPadOS 13.4

The operating systems for iPhone and iPad are still closely aligned, and other features added to iPadOS 13.4 and also in the iOS equivalent.

That includes iCloud Drive folder sharing to make collaboration easier. And there are some new data-saving settings to the TV app. Plus, Universal Purchases potentially could bring real change to Apple’s ecosystem.

Updates in macOS 10.15.4

The next version of macOS Catalina brings some enhancements that already available for iPhone and iPad, like Screen Time Communication Limits. And the Apple Music app now offers real-time lyrics.

No significant improvements have been noted yet in watchOS 6.2 or tvOS 13.4, though the latter supposedly hints new hardware is in the offing.

Developers get a first look

The third beta versions of iPadOS 13.4, macOS 10.15.4, iOS 13.4, tvOS 13.4 and watchOS 6.2 are currently exclusive to paying members of the Apple Developer Program.

The general public will get access later — possibly as early as tomorrow. But non-devs aren‘t completely left in the cold. Anyone can join the free Apple Beta Software Program and install the second betas of most of these operating system updates today. They’ll then have access to the third pre-release versions as soon as possible.

The exception is watchOS 6.2. Only developers can test beta software for Apple Watch.

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