Apple’s iOS 15.5 second beta has arrived with some small changes.
James Martin/CNET
Apple launched iOS 15.4 in March, featuring 37 new emoji and the ability to use Face ID while wearing masks. iOS beta builds usually drop immediately after the public release of the latest version, but Apple was uncharacteristically slow with its next iPhone operating system update. iPhone and iPad owners waited the better part of a month for iOS 15.5. But now we’re two builds into 15.5 and getting a better sense of what the next version of iOS will look like.
Apple released the second build of the iOS 15.5 beta on Wednesday, April 20, about two weeks after the initial beta build. Most of the 15.5 changes are smaller tweaks to apps, laying the groundwork for larger future changes. The biggest functional change in the 15.5 beta is the inclusion of “Send” and “Request” buttons for the Cash section of Apple Pay, saving you a few steps for those transactions.
Other changes include the iTunes Pass feature for Wallet being renamed Apple Balance, as spotted by 9to5Mac. The iOS 15.5 second beta created a separate card in Apple Wallet for Apple Balance, similar to how a credit card shows up in your Wallet.
There’s also more support for SportsKit in 15.5 as Apple brings live baseball into its content catalog. MacRumors also found references to a new Apple Classical app that seems to be the endgame for Apple’s acquisition of classical music streaming service Primephonic last year. Future iOS 15.5 builds could include a standalone app for classical music.
We’ll continue to update this page as future builds are released and more features are added to the iOS 15.5 beta. In the meantime, check out all the rumors we’ve heard about Apple’s iOS 16. We’ll also show you how to unlock your iPhone while wearing a mask and the newest privacy features you should try out. We also answer the question of when is WWDC, Apple’s developers conference, where we expect the first glance of iOS 16.