Apple has released iOS 13.5 Beta 4 to developers today exactly after a week they released iOS 13.5 Beta 3. It seems like Apple has shifted to a one-week release cycle for iOS 13.5. The build number of this beta is 17F5065a. The letter ‘a’ at the end of the build number indicates that the beta cycle is coming to an end soon and is almost ready for the final release. Apple may release one more beta for iOS 13.5 or may release iOS 13.5 to the public next week as the rumored release date for iOS 13.5 is during Mid-May.
There are various features and changes in this update:
1. COVID-19 Exposure Notifications: Apple has added a toggle to Settings>Privacy>Health>COVID-19 Exposure Notifications, which enables you to opt out of this feature. In Settings>Privacy>Health>COVID-19 Exposure Notifications, Apple mentions,
“ iPhone is using Bluetooth to securely share your random IDs with nearby devices and collect their IDs. This enables an app to notify you if you may have been exposed to COVID-19. Random IDs are deleted after 14 days.
Apps you authorize can notify you if you’re exposed to COVID-19. You can also choose to anonymously share your COVID-19 diagnosis.”
This is the result of the partnership between Apple & Google to create a contact tracing technology for COVID-19.
Read more about Apple’s Privacy-Preserving Contact Tracing Technology here.
3. iOS 13.5 will fix two security vulnerabilities which could remotely infect an iPhone through the Mail app upon the attacker sending a specific email which would take up a lot of RAM on the iPhone and another vulnerable allowed remote code executions.
4. Connectivity: iOS 13.5 will fix a vulnerability present from iOS 13.3.1 which prevented VPNs from encrypting traffic. This update will also fix an issue with Personal Hotspots, which was not working for some users.
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