iOS 9 Beta 5 Tidbits: New Wallpapers, WiFi Calling for AT&T Users, and More

Apple today released the fifth beta of iOS 9, and as with the previous iOS 9 betas, there are a few new features and tweaks bundled into the release. WiFi calling for AT&T users has been introduced and is coming soon, Apple's debuted several new wallpapers, and there are tweaks to CarPlay and the iPhone keyboard.

Several bugs have been fixed in iOS 9 beta 5, and features like News and Siri Suggestions are working more smoothly than ever. With approximately a month and a half to go until release, iOS 9 is feeling faster, more polished, and more full featured. For those eager to know all about what's coming in iOS 9 ahead of its release, we've rounded up a complete list of the changes introduced with iOS 9 beta 5 below.

You can also check out all of the changes, large and small, that have been made in previous betas: iOS 9 beta 1, iOS 9 beta 2, iOS 9 beta 3, iOS 9 beta 4.

Wallpapers - Today's update includes a wide selection of new wallpapers, introducing images featuring close ups of feathers, flowers, plants, and more. Many older wallpapers have been removed, so people running iOS 8.4 should save their favorites now before they're deleted with the launch of iOS 9.

newwallpaper
WiFi Calling for AT&T - Beta 5 adds WiFi calling options for AT&T subscribers, but attempting to turn the option on results in a message saying WiFi calling is not yet available. The addition of the setting heralds the imminent release of the feature for AT&T users. Previously, WiFi calling was limited to T-Mobile and Sprint. There's also a new WiFi Assist feature that will "automatically use cellular data when Wi-Fi connectivity is poor."

wificalling
Apple Music - There's a new "Shuffle All" option at the top of My Music when in Song, Album, or Genre view. It'll play all songs in a music library on shuffle mode.

Keyboard tweaks - On the iPhone, the keyboard has been tweaked and simplified with new shift and backspace keys.

iphone6keyboardtweaks
Handoff - Handoff functionality has been changed in iOS 9 beta 5. Previously, Handoff had an option that would allow users to see lock screen suggestions for Apps in the App Store for a relevant location, but now only installed apps will be displayed. In the Settings app, Handoff options under General -> Handoff & Suggested Apps, the option to display App Store apps has been removed.

handoffoptions
Regulatory info - The General portion of the Settings app has a new "Regulatory" section that displays regulatory information for iOS devices. This was information was previously hidden (and is still located) in General --> About --> Legal.

regulatorysection
CarPlay - The CarPlay interface has been updated, changing the way images are displayed behind music controls and adding the ability to heart songs that are playing through Beats 1 radio or Apple Music.

Siri Suggestions - The Siri Suggestions interface has been tweaked slightly, removing the labels for calling and messaging a contact. Only icons are displayed now.

sirisuggestions
Text Replacements - In the Settings app, the section where you can create shortcuts for keys has been renamed "Text Replacements."

WiFi animation - There's a new animation that's used when WiFi is turned off. Instead of the bars disappearing one by one, the WiFi symbol now fades to gray before disappearing.

Additional feature updates in iOS 9 beta 5 will be added here as they are discovered. Apple is expected to release at least one or two more update to iOS 9 before the operating system's official launch. iOS 9 is expected to be released to the public in the fall alongside new iPhones.

Related Forum: iOS 9

Top Rated Comments

jeffUM Avatar
113 months ago
New area showing size of iCloud photo upload size?

Score: 13 Votes (Like | Disagree)
alcides11 Avatar
113 months ago
So, who thinks AT&T will once again try to force customers to give up their unlimited data plans by limiting Wi-Fi calling to those on their tiered data plans?
Score: 11 Votes (Like | Disagree)
JustThinkin' Avatar
113 months ago
Dear professional writer: "Apple's" is a possessive form, not a contraction of "Apple has". Should be: "Apple has debuted", or "Apple debuted" for short.
Dear critic: The grammar is correct as written.

Your only possible argument is that some deem it improper for formal writing. But the audience and the site's purpose must be considered.

A site called Mac Rumors may employ informal writing at its discretion.
Score: 11 Votes (Like | Disagree)
pgiguere1 Avatar
113 months ago
I have a feeling new iPhones may not ship with FCC labels anymore.
See: http://www.engadget.com/2014/11/27/e-label-act-is-good-to-go/

Also, those new wallpapers with a black background would look nice on an OLED panel (Force Touch = flexible OLED if it's anything like the Apple Watch).
Score: 9 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Dargoth Avatar
113 months ago
"automatically use cellular data when Wi-Fi connectivity is poor."
THANK YOU! Wi-Fi is so often slower than cellular, especially if you're on the move and the iPhone keeps trying to connect to various public access points, resulting in no connectivity until you turn Wi-Fi off. I'm a happy camper. :)
Score: 9 Votes (Like | Disagree)
sanke1 Avatar
113 months ago
Finally they realized that those piss poor wallpapers in iOS 8 needed a worthy replacement.
Score: 7 Votes (Like | Disagree)

Popular Stories

maxresdefault

Apple to Launch New iPad Pro and iPad Air Models in May

Thursday March 28, 2024 11:07 am PDT by
Apple will introduce new iPad Pro and iPad Air models in early May, according to Bloomberg's Mark Gurman. Gurman previously suggested the new iPads would come out in March, and then April, but the timeline has been pushed back once again. Subscribe to the MacRumors YouTube channel for more videos. Apple is working on updates to both the iPad Pro and iPad Air models. The iPad Pro models will...
General Apps Messages

Google Reveals When to Expect RCS Support on iPhone for Improved Texting With Android Users

Friday March 29, 2024 7:14 am PDT by
In November, Apple announced that the iPhone would support the cross-platform messaging standard RCS (Rich Communication Services) in the Messages app starting "later" in 2024, and Google has now revealed a more narrow timeframe. In a since-deleted section of the revamped Google Messages web page, spotted by 9to5Google, Google said that Apple would be adopting RCS on the iPhone in the "fall...
airtag new orange

Criminals in Montreal Using AirTags to Steal Vehicles

Friday March 29, 2024 12:50 pm PDT by
Thieves in Montreal, Canada have been using Apple's AirTags to facilitate vehicle theft, according to a report from Vermont news sites WCAX and NBC5 (via 9to5Mac). Police officers in Burlington, Vermont have issued a warning about AirTags for drivers who recently visited Canada. Two Burlington residents found Apple AirTags in their vehicles after returning from trips to Montreal, and these...
top stories 30mar2024

Top Stories: WWDC 2024 Announced, New iPads Delayed, and More

Saturday March 30, 2024 6:00 am PDT by
Apple's WWDC 2024 dates have been announced, giving us timing for the unveiling of the company's next round of major operating system updates and likely some other announcements. This week also saw some disappointing news on the iPad front, with update timing for the iPad Pro and iPad Air pushed back from previous rumors. We did hear some new tidbits about what might be coming in iOS 18 and...
iphone 16 cases sonny dickson 1

First iPhone 16 Cases Outline New Rear Vertical Camera Bump

Friday March 29, 2024 4:09 am PDT by
Photos of the first iPhone 16 cases have been shared online, offering another preview of the rumored new vertical rear camera arrangement on the standard iPhone 16 and iPhone 16 Plus. Image credit: Accessory leaker Sonny Dickson Over the last few months, Apple has been experimenting with different camera bump designs for the standard iPhone 16 models, all of which have featured a vertical ...
Apple iPhone 15 Pro spatial video capture lifestyle

$3 App Shoots Better Quality Spatial Video Than iPhone's Camera App

Friday March 29, 2024 4:48 am PDT by
A $3 third-party app can now record spatial video on iPhone 15 Pro models in a higher resolution than Apple's very own Camera app. Thanks to an update first spotted by UploadVR, Spatialify can now record spatial videos with HDR in 1080p at 60fps or in 4K at 30fps. In comparison, Apple's native Camera app is limited to recording spatial video in 1080p at 30fps. Shortly after Apple's Vision ...