Back to work means a big batch of betas. The holiday-shortened week started with the fourth betas of iOS/iPadOS 15.4, macOS Monterey 12.3, watchOS 8.5, and tvOS 15.4. Those were seeded to developers on Tuesday, according to a few reports from MacRumors.
We’ve noted new features on the way over the last few rounds of betas, including the much anticipated arrival of Universal Control for macOS and iPadOS, the addition of Face ID with Mask, changes to how passwords without usernames are handled in iCloud Keychain, prompts for emergency contacts if emergency contacts are not setup in iOS, changes to the Apple Podcasts app, loads of new emoji, and - seriously - that list goes on. And it grew again on Tuesday.
The Siri Quintet for iPhone
On the sound side, a MacRumors report says Apple has added a fifth voice option for Siri in the United States. A Twitter post linked in the article IDs the voice as “Quinn.” It also has a short clip of the new voice speaking. Playing it back a couple of times - could be male. Could be female. I had thought that could be the point, then I came across a piece in Axios that says - “yep, that’s the point.” Describing the voice as “less explicitly male- or female-sounding,” the site says:
Apple confirmed the new voice was recorded by a member of the LGBTQ+ community, but did not offer further details.
The company did offer a statement though, saying:
We’re excited to introduce a new Siri voice for English speakers, giving users more options to choose a voice that speaks to them… Millions of people around the world rely on Siri every day to help get things done, so we work to make the experience feel as personalized as possible.
According to MacRumors:
The “American” voice is the only new voice that was added (…) for users in the United States, and there appear to have been no other updates to Siri's voice options.
Developers with the latest iOS 15.4 beta running can try running with that voice right now.
AirTag Protections Start Showing Up
Perhaps a less obvious change than the smooth sounds of Siri is the protections against AirTag stalking. Earlier this month, Apple outlined a number of changes meant to strengthen its AirTag device trackers against misuse. Now, just a couple of weeks later, some of those changes are turning up in beta form.
Another piece from MacRumors says the setup message mentioned by Apple has shown up in the fourth iOS 15.4 beta. Intended to warn would-be stalkers that “using an AirTag or another Find My-linked item to track someone without consent is a crime,” the MacRumors report says the AirTag setup screen now reads:
You can locate this item using the Find My network… Using this item to track people without their consent is a crime in many regions around the world. This item is designed to be detected by victims and to enable law enforcement to request identifying information about the owner.
Some of Apple’s other announced changes are turning up as well. “Going forward,” says MacRumors, “Apple is making sure that all accessories properly identify themselves so there is no more confusion about non-AirTag devices.” The site says that change is showing up in the latest iOS beta. The site also notes “some other minor tweaks…” The report says:
In the Find My app, there is no longer an option to toggle off “Item Safety Alerts,” with Apple instead offering “Customize Find My Notifications” and “Customize Tracking Notifications” options.
Apple has other AirTag protections planned, including improving Precision Finding for errant AirTags, displaying an alert with the tracker’s sound, tweaking that sound, and refining the unwanted tracking alert logic. Those changes are expected later this year.
