We took a look around the web on Thursday to check out the new features users are discovering in the latest iOS 9 developer beta seed. It turns out that Beta 5 has a few surprises, and you’re probably going to like them.
Wi-Fi Calling for AT&T, And Wi-Fi Assist
The new iOS 9 beta enables Wi-Fi calling for AT&T customers, although the carrier isn’t ready to support that feature quite yet, so customers of the carrier will need to wait until “later this year” when it flips the switch on the feature. T-Mobile customers will be familiar with this feature, as last year’s iOS 8 update enabled it for them.
The new Wi-Fi assist feature allows your iOS device to automatically switch to cellular data when it is connected to a weak Wi-Fi signal. This should prevent your iPhone from hanging on to your home’s wireless signal, even as you’re sitting in the driveway.
CarPlay
The CarPlay interface has been tweaked, adding larger artwork and support for liking songs with the heart button. The “Now Playing” screen has also been tweaked a bit.
Wallpapers
A nice batch of new wallpapers is featured in iOS 9 Beta 5. Apple removed some of the older wallpapers, and in their place has found some nice abstract designs, along with some cool planetary and splashy designs.
Handoff & Suggested Apps
The Handoff & Suggested Apps settings have been changed, removing the option to show App Store suggestions on the lock screen. Now, you’ll only see suggestions for the apps you actually have installed.
Apple Music
Listeners will see a new “Shuffle All” option at the top of My Music when they’re in the Song, Album, or Genre views. The option will play all songs in a library in shuffle mode.
Calendar
When opening the Calendar app for the first time, users will see a splash screen, explaining all of the new features of the app.
Keyboard Tweaks
On the iPhone, the keyboard has been tweaked with new shift and backspace keys.
Text Replacement
In the Keyboard Settings, “Text Shortcuts” has been renamed “Text Replacements.”
We likely missed some of the new tweaks and changes. If you know of something we missed, let us know on Twitter at @MacTrast, or in the comments section below.
