Apple Rolls Out New iOS 10.3 Beta Update With Find My AirPods Feature, App Store Changes To Developers

Just over a month since releasing iOS 10.2 to the public, Apple is back to working on the next major update for its mobile operating system. This week, the Cupertino giant is rolling out the second beta build for iOS 10.3 to developers in order for them to test out the new features and changes that are coming with the official update.

On Monday, MacRumors learned that registered Apple developers received iOS 10.3 beta 2 via the Apple Developer Center or as an OTA update for their properly configured devices. Since the new beta is still in the process of being seeded to registered developers, details about its contents are still scarce. However, it is already expected to come with the features and improvements outed by the first beta build.

One such feature that was discovered by developers in the first iOS 10.3 beta is Find My AirPods. Like what its name suggests, this new feature is designed to help AirPods owners track their wireless headphones should one piece or the pair go missing. What this feature does basically is record the location of the AirPods when they are connected to an iOS device via bluetooth. The last known location of the headphones is then shown to iOS users to better their chances at finding their lost earpiece.

The new beta with build code 14E5239e also boasts of a new Reviews API, as per Apple Insider. This update is said to limit the times apps send out pop-up notifications asking for App Store reviews to users. The pop-ups are reportedly limited to three times a year only. Should users want to disable these notifications entirely, there is also an option for them to do so.

Also part of the App Store changes is the feature that allows users to label app reviews as “Helpful” or “Not Helpful.” This would be helpful to other users who are also checking out the labeled apps in the App Store. Another implementation enables developers to directly respond to customer reviews.

As a significant update, iOS 10.3 is expected to bring more new features and system changes to the table. Fixes for bugs found in the previous beta are also imperative. Apple has yet to reveal the release date of the next major update. However, it won’t be a stretch to presume that it is due to come out next month.