IOS 18 beta 2 changes include the iPhone Mirroring feature, a new Wallet widget, an RCS messaging toggle for Messages, and other tweaks.
Apple launched the second betas of iOS 18, iPadOS 18 and macOS Sequoia on Tuesday, June 25, bringing some of the features missing in the first beta.
The iPhone Mirroring option for interacting with an iPhone on your Mac is now available for testing. Oh, and iPadOS 18 enables support for alternative app stores and downloading apps from websites (available on the iPhone since iOS 17.4).
iPhone Mirroring
iPhone Mirroring is a new Continuity feature in iOS 18 and macOS Sequoia that lets you view your iPhone’s screen in a window on your Mac. You can control the entirety of the iPhone’s user interface with your Magic Mouse or Magic Trackpad just as if you were using touch-based controls on the iPhone itself.
You can even launch apps from your iPhone without having to install them on your Mac and drag and drop anything between the two devices. I especially like how my iPhone’s notifications appear on my Mac as if they were native to macOS.
RCS messaging
You’ll find a new RCS Messaging toggle in Settings > Apps > Messages, but don’t bother flipping it on because it doesn’t work yet. RCS, or Rich Communication Services, will be fully supported after iOS 18 launches in the fall. Major carriers like AT&T, Verizon and T-Mobile support RCS in the United States.
RCS promises to improve the messaging experience between iPhone and Android owners with such perks as read receipts, high-quality media attachments, typing indicators, improved group chat functionality and more.
Home Screen tweaks
iOS 18 beta 2 brings a wallpaper tinting toggle to darken the Home Screen wallpaper when Dark Mode is active. Speaking of Dark Mode, Apple has optimized the App Store icon with a black background in Dark Mode.
A new Connected Card widget
The Wallet app has gained a new widget, called Connected Card. It does not currently work, but Apple’s description hints at its functionality. “See your balance and card details for connected accounts,” it reads. Showing card balances in Wallet only works with Discover in the United States, but that will change with future betas.
iOS 18’s Widget app has a new feature that lets you add a new contactless card to the app by tapping it on the back of your iPhone called Tap to Provision.
Something for everyone
Haptic feedback when pressing the Power button in the Control Center’s top-right corner is more pronounced in the second beta, More importantly, the button no longer reacts to taps. You must now touch and hold it instead of tapping to bring up the shutdown screen, thereby preventing accidental activation.
In the European Union, iPadOS 18 beta 2 brings EU ecosystem changes that were implemented earlier on the iPhone with iOS 17.4 and iOS 17.5.
As the European Commission has determined that the iPad is a gatekeeper under the Digital Markets Act, the second beta of iPadOS 18 enables support for alternative marketplaces and lets you download apps from participating websites.