Apple releases iOS 10.2 public beta 4

Apple today started rolling out the fourth public beta version of iOS 10.2, an update that became available to developers earlier today and will become available for everyone to install in the next few weeks.

The public beta is a way for Apple to test out the next version of its operating systems before they go out to the general population so that Apple can figure out what to fix. Unlike developer beta releases, public beta releases can be accessed free of charge by signing up for Apple’s Beta Software Program. If you’re already part of the beta program, you’ll be able to download the new version as an over-the-air (OTA) update.

Google recently established the user-friendly Android Beta Program, which gives people early access to the developer previews of Android.

As for this new version of iOS 10 — which became available to everyone in September and is now running on more than 60 percent of iOS devices, according to Apple data — it once again includes the TV app Apple recently debuted, just like the second and third public betas of iOS 10.2. Apple has fixed a few bugs in the app — for example, users won’t be asked to connect third-party apps to the TV app over and over again. Also artwork for synced content should be correct now.

But this OS update still has some bugs that Apple knows about. Namely the app might take a long time to open, it can’t be restored after it’s deleted, it may crash on the iPod Touch, and syncing an iOS device with computers running certain versions of iTunes may result in some content being deleted from the TV app.