How to Get Ready for iOS 14 & iPadOS 14

It’s that time of year again. The release of iOS 14 and iPadOS 14 is right around the corner. Consumers are excited for the new release — and that means dev and test teams need to start testing their apps against this new OS.

iOS 14 Release Date

Apple hasn’t announced the exact iOS 14 release date. However, based upon Apple’s release cadence, we can expect the iOS 14 release date sometime in mid-September of 2020.

Until then, it is critical to start testing and focusing on the iOS 14 developer preview, which will be announced on June 22, followed by several beta versions up until the GA in September.

Together with the September iOS and iPadOS 14, there will be releases of the new iPhone 12  series, iPads, and the new Apple Watch 6 that will require compatibility testing as described below.

Once the iOS 14 dev preview is released, your team can start testing on it in the Perfecto testing cloud. With all the changes ahead, take a look at some of the new features and functions to come with this new release.

Anticipated iOS 14 New Features & Updates

As with any new Apple release, there will be new features enhancements, and updates for users. Here’s an overview of the anticipated iOS 14 features.

iOS 14 New Features

• Expanded home screen widget options.
• Ability to record phone calls.
• iMessage updates, including retractable messages, typing indicators in group chats, the ability to mark messages as unread, and Slack-like mentioning capabilities, which send push notifications in muted group chats.
• Activity app will now track movement time rather than calories burned for Apple Watch in Kids Mode. Sleep goals and recommendations will also be included on the Health app, to go along with Apple Watch updates.
• New Fitness app will sync with Apple Watch, Apple TV, and iPhone.
• New AR app may feature AR experiences triggered by QR codes.
• New default settings allow users to set third party apps as default for mail, browser, and music apps.
• “Shot on iPhone” photo contests may be synched in the Photos apps.
• Built-in translation capabilities added in Safari.
• New functions in the Find My app to alert others when someone isn’t in an expected location at a certain time.
• Custom wallpapers will be available in the CarPlay app. iOS 14 could also include the capability to lock/unlock or start a car with NFC abilities.
• Apple Maps will provide more detailed information about certain locations.
• iCloud Keychain will alert when the same password is used in multiple instances. iCloud Keychain could also generate its own 2FA codes, eliminating the need for a 2FA app.
• New accessibility features detect sounds like fire alarms and doorbells for users with hearing loss.
• A new function called “Clips” will allow users to interact with apps before downloading them.

How to Prepare for iOS 14

From a dev and testing perspective, iOS 14 will be an entirely new platform to cover.

Dev and testing teams will need to test against the upcoming dev preview to ensure new changes and enhanced features in the platform work with their apps, and to unveil any potential regression defects. And because adoption rates of new iOS releases tends to be quite high, it is a testing best practice to make the jump sooner rather than later.

iOS 14 is expected to be compatible with all mobile devices and iPads that are currently compatible with iOS 13. However, a few devices will not be entitled to iOS 14. These include the iPad Mini 4 and the iPad Air 2. Because these devices hold a significant market share globally, dev and testing teams need to ensure iOS 13 complete test coverage on these devices/OSes too.

Related Resource: Mobile & Web Test Coverage Index Spring 2020

Additionally, iOS 14’s UI and functional enhancements will require changes to overall Appium and XCUITest suites. Testing teams should plan on conducting a maintenance audit and making corrections as soon as the dev preview and beta are out to ensure continuous stability of test suites.

Get Ready for iOS 14 With Perfecto

Don’t miss a beat with iOS 14. Ensure defect-free apps with Perfecto’s same-day access.

Perfecto guarantees launch-day access to iOS 14 for all your mobile app testing needs. Even before the release, you can start testing iOS 14 beta on devices in the Perfecto testing cloud.

Learn more about the supported devices, generations, and operating systems that are available in Perfecto’s testing cloud And check out our comprehensive list of devices available with Perfecto.

Ready to get started? Give Perfecto a try for free.

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