Apple seeded the fourth developer betas of visionOS 2.4, tvOS 18.4, and watchOS 11.4 on Monday, March 17, 2025. The builds arrived roughly one week after the third betas and were available to registered developers through Software Update. Of the three, visionOS 2.4 was the significant release: it was preparing to bring Apple Intelligence and new management features to Apple Vision Pro. Apple expected the final updates in early April 2025, although that was only a target window.
These are now historical beta releases rather than current software alerts. The versions were superseded by later Apple operating-system updates.
What Apple released on March 17, 2025
Apple made the following fourth developer betas available:
- visionOS 2.4 beta 4
- tvOS 18.4 beta 4
- watchOS 11.4 beta 4
“Seeded” is Apple-industry shorthand for distributing a pre-release build to developers and testers. These versions were not final public releases and could contain bugs, regressions, incomplete features, or compatibility problems.
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The betas could be installed by developers with an eligible Apple Developer account through the relevant device’s Settings app and Software Update controls. Menu names and enrollment requirements can change across software generations, so the March 2025 installation path should not be treated as a current 2026 guide.
visionOS 2.4 was the headline update
visionOS 2.4 was the most consequential of the three betas because it marked the planned arrival of Apple Intelligence on Apple Vision Pro. The feature set under testing included:
- Writing Tools for rewriting, proofreading, summarizing, and composition
- ChatGPT-assisted writing
- Smart Reply in Mail and Messages
- Image Playground and Genmoji
- Image Wand in Notes
- Natural-language photo and video search
- Memory Movie creation from descriptions
- Priority Mail and Priority Notifications
Availability could vary by region, language, account status, and device configuration. ChatGPT integration likewise should not be interpreted as universally available or unrestricted in every market.
Spatial Gallery
visionOS 2.4 added a dedicated Spatial Gallery app featuring curated spatial photographs, spatial videos, and panoramas from artists, filmmakers, and photographers. The gallery was designed to receive new content over time, although catalog availability could differ by market.
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Apple Vision Pro app for iPhone
Alongside the visionOS update, Apple introduced an Apple Vision Pro app for iPhone. It was intended to help owners discover compatible content and spatial experiences, find and download Vision Pro apps, manage device information, and maintain a watch list. The companion app depended on the corresponding iOS 18.4 update.
iPhone-assisted Guest Mode
With visionOS 2.4 and iOS 18.4, an iPhone could assist with setting up a guest session on Apple Vision Pro. The owner could use the phone to help configure guest access and view the guest experience through AirPlay or related mirroring controls. The broader capability should not be assumed to have been newly introduced in its entirety by beta 4 specifically.
Other reported visionOS changes
Contemporaneous coverage also reported dictation-based text editing, including replacing or deleting a word, and the ability to activate Travel Mode with the Digital Crown after a “tracking fail” notification. These were secondary improvements rather than the central story of the release.
tvOS 18.4 was mainly a developer and maintenance update
The March 17 reporting did not identify a major consumer-facing tvOS feature in beta 4. Apple’s tvOS 18.4 release notes instead highlighted platform and developer changes, including:
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- Background Assets support for apps running on tvOS 18.4 or later
- StoreKit and App Store API changes
- libxml2 allocation-API deprecations
- A new URLSession loading mode
- Resolved issues and SDK changes
For most Apple TV owners, tvOS 18.4 was therefore more notable as a framework, compatibility, and maintenance release than as a visibly redesigned operating system.
watchOS 11.4 added Home and alarm improvements
The beta-4 report did not provide a complete watchOS 11.4-specific changelog. Apple’s later watchOS 11.4 release notes documented several features associated with the broader 11.4 update:
- Adding Matter-compatible robot vacuums to Home
- Using supported robot vacuums in scenes and automations
- Controlling compatible vacuums with Siri
- An option allowing a Sleep Wake Up alarm to sound through Silent Mode
- A fix for unresponsive face selection when switching watch faces
These should be understood as features documented for watchOS 11.4, not necessarily changes first introduced in beta 4.
Developer implications
The releases also mattered because they updated Apple’s development targets. Apple’s documentation indicated that the tvOS 18.4 and watchOS 11.4 SDKs were bundled with Xcode 16.3. Developers targeting these platforms could use the betas to test app behavior against the new SDKs, StoreKit changes, Background Assets on tvOS, Home integrations, and relevant API deprecations. Developers working on Apple Vision Pro apps also had reason to test Apple Intelligence-related interactions and the wider visionOS 2.4 platform changes.
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Reported build numbers
Contemporaneous developer-community reporting listed these build numbers:
| Platform | Fourth-beta build |
|---|---|
| visionOS 2.4 | 22O5231a |
| tvOS 18.4 | 22L5250a |
| watchOS 11.4 | 22T5244a |
These numbers were reported by contemporaneous developer-community coverage rather than identified here as official Apple-published release-note details. The discussion is preserved in the MacRumors developer forum thread.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.How developers installed the betas
- Use an Apple Developer account authorized for beta software.
- Open Settings on the compatible Apple device.
- Open the relevant Software Update section.
- Select the developer beta option if it appears.
- Download and install the update with the device connected to power and sufficiently charged.
Developers should test beta software on spare hardware where possible and report failures through Feedback Assistant. Apple Watch betas deserve particular caution because downgrading may require Apple service. Vision Pro users could encounter tracking, input, battery, app, or compatibility problems, while mismatched versions between a device and its companion hardware could create additional issues.
Should ordinary users install?
Developers with test hardware and a recovery plan had a clear reason to install these builds, especially if they were validating Apple Vision Pro features, tvOS frameworks, StoreKit behavior, or watchOS Home integrations.
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For someone relying on an Apple Watch, Apple TV, or Vision Pro every day, waiting for the stable release was the safer choice. Beta software is not appropriate merely because a feature is interesting, particularly when the device has limited recovery options or when Apple Intelligence functions may be restricted by region or language.
The significance of the March 17 release
All three operating systems entered their fourth developer-beta cycle together, but they were not equally important. tvOS 18.4 was primarily a platform and maintenance release, while watchOS 11.4 offered more modest Home, alarm, and reliability improvements. visionOS 2.4 carried the broader product story because it extended Apple Intelligence to Vision Pro and added the Spatial Gallery, iPhone companion app, and improved guest setup.
At the time, Apple was preparing these updates for an expected early-April 2025 release. The event itself took place on March 17, 2025, and should not be confused with a current Apple beta release.
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