Everything You Need to Know About iOS 8 Beta 5 for iPhone, iPad, & iPod Touch

Apple has just released iOS 8 beta 5 to developers, which is speculated to be the second-to-last beta build before they launch the gold master (GM) edition at the end of this month.

While the final version of iOS 8 is still over a month away from general availability, you can get your hands on the iOS 8 beta to try out all of the new features. Or, just follow along with us to see all of what's new in beta 5.

For info on previous builds, check out our coverage of betas 1, 2, 3, and 4.

There's a Prompt to Enable/Disable SMS Relay

Thanks to the Continuity initiative, iOS 8 will now prompt users with a popup that asks to use their phone number for a feature called SMS Relay, which links iOS 8 and Mac OS X Yosemite for quick text messaging across Apple devices.

Previously, you could only sync iMessages between your iOS devices and the Messages app for Mac, so getting notifications for SMS texts will be a welcoming feature.

The iCloud Icons Got Updated

In Settings, icons for iCloud, iCloud Drive, Backup, Keychain, and iCloud Family Sharing have all been updated with a new design. This is small change, but helps keep the iCloud settings visually grouped together better.

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There's More Options for Storing Your Photos

In addition to new icons, iCloud has also been updated with Optimize iPhone Storage and Download and Keep Originals features in iCloud's photo settings.

Optimize iPhone Storage keeps lower quality versions of your photos on your device, while storing originals on iCloud, which can be useful feature for those that quickly fill up their device's storage. Download and Keep Originals stores full-resolution photos and videos on both your device and iCloud.

It's Now Easier to Toggle Predictive Text

Directly through the keyboard, you can now quickly toggle the predictive text feature QuickType. Previously, the only way to disable it was by going to the keyboard settings.

The Health App Got Spirometry Data & Emergency Info

Finally, the Health app has several new features added. Spirometry information is now collected by Health, used to measure your air intake to diagnose breathing conditions such as asthma.

In the Health app, you can enable a Show When Logged feature that displays your medical information on the lock screen in case of an emergency. View your Medical ID by tapping on Emergency -> Medical ID on the bottom right corner of the phone dialer.

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What Else Is New?

This may seem like a small update when compared to the previous builds, but that only means we're closer and closer to a public release. However, there are a few more things to note in beta 5.

• "Last Updated" information now shows up in the Photos app, but only for those synced with iCloud.
• Wi-Fi calling is now labeled next to the carrier name in the status bar, but is only working for T-Mobile at the moment.

Since we're only one more release from the final version, beta 5 is more of a bug fixer and polisher. We'll update you of any new features in iOS 8 beta 5 in the coming days, until the next version drops, so stay tuned.