UPDATED 05:19 EDT / SEPTEMBER 11 2015

NEWS

iOS 9.1 public beta available now, not just about iPad Pro: new middle finger emoji, more

After unveiling its 12.9-inch iPad Pro on Wednesday, Apple seeded the first beta of iOS 9.1 to developers. iOS 9.1 brings support for iPad Pro accessories like the Smart Keyboard and Apple Pencil, and Apple is providing app makers ample time to start prepping their apps for the mammoth iPad.

It’s not all about iPad Pro though. Apple on Thursday made the iOS 9.1 beta available to members of its public beta software testing program, leading to the discovery of a few more new features.

iOS 9.1 supports Unicode 8 and now includes a slew of new emoji like taco, burrito, unicorn face, hot dog, popcorn, turkey, cheese wedge, middle finger, and more.

In the Settings app, there is a new Siri setting that allows users to give voice examples for the “Hey, Siri” mode that can be used to activate Siri hands-free whenever the iPhone is connected to power. With the iPhone 6s and iPhone 6s Plus, the “Hey, Siri” feature can be used even when an iPhone is not connected to a charger.

Users who have been beta testing iOS 9 should see the iOS 9.1 beta as an over-the-air update.

If you have not been part of the public beta for iOS 9 but would like to give iOS 9.1 a try (even just so you can flip your friends the bird), you can sign up for Apple’s beta testing program. You can also follow our guide on how to sign up for the iOS 9 public beta.

For help installing the public beta, follow our guide on how to install the iOS 9 public beta. As always, remember to create an archived backup using iTunes before installing the update.

Apple will release iOS 9 to the general public on September 16 and the iOS 9.1 update is expected to follow alongside the iPad Pro in November.

photo credit: The Birds via photopin (license)

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