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Apple Just Released iOS 12.2 Public Beta 3 for iPhone, Fixes Group FaceTime & Lock Screen Issue

Feb 19, 2019 06:39 PM

Mar 4, 2019 11:51 PM

While developers received iOS 12.2 beta 3 on Feb. 19, public beta testers had to wait one extra day, following suit with previous iOS 12.2 beta releases. The third beta update includes fixes for Group FaceTime and the missing date on the lock screen, as well as a few tiny app updates.

The first thing to point out is that the Group FaceTime security vulnerability, which was patched for everyone on iOS 12.1.4, has finally been patched for public beta users. While it's still not running perfectly as it should, it's at least working in part. There may be additional fixes for bugs and security vulnerabilities, but Apple doesn't always list them in its release notes.

Update: iOS 12.2 Public Beta 4 Available with New Icons & Other Tweaks

As for those release notes, the biggest change is the aforementioned lock screen fix, which gets rid of the "Charged" indicator that persisted where the date should be. There's also a note to devs about new subscription offers, meaning app owners can change the price of subscriptions instead of having one consistent price.

Aside from the official release notes, the "About" page in the "General" settings is reorganized with a new item that gives the actual iPhone model name, the Apple News app now displays the Apple icon in place of "Apple" in "Apple News" at the top, the News icon is gone from the top right in the News app, and the Apple TV Remote in the Control Center has a darker interface.

App Store - Promoting Your Subscriptions with New Offers
StoreKit now supports subscription offers in addition to introductory offers, so apps with auto-renewable subscriptions will soon be able to provide a discounted price for a specific duration for existing and previously subscribed customers. You will be able to use subscription offers to help win back subscribers who have canceled their subscriptions or promote an upgrade to another subscription at a special price. Customers can accept the offer even if they've already completed an introductory offer.
StoreKit introduces a new array of SKProductDiscount objects within the SKProduct class to display offers within your app to eligible customers. Add a new SKPaymentDiscount object within the SKPayment class to allow these offers to be accepted by the customer.
Apple Pay - Known Issues
You might be unable to authenticate within Wallet after selecting a card. (44919900) Workaround: On an iPhone with Touch ID, double-click the Home button when your iPhone is locked then select the desired card in Wallet and authenticate before holding your iPhone near the reader. On iPhone X, iPhone XS, iPhone XS Max, and iPhone XR, double-click the side button, select the desired card in Wallet, and authenticate with Face ID before holding your iPhone near the reader.
Cellular - Resolved Issues
Resolved an issue that prevented prepaid data plan purchases while using cellular data. (47272516)
HealthKit - New Features
High and low heart rate notifications and irregular heart rhythm notifications are now available as read-only category sample types. (46422154)
iCloud Photos - Resolved Issues
Photos shared using Sharing Suggestions now load correctly. (47401696)
Lock Screen - Resolved Issues
The device charge level no longer remains on the lock screen after removing the device from a charger. (47363913)
News - New Features
Apple News will be available in Canada with iOS 12.2, and is now available for Canadian users on the developer beta. Apple News in Canada supports both English and French. Readers can access a bilingual experience when they follow a channel in a second language. Note: Publications in the beta do not reflect all content that will be available. Top Stories and Digests are not updated as frequently as they will be in the shipping product.
Siri - Resolved Issues
Siri works in iOS simulators. (46681836)

To update your iPhone to iOS 12.2 public beta 3, sign up for the beta program to get a valid configuration profile, if you haven't already. If you have iOS 12's new "Automatic Updates" enabled, you can let the software update overnight. Otherwise, launch Settings, select "General," then "Software Update." Tap "Download and Install," then follow the prompts.

Beta testers gain access to new iOS features for the iPhone before the general public. This time around, there are at least 16 awesome changes, which include new Animoji for iPhone X models, AirPlay 2 support, and air quality stats in Apple Maps, among many others.