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Apple Just Released iOS 12.2 Public Beta 5, Includes Minor UI Changes

Mar 11, 2019 04:43 PM

Mar 19, 2019 12:24 AM

Public beta testers are in for a treat today. While Apple is extremely inconsistent with the release schedules for the developer and public betas, the company has once again released both versions of iOS 12.2 beta 5 today, March 11. If you're a public tester, you now get to experience all of iOS 12.2's new additions for yourself, instead of needing to read about them for up to 24 hours in advance.

Beta 5 appears to be a simple, incremental update to beta 4. In fact, Apple kept the release notes for beta 5 exactly the same as for both beta 4 and beta 3.

Notable changes are simply tiny UI tweaks: the "S" and "R" in iPhone XS, XS Max, and XR are written in small caps in the "About" page, there's a thin outline around the News icon in Settings, and that icon is seen in more places in the News app, like in the "Today" tab.

Update: iOS 12.2 Public Beta 6 Now Available for iPhones

It's likely this update contains minor, under-the-hood bug fixes for issues in beta 4, and possibly security patches for any vulnerabilities. However, in terms of changes and features you would notice, beta 5 appears to come empty-handed.

You can check out the official release notes for beta 5 (and betas 3 and 4) below:

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 download and update your iPhone to iOS 12.2 public beta 5, make sure you're a registered public beta tester with a valid configuration profile. If you have iOS 12's "Automatic Updates" enabled, you can let the software update overnight. To install right away, go to Settings –> General –> Software Update –> Download and Install, then follow the on-screen prompts.

If this isn't your first beta rodeo, you know that iOS 12.2 is going to be a fun update to 12.1.4. With at least 22 new features and changes, including expanded AirPlay 2 support, new Animoji, and a redesigned Apple TV remote found in Control Center, 12.2 will be more than just a facelift.