Apple's first release candidate for the iOS 14.3 beta came out on Dec. 8, but there must have been a serious bug in the system because iOS 14.3 RC 2 followed it just two days later on Dec. 10. These builds highlight everything that you should expect to see on the stable version very soon.
There's support for scanning App Clip Codes, the newly announced AirPods Max, Apple Fitness+, Apple ProRAW for the iPhone 12 Pro and 12 Pro Max, and Ecosia as a default search engine in Safari, to name a few of the big-ticket items.
The first iOS 14.3 RC, which came out on Dec. 8 for both developers and public beta testers at the same time, means that iOS 14.3 is about to be pushed to the masses very soon. That's even more obvious with the iOS 14.3 RC 2 from Dec. 10. This points to a Dec. 14 release for the stable iOS 14.3.
To give us a better idea of when that will be exactly, we can look to the AirPods Max, which requires iOS 14.3. While many AirPods Max colors won't be shipping for over three months because of lack of availability, according to the Apple Store, they will start shipping on Dec. 15 for the people who were first in line to order a set. so, expect the stable iOS 14.3 update to arrive on Dec. 14.
Aside from Apple's premium over-the-ear headphones, there's access to Apple Fitness+, Apple's new workout subscription service. In it, you'll use your Apple Watch to exercise at home, alongside the new Fitness app for iPhone, iPad, and Apple TV. You'll receive new video workouts each week, so the routines will never get stale.
Apple Fitness+ is set to launch on Dec. 14, which lends further credibility that Apple will likely release iOS 14.3 stable on that day.
We also get App Clip Codes for the first time on iOS. App Clips, which have worked since iOS 14.0, let you access app content without downloading the full app to your device. It's perfect for quick tasks like ordering food or entering information, so you can get what you need to get done without needing to take a trip to the App Store. What's new is "Apple-designed App Clip Codes," QR code-like images that can be scanned with your iPhone's camera.
The iOS 14.3 update also introduces ProRAW for iPhone 12 Pro and 12 Pro Max, allowing you to shoot and edit photos in Apple's own advanced RAW format.
Ecosia is now also a default search engine in Safari. While you could make Ecosia your default browser thanks to iOS 14, you couldn't set it as your search engine, so searches would always go to Google, Yahoo, Bing, or DuckDuck Go when it comes to English search engines.
iOS 14.3 RC Release Notes
Apple Fitness+
- A new fitness experience powered by Apple Watch with studio-style workouts available on your iPhone, iPad, and Apple TV (Apple Watch Series 3 and later)
- New Fitness app on iPhone, iPad, and Apple TV to browse Fitness+ workouts, trainers, and personalized recommendations
- Video workouts added each week in ten popular workout types: High Intensity Interval Training, Indoor Cycling, Yoga, Core, Strength, Dance, Rowing, Treadmill Walking, Treadmill Running, and Mindful Cooldown
- Playlists curated by Fitness+ trainers to complement your workout
- Fitness+ subscription available in Australia, Canada, Ireland, New Zealand, United Kingdom, and United States
AirPods Max
- Support for AirPods Max, new over-ear headphones
- High fidelity audio for rich sound
- Adaptive EQ adapts sound in real time to the personal fit of ear cushions
- Active Noise Cancellation to block out environmental noise
- Transparency mode to hear the environment around you
- Spatial audio with dynamic head tracking for a theater-like listening experience
Photos
- Apple ProRAW photos can be captured on iPhone 12 Pro and iPhone 12 Pro Max
- Apple ProRAW photos can be edited in the Photos app
- Option to record video at 25 fps
- Mirror the front facing camera for still photos on iPhone 6s, iPhone 6s Plus, iPhone SE, iPhone 7, iPhone 7 Plus, iPhone 8, iPhone 8 Plus, and iPhone X
Privacy
- New privacy information section on App Store pages that includes a developer-reported summary of the app's privacy practices
TV app
- An all-new Apple TV+ tab makes it easy to discover and watch Apple Original shows and movies
- Enhanced search so you can browse by category such as genre, and see recent searches and suggestions as you type
- Top search results shown with the most relevant matches across movies, TV shows, cast, channels, and sports
App Clips
- Support for launching App Clips by scanning Apple-designed App Clip Codes via Camera or from Control Center
Health
- Ability to indicate pregnancy, lactation, or contraceptive use in Cycle Tracking in the Health app in order to better manage period and fertile window predictions
Weather
- Air quality data is now available in Weather, Maps, and Siri for locations in China mainland
- Air quality health recommendations are provided in Weather and Siri for the United States, United Kingdom, Germany, India, and Mexico at certain air quality levels
- Air quality data in Weather, Maps, and Siri reflects updated national scales for Germany and Mexico
Safari
- Ecosia search engine option in Safari
This release also addresses the following issues:
- Some MMS messages may not be received
- Contact groups failed to display members when composing a message
- Some videos would not appear correctly when shared from the Photos app
- App folders may fail to open
- Spotlight search results, and opening apps from Spotlight may not work
- Bluetooth could be unavailable in Settings
- MagSafe Duo Charger could wirelessly charge your iPhone at less than the maximum power
- Wireless accessories and peripherals using the WAC protocol could fail to complete setup
- The keyboard would dismiss when adding a list in Reminders while using VoiceOver
Some features may not be available for all regions or on all Apple devices. For information on the security content of Apple software updates, please visit this website:
Apple released each RC update at 10 a.m. PDT, the company's standard release time for major software updates. This RC 2 update is for both iOS developers and public beta testers, so all iOS 14.3 beta users should see this update on their iPhones.
Release candidates act as a final release for beta software — if there are no bugs or major issues, the update will be pushed out to the general public as-is. However, if there are problems, Apple can go back and fix them, and it can even issue a second RC if there's time. That seems to be the case with iOS 14.3, though, it's not known what bugs or issues were patched in the second RC.
The first RC update came six days after Apple released the third 14.3 developer and public betas, which offered no new user-facing features or changes. The RC 2 came two days after RC 1.
How to Install the Latest iOS 14.3 Update to Your iPhone
To update your iPhone to iOS 14.3 developer RC 2, you'll need to be a registered developer. You can use the restore image for your iPhone available in the Developer portal (install with iTunes or Finder) or install the configuration profile, then update over the air. If you already have the profile installed on your iPhone, head over to Settings –> General –> Software Update to start installing the latest beta build, or you can wait until it installs automatically if "Automatic Updates" is enabled.
To update your iPhone to iOS 14.3 public RC 2, sign up through Apple's beta site, download and install the configuration profile, then update over the air. If you already have the profile, go to Settings –> General –> Software Update to begin the installation of the latest beta build, or you can wait until it installs automatically if "Automatic Updates" is enabled.
Cover image by Marques Brownlee/YouTube
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