Yesterday, Apple pushed out a 3rd set of developer betas for iOS 17.1 and watchOS 10.1. As with most new beta updates, these each repair bugs and polish the person expertise; nevertheless, this time, there are a couple of essential the reason why public beta testers ought to improve to the brand new betas instantly.
Firstly, iOS 17.1 is including a brand new functionality to the iPhone Pockets app the place you’ll be capable to monitor balances for sure financial institution accounts. This got here to the UK within the first iOS 17.1 beta, and yesterday beta 3 introduced it to the US Uncover card.
Sadly, in doing so, Apple needed to make some adjustments to no matter powers the Pockets app on its again finish, such that customers operating iOS 17.1 beta two could discover their Pockets app crashing as quickly as they attempt to open it.
This downside gained’t have an effect on everyone on the final iOS 17.1 beta, however in case you are impacted by it, Apple’s answer is to replace to iOS 17.1 beta 3. Since public betas sometimes take a while to return out after a developer beta is launched, this may increasingly have left some public beta testers caught for a couple of hours, however happily, Apple delayed the iOS 17.1 public beta as little as doable, and it’s obtainable now so you may replace instantly.
The Apple Watch Was Could Have Been Sapping Your iPhone’s Battery
In one other instance of why one installs betas at their very own danger, plainly a bug within the second iOS 17.1 and watchOS 10.1 betas was inflicting an iPhone’s battery life to take a nosedive when paired with an Apple Watch that wasn’t operating the corresponding beta (or vice-versa).
As Apple explains in its launch notes for iOS 17.1 Beta 3, “elevated energy consumption would possibly happen when an Apple watch operating watchOS10.1 is paired with an iPhone with iOS 17.0 (or watchOS10.0 is paired with iOS17.1).”
Though the primary state of affairs is much less frequent, as most people are prone to replace their iPhone to a brand new beta earlier than their Apple Watch, the battery drain might happen in both state of affairs. It’s an essential reminder of why it’s all the time a good suggestion to be sure you replace your iPhone and Apple Watch in tandem.
We noticed the other state of affairs in 2019 when people leaping into the iOS 13 betas discovered their Apple Watch battery life taking a major hit. This downside was much more critical for these on the general public iOS 13 beta because the watchOS 6 beta was solely obtainable to registered Apple builders.
Apple hasn’t defined why the mismatched iOS 17 and watchOS 10 launch/beta combos have been inflicting extreme iPhone energy drain, however in both case, updating to the third beta on both gadget apparently solves the issue, so you may preserve operating the iOS 17.1 beta in your iPhone with out updating your Apple Watch to the watchOS 10.1 beta, for instance.
That stated, it’s most likely nonetheless a good suggestion to maintain each your iPhone and Apple Watch as intently matched in software program updates as doable, however it’s additionally comprehensible why some people could not need to take the danger of placing a beta model of watchOS on their wearable since not like the iPhone, you may’t roll an Apple Watch again to a earlier watchOS launch if one thing goes mistaken.
Nonetheless, the important thing takeaway is that if you happen to determine to dive into one in every of Apple’s beta packages, you’re making an much more critical dedication to put in the most recent updates as quickly as they grow to be obtainable. The third betas of iOS 17.1 and watchOS 10.1 ought to now be obtainable in Settings > Software program Replace for these already enrolled in Apple’s public beta program.
For those who haven’t enrolled in Apple’s beta program, you may join at beta.apple.com if you happen to actually need to bounce in, or you may fortunately keep on iOS 17.0.3 and watchOS 10.0.2 till the ultimate releases of iOS 17.1 and watchOS 10.1 arrive, which ought to be later this month.