Apple Releases New iOS 12 Betas to Squash Annoying Popup Bug

Apple on Friday released iOS 12 developer beta 12 and its public beta analog, just four days after releasing the previous batch of betas.

The latest developer and public beta versions of iOS 12 are probably an emergency bug fix update to address an annoying notification issue that plagued testers last night.

Basically, the bug consisted of a popup alert stating that a new iOS update was available. In fact, there was no available update last night. But the notification still spammed users every time they unlocked their devices or exited the Notification Center. Even after the alert was dismissed, it would promptly show up again.

Reportedly, it started affecting users when iOS 12 developer beta 11 was released. But the bug continually progressed until the popup alert was so frequent that it was essentially harassing users every time they used their iPhones or iPads.

iOS developer Guilherme Rambo suggested that the bug could be tied to an issue causing the beta build to think they’re about to expire.

Still, it seems that Apple was made quickly aware of the problem and the Cupertino tech giant squashed the bug promptly with today’s beta releases.

Other than this bug fix, it’s not entirely clear what other bug fixes or under-the-hood improvements iOS 12 beta 12 and public beta 10 introduce. The significance of the popup bug does suggest that it was probably the main issue addressed in the new betas.

iOS 12 itself is a major update to Apple’s mobile operating system. It’ll add a slew of new features, including significant performance and stability improvements; a suite of upgrades to Siri; customizable Memoji characters and new Animoji; and digital health tools like new Do Not Disturb settings and Screen Time.

With the pace of beta releasing quickening over the last couple weeks, it’s incredibly likely that we’re nearing the Golden Master version of iOS 12. Apple will likely announce an official public release date of the new software at its “Gather round” event on Sept. 12.

In the meantime, iOS 12 developer beta 12 should now be available from the developer’s portal or as a free over-the-air update. Public beta testers should see iOS 12 beta 10 available as well.