Apple
iOS 10.2 Release: 5 Things to Know
The iOS 10.2 release date for iPhone, iPad and iPod touch is getting closer and today we’re taking a look at everything we know so far about the iOS 10.2 update including some new details about its highly anticipated release date.
In early September, Apple confirmed its highly anticipated iOS 10 release date. And on September 13th, the company rolled out the iOS 10 update for select iPhone, iPad and iPod touch models around the world.
iOS 10 is a solid replacement for iOS 9 but it far from perfect. iOS 10 problems have been plaguing iPhone and iPad owners in the months since release and many users are calling for a new iOS 10 update to address these lingering problems.
Fortunately, help is on the way in the form of a massive iOS 10.2 update for iPhone, iPad and the iPod touch.
Apple’s confirmed an iOS 10.2 release and today we want to go over the most important things to know, right now, about the second major update to the iOS 10 operating system.
This roundup takes a look at what we know for sure about the iOS 10.2 update. It also outlines a few things you can expect from the upcoming iOS 10.2 release for iPhone, iPad and iPod touch including the iOS 10.2 release time in the United States and countries around the world.
We’ll continue to add new information to this roundup so check back for regular updates.
iOS 10.2 Beta
If you want to try the iOS 10.2 update on your device right now, you can.
Apple’s pushed an iOS 10.2 beta to developers and the general public. Anyone with an iPhone, iPad or iPod touch can download the iOS 10.2 beta, for free, via Apple’s Beta Software Program.
The iOS 10.2 beta is pretty big and there are some very good reasons to think about trying it out on your iPhone, iPad or iPad touch ahead of the official release date.
You can test the iOS 10.2 update’s new features and you can also test its performance on your phone or tablet which might be a good idea if you’re using an older device like the iPhone 5 or iPad mini 2.
Before you install the iOS 10.2 beta, make sure you prepare your iPhone, iPad or iPod touch. A little prep work will go a long way toward preventing iOS 10.2 beta problems. And yes, there are a number of issues with the current version of the beta.
We’ve noticed lag, issues with connectivity, random reboots, occasional abnormal battery drain, and issues with various apps. If you download the beta, there’s a good chance you’ll encounter an issue or two.
To help you prepare, we’ve put together a guide that will take you through the beta installation process. If this is your first time installing a beta on your iPhone or iPad, make sure you take a look at those before you go through with the process. They could save you some time.
If you do decide to give the iOS 10.2 beta a go, make sure you report issues as you see them. This will help Apple improve the final product.
You might also want to look at our list of reasons to, and not to, install the iOS 10.2 beta on your iPhone or iPad.
iOS 10.2 beta and its list of features make it tempting but there are definitely some reasons to avoid the beta.
You Can Downgrade from iOS 10.2 Beta
If you’re currently on the iOS 10.1 update or the iOS 10.1.1 update you can try the iOS 10.2 beta and drop back down if you decide you don’t want/like the beta.
As of right now, you can download the iOS 10.2 beta and drop back down to iOS 10.1 or iOS 10.1.1. Unfortunately, you can’t downgrade to anything older than those two updates.
The downgrade process is pretty straightforward. For a detailed list of instructions, take a look at our iOS downgrade guide.
iOS 10.2 Release Date
Earlier this year, Apple confirmed a new iOS 10 update for December. The update, it said, would deliver the company’s new Apple TV app to iOS users.
Apple’s iOS 10.2 beta 2 delivered the new Apple TV app to beta testers so it looks like Apple will release iOS 10.2 sometime later this month. This isn’t confirmed but it appears likely at this point. 
The only time Apple confirms specific iOS release dates is when it confirms them on stage during media events. And with no other media events rumored or likely for 2016, we probably won’t get an official iOS 10.2 release date ahead of time. That said, Apple’s left us a potential clue.
The company hasn’t confirmed anything but it says it plans to address iPhone 6s random shutdown issues in an upcoming iOS update. That update will apparently arrive next week. From a support document on the company’s website:
Outside the affected batch, a small number of customers reported an unexpected shutdown. Some of these shutdowns may be normal, because the iPhone will shut down to protect its electronic components. To gather more information, we will add an additional diagnostic feature to the iOS software update that is released next week. This feature collects a variety of information in the coming weeks that may help us improve algorithms for managing battery performance and shutdown operations. If such improvements can be achieved, we will deliver them through further software updates.
The support document was posted on December 6th which means an update should arrive during the week of December 12th, maybe on December 12th itself. (Apple’s gotten into the habit of releasing new iOS software on Monday’s.)
Next week or not, the iOS 10.2 release is close.
iOS 10.2 Release Time
The exact iOS 10.2 release date is difficult to predict but the iOS 10.2 release time isn’t.
If Apple sticks to its usual release protocol, and there’s no reason to believe that it won’t, iOS 10.2 will arrive around 10AM Pacific on release day. The same can be said for all of the upcoming iOS 10.2 beta releases.
Here’s what that looks like for regions in the United States and countries around the world including Australia and Japan:
- Eastern – 1 PM
- Central – 12 PM
- Mountain – 11AM
- London – 6 PM
- Moscow – 9 PM
- New Dehli – 10:30 PM
- Shanghai – 1 AM
- Tokyo – 2 AM
- Melbourne – 3 AM
- Auckland – 5 AM
Apple probably won’t confirm the release time ahead of release so you’ll want to keep an eye on your device(s) around this time Monday-Friday.
iOS 10.2 Update
The iOS 10.2 update appears to be a pretty sizable upgrade for the iPhone, iPad and iPod touch and we could see even more added to it as Apple tweaks the beta ahead of its official release date.
The crown jewel of the iOS 10.2 upgrade, for most people, will be the new emojis. Unicode 9 emoji are included in iOS 10.2 beta.
Notable additions include an avocado, shark, croissant, a shark, a carrot, a squid, bacon, a kiwi, and an owl.
iOS 10.2 beta includes new emojis.
There are also new wallpapers, a setting that allows you to preserve your last known camera settings called “Preserve Settings”, performance improvements, a new Celebration messages effect, new wallpapers for the iPhone 7 and iPhone 7 Plus, and some smaller tweaks.
It also, as we’ve noted, brings the new Apple TV app. The iOS 10.2 beta also brings a new TV settings section in Settings and a new SOS mode.
The SOS mode is only available for users in India in iOS 10.2 beta 3. It was available to a much wider range of users in iOS 10.2 beta 2.
Here’s a list of features that arrived with iOS 10.2 beta 1, here’s a list for the more recent iOS 10.2 beta 2 release, and here’s a list of changes on board the iOS 10.2 beta 3.
The iOS 10.2 beta 4, 5, 6, and 7 updates are much smaller and didn’t bring any significant changes to the iOS 10.2 update.
iOS 10.2 Jailbreak
Don’t expect an iOS 10.2 jailbreak on the iOS 10.2 release date.
Developers are reportedly working on an iOS 10 jailbreak but well-known security expert Luca Todesco is warning jailbreak users to avoid the iOS 10.2 update when it’s released.
Those looking to jailbreak iOS 10 should remain on iOS 10.1.1 because there’s a higher likelihood we’ll see a jailbreak for that version of iOS 10.
For more on the iOS 10 jailbreak, take a look at our roundup.
Install iOS 10.3.3 If You Want Better Security | |||||||||||||
 | |||||||||||||
If you value your security, you'll want to seriously consider downloading the iOS 10.3.3 update on your iPhone, iPad, or iPod touch. iOS 10.3.3 brings 24 security patches addressing vulnerabilities plaguing Contacts, Messages, Notifications, and Safari. It also includes a patch for a potentially dangerous Wi-Fi exploit dubbed "Broadpwn." That patch alone is a great reason to install iOS 10.3.3 right now or in the immediate future. If you failed to download previous versions of iOS, your iOS 10.3.3 update will bring even more security features. If you passed on iOS 10.3.2, iOS 10.3.3 will deliver 23 additional security patches for potentially dangerous issues. If you skipped iOS 10.3.1, your iOS 10.3.3 update will bring its lone security patch. If you skipped iOS 10.3, iOS 10.3.3 will bring its monster list of patches to your device. The iOS 10.3 update delivered over 60 known patches for potential exploits. That's substantial, even for a milestone upgrade. If you skipped the iOS 10.2.1 update and/or the iOS 10.2 update, iOS 10.3.3 brings their security patches with it. The iOS 10.2.1 update had 14 important patches on board. You can see them all right here. If you failed to install Apple's iOS 9.3.5 update, iOS 10.3.3 will also bring the three crucial security patches it delivered last year. These patch up serious security problems that could potentially expose your calls, contacts, texts, and emails. These patches enhance the security on your iPhone, iPad and iPod touch making them ideal for those of you who store sensitive files/data on your device. | |||||||||||||
| |||||||||||||
Franklin Marder
09/22/2016 at 1:48 pm
Why do you waste so much space discussing a release date that has not been announced. It’s as if you are using a template and leave in all of the extraneous stuff. To be useful your posts need to get to the point.
Scott
10/02/2016 at 3:59 am
Thanks for wasting my time reading this.
juansamaniegor
10/31/2016 at 7:27 pm
love the new #iOS10 #iMessage but the only thing missing is have profile picture.
Nick
10/07/2016 at 6:49 pm
Brevity is unfortunately not your strong point.
Shitt
10/12/2016 at 3:56 am
Bullshitting
Clyde
10/16/2016 at 9:25 am
This article is so badly written, I wouldn’t allow him/her to write a postcard after reading it!
Franklin Marder
10/16/2016 at 11:41 am
My issue is not the quality of the writing but the utterly misleading headline. It is in Beta and there is no known release date. I m a developer and I would know. This is also the second publication of essentially the same article and it just regurgitates Apple’s developer documentation. Publishing anything about a Beta release as if it is final information is misleading and shouldn’t be allowed by any responsible news site.
liviaemily_6
11/01/2016 at 6:37 am
Guess Apple came 2nd this time since android had it first with the release of nougat…
moo
11/19/2016 at 4:03 pm
there was always a squid emoji…
David OBrien
11/25/2016 at 3:22 am
What’s really getting on my nerves with the latest 10.2 beta is that when I go to write a text message… and choose a contact, if I come across one I’ve previously deleted, when I press the “I” and try to remove from recents, NOTHING HAPPENS! And it’s driving me mad!
I’ve not seen anyone else reporting this, am I alone?
Sick Of Adam Mills
11/28/2016 at 12:02 am
These articles your write about “X You Should Know About OS Y.Z” have been trash from the beginning, when you first started doing them. Please make it stop! They are awful. It is painfully obvious you know nothing about software, or software development. Please pick any other topic you can think of to write about, excluding software.
Theo
11/30/2016 at 1:31 pm
Wish Apple would go back to iOS 9.3.5. I detest so many things about iOS 10. Previously I could swipe to get rid of the lock screen. Now, I/we have to press the Home button. I have an iPad 4 with a non-operational home button. Now I have to spend money on a repair? The whole idea of a touch-screen is to get away from mechanical switches! Another thing: when I get a notification from Gmail of a new email, there is this broad banner that takes up unnecessary real estate on the screen. Then, when I open the email, the keyboard comes up and blocks half the screen. Mostly, I just want to read the email, not reply to it. Previously, a particular app allowed adjustment of font sizes. This feature disappeared with the “up”grade. A “pox on you”, Apple, for killing my enjoyment of my iOS devices!
Don S
12/04/2016 at 7:02 pm
I have version 10.0.2 on my iPhone 6s. Am I way behind the times and in danger from security issues?
Christi
12/06/2016 at 9:39 pm
iOS being the second biggest mobile platform in terms of volume and first in terms of developers remuneration. iOS apps development are a part of improving business, setting signature presence and building a great brand. Thanks for sharing
Robert Kazi
12/13/2016 at 2:41 pm
On this new iOS 10.2 it is impossible to watch my old “home videos” wich I use to sync through iTunes. No way to see those videos on the new “TV” App
Franklin Marder
12/13/2016 at 2:49 pm
You may want to look at the iOS version of the VLC app as it is a bit of a can opener for multi-media files. You may have to sync the files via iCloud Drive or Dropbox.
Nota
12/16/2016 at 7:40 pm
I can’t find my country for the new security feature after installing ios 10.2
Curaçao, Dutch Caribbean
Area code +5999
HELP
Nora
12/16/2016 at 7:43 pm
When are you going to fix issue for iMessages’ names disappearing/ not appearing/ or saying ‘maybe’ this person???
homemade electronics toys
12/22/2016 at 1:18 am
Thiѕ paragraph іѕ trսly a pleasant one it assists new internet visitors, աho are wishing for blogging.
The Shepherd’s Diet
12/31/2016 at 8:10 pm
As I website owner I believe the content here is really great,
thanks for your efforts.
enjoy video games
01/01/2017 at 10:41 pm
Sοme genuinely inteгesting info, weⅼl ѡritten аnd ցenerally ᥙser genial.
toys electronics gadgets trade
01/02/2017 at 2:25 pm
Ι read thіs paragraph ϲompletely on the topic of the comparison οf hottest аnd preceding technologies, іt’s remarkable article.
kyle leon muscle
01/02/2017 at 11:27 pm
Ι go tto ѕee daily а fеԝ web sites and websites tto
reaԀ content, hoever thіs blog proviⅾes feature based articles.
รับผลิตครีม
01/05/2017 at 8:37 pm
Have you ever considered publishing an ebook or guest authoring
on other websites? I have a blog based upon on the same subjects you discuss and would
love to have you share some stories/information. I know my subscribers would enjoy your work.
If you are even remotely interested, feel free to shoot me an e-mail.