iOS 16.1.2 is out of beta and is now ready for general use with tweaks to make the iOS experience more robust. According to Apple’s notes, it includes “crash detection optimizations on the iPhone 14 and iPhone 14 Pro” and improves compatibility with wireless carriers.
This is the next major update to iOS 16 after iOS 16.1, and it’s rolling out this month. Mainly it brings security tweaks. It’s unclear when features from previous betas will make their way to iOS 16.1.2, as Apple hasn’t been given full instructions on the update.
In beta, we saw the launch of a new Freeform whiteboard app designed to create hybrid combinations of note boards and image/mood boards, improved HomeKit architecture, lock screen widgets for sleep and medication tracking widget, and has an always-display with a black background.
Still, you’ll want to download iOS 16.1.2, as it appears to fix nascent issues with crash detection, a new feature Apple introduced to its iPhone and Apple Watch in September.
iOS 16.1.2 could fix iPhone 14 crash detection
While Apple’s notes only mention “optimization” for crash detection, expect iOS 6.1.2 to fix the security feature, which has had some bugs.
For the uninitiated, collision detection is a new and notable safety feature that Apple is introducing in the iPhone 14 lineup this year. If you’re in a car accident, the feature is supposed to activate a SOS signal and alert emergency services. But many users have reported that the feature inadvertently triggers while riding a roller coaster and, now, even while skiing.
There have been multiple reports of collision detection being activated in amusement parks. But now, Utah ski resorts are suddenly seeing an increase in emergency services being activated without incident. Dispatchers in Summit County, Utah, receive between three and five emergency calls a day from Apple devices, and so far, none have been activated on purpose. Reddit users also reported that skiing could trigger false collisions, and in fact, some reported that the feature would trigger even when going downhill at moderate speeds.
But with the touted crash detection optimizations in iOS 16.1.2, Apple may have made it less likely that compatible iPhone and Apple Watch models will detect false crashes, which should mean fewer false emergency alerts. We’re not sure about this because Apple didn’t elaborate, but we believe it won’t make a difference in making crash detection more accurate.
Get iOS 16.1.2 Now
To download the latest version of iOS, open Settings on your iPhone, tap General, then Software Update, then Download and Install.