Science

Why This iOS 12 Beta Bug Is Causing Headaches for iPhone Early Adopters

Seen this message?

Mike Brown/Inverse

Recognize the above message? iPhone users running iOS 12 beta software found themselves plagued with this message this week, ahead of Apple’s big smartphone launch scheduled for later this month. The new update is scheduled to launch in the fall, and while the pre-release versions have so far proven remarkably stable, a new flaw means this dialog box appears every time a user unlocks their phone or closes the notifications list.

Apple kickstarted its beta program for developers and interested members of the public back in June, when it announced iOS 12 at the Worldwide Developers Conference. But while the program comes with the caveat that bugs are to be expected, this surprise message has led to a slew of irritated voices in the smartphone community. 9to5Mac writer Guilherme Rambo, in his research of the issue, claimed that “it looks like this method in Springboard [the internal name for the home screen] does some date/time calculations to determine if the current build is about to expire, every time the cover sheet gets dismissed. For some reason, the latest builds of iOS 12 think they’re about to expire.”

UPDATE: Apple Has Finally Shipped an Update to Fix Infuriating Notification Bug

The hiccup comes after the release of the 11th beta of iOS 12 to developers on August 27, just four days after the tenth beta. The update brings a slew of changes like simplified notifications, Siri Shortcuts, and faster performance. The four-month beta process has proven largely event-free so far, bar one issue earlier this month where the seventh beta was suddenly removed after it caused slow performance and app issues.

Around the time of the new update, Apple is expected to introduce three new iOS 12-touting iPhones at a September 12 event at the Steve Jobs Theater in Cupertino, California. The new phones are set to bring the iPhone X’s face recognition to a wider lineup, bringing a $699 6.1-inch LCD model, an updated $899 5.8-inch OLED model and a $999 6.5-inch OLED model.

Apple has yet to announce when iOS 12 will launch. However, if previous years are anything to go by, expect a release around the middle of September.

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