iOS 14.2: the golden master is out!

It’s Friday evening, everyone is very tired of this long and trying week, but never mind: Apple is still delivering a new beta for iOS 14.2 and not just any since it is the golden master (Apple talks about release candidate). A GM which indicates that the final version for all users is very near, probably in the course of next week.

iOS 14.2 brings its small batch of new features, especially in the control center, which hosts a new Shazam button, a refreshed audio player on the locked screen (and in the control center too), a revised interface to manage the different AirPlay outputs and of course new emojis. Oh, and then there are new wallpapers too… and a fix for the pushy notification bug.

iOS 14.2: the release notes

iOS 14.2 includes the following improvements for your iPhone:

• Over 100 new emoji, including animals, food, faces, household objects, musical instruments, gender-inclusive emoji, and more
• Eight new wallpapers in both light and dark mode versions
• Magnifier can detect people nearby, and report their distance using the LiDAR sensor included in iPhone 12 Pro and iPhone 12 Pro Max
• Support for iPhone 12 Leather Sleeve with MagSafe
• Optimized battery charging for AirPods to slow the rate of battery aging by reducing the time your AirPods spends fully charged
• Headphone audio level notifications to alert you when audio level could impact your hearing
• New AirPlay controls to stream entertainment throughout your home
• Intercom support with HomePod and HomePod mini using iPhone, iPad, Apple Watch, AirPods, and CarPlay
• Ability to connect HomePod to Apple TV 4K for stereo, surround sound, and Dolby Atmos audio
• Option to provide statistics about Exposure Notifications, without identifying you, to participating Public Health Authorities

This release also fixes the following issues:

• Apps could be out of order on the Home Screen dock
• Camera viewfinder may appear black when launched
• The keyboard on the Lock Screen could miss touches when trying to enter the passcode
• Reminders could default to times in the past
• Photos widget may not display content
• Weather widget could display the high temperature in Celsius when set to Fahrenheit
• Next-hour precipitation chart description in Weather could incorrectly indicate when precipitation stops
• Voice Memos recordings are interrupted by incoming calls
• The screen could be black during Netflix video playback
• Apple Cash could fail to send or receive money when asked via Siri
• Apple Watch app may unexpectedly close when opened
• Workout GPS routes or Health data are prevented from syncing between Apple Watch and iPhone for some users
• Audio is incorrectly labeled as “Not Playing” in the CarPlay Dashboard
• Devices could be prevented from charging wirelessly
  -Exposure Notifications is disabled when restoring iPhone from iCloud Backup or transferring data to a new iPhone using iPhone Migration