Everything New in iOS 15.2 Beta 3: Macro Mode Updates, iCloud Private Relay Tweaks and More

[MacRumors]

Apple today released the third beta of an upcoming iOS 15.2 update to developers for testing purposes, and the Cupertino company is continuing to refine features ahead of the software's release. Beta 3 doesn't add as many new features as prior betas, but there are some notable changes.

Playlist Search in Music App

Apple has added a long-awaited feature that allows Apple Music users to search within playlists.

Macro Mode

For the iPhone 13 Pro and Pro Max models, there's a Macro option for taking close-up photos with the Ultra Wide lens. Apple has been tweaking controls for macro mode in the iOS 15.2 beta, and has clarified the settings available for the feature in the third beta.

There's a renamed "Macro Control" toggle in the Camera section of the Settings app that makes it clear that users can toggle on the manual macro feature that was added in the second beta.

"Show Camera control for automatically switching to the Ultra Wide lens to capture macro photos and videos," reads the description of the toggle. With this enabled, iPhone 13 Pro and Pro Max owners can tap on a little flower-shaped icon in the Camera app to toggle on Macro mode when close to an object. This was introduced in the second beta, but it was confusing because Apple had not yet updated the wording for the toggle in the Settings app.

iCloud Private Relay

In the Cellular and WiFi sections of the Settings app, Apple has clarified the iCloud Private Relay wording. The toggle, which was previously called "iCloud Private Relay" has been renamed to "Limit IP Address Tracking" to make it clearer what happens when it's turned on.

The general functionality is the same, and this is just a clarification to the wording.

Turning off the "Limit IP Address Tracking" feature turns off iCloud Private Relay for the cellular provider or the WiFi network, just as it did before. There have been no changes to the iCloud Private Relay feature, which can be activated separately for cellular and WiFi traffic.

Reminders App

According to Apple's release notes, tags can be bulk renamed and deleted in the Reminders app.

Bugs

There are a few remaining bugs in the beta. From Apple's release notes:

• Streaming in the Music app could result in higher CPU usage, causing faster battery drain in some scenarios
• Users who import a verifiable vaccination record aren't able to add it to the Wallet app, and the Health app may freeze

Additional Features

Know of new feature in the third beta of iOS 15.2 that we left out? Let us know in the comments.

Article Link: Everything New in iOS 15.2 Beta 3: Macro Mode Updates, iCloud Private Relay Tweaks and More

 

[Kylo83]

It not a very interesting update

 

[PinkyMacGodess]

Oh, I thought they released it today. Hmm...

 

[tosbsas]

still storage is buggy - added files to an app and it won't show the increase in the app

 

[TheYayAreaLiving 🎗️]

Can’t wait! Hopefully it’s out before November is up.

 

[now i see it]

• Users who import a verifiable vaccination record aren't able to add it to the Wallet app, and the Health app may freeze•

Sounds like the Health App needs a vaccination

 

[HueBon]

There is an option in cellular settings to convert to esim.

I have a SIM card.

Wonder if this will allow me to pop out the sim and use my number still.

 

[canadianreader]

Turning off the "Limit IP Address Tracking" feature turns off iCloud Private Relay for the cellular provider or the WiFi network, just as it did before. There have been no changes to the iCloud Private Relay feature, which can be activated separately for cellular and WiFi traffic.

I'm curious about what's Apple approach to logging IPs I know they tried to circumvent the VPN and the firewall in the first public release of BigSur.

macOS Big Sur 11.2 Beta 2 Removes Feature Letting Apple Apps Bypass Third-Party Firewalls and VPNs

macOS Big Sur 11.2 beta 2, which was released yesterday, eliminates a feature that allowed Apple apps bypass third-party firewalls, security tools,...

www.macrumors.com

 

[LogicalApex]

There is an option in cellular settings to convert to esim.

I have a SIM card.

Wonder if this will allow me to pop out the sim and use my number still.

If you convert to eSIM it would invalidate your SIM card so you could pull it out and trash it once you've converted.

 

[adammusic]

13 Pro photo processing still water colored dog sht.
Apple still didn’t even address it as an issue.
Will never get fixed.

 

[LogicalApex]

13 Pro photo processing still water colored dog sht.
Apple still didn’t even address it as an issue.
Will never get fixed.

Sounds like a travesty.

If you prefer it with a bit more flexibility shoot in RAW or snag Halide. You don't have to live in a hellish state.

 

[rjohnstone]

There is an option in cellular settings to convert to esim.

I have a SIM card.

Wonder if this will allow me to pop out the sim and use my number still.

It will. I just ran this after noticing the option.
Works as expected.

 

[CubeHacker]

This “private relay” sounds like some apple only VPN?

 

[Konigi]

Is the Private relay still in beta? Or it's the official release now?

 

[IMPOSSIBLEMAN]

I no longer feel lonely when even The Verge, Zollotech, and FTP among others are complaining about Apple software becoming increasingly boring.

 

[dontwalkhand]

I am hoping we will finally see Apple enable the drivers license feature soon. They said Late 2021, which could easily mean December 31, 2021 though.

 

[Kazgarth]

Apple is really underselling their Private Relay features.

I bet 99% of the users don't know that it also encrypts every DNS request (even on other browsers) on iOS/iPadOS. So you don't need to use secure DNS app/profile.

 

[Pcar17]

I am hoping we will finally see Apple enable the drivers license feature soon. They said Late 2021, which could easily mean December 31, 2021 though.

Me thinks 2022…maybe even late 2022 if not in 2023. It seems like it’s going to be awhile as government bureaucracies tend to move slowly and this is a new program for Apple. I hope I am wrong though. Good article here: https://www.macrumors.com/2021/11/15/apple-strict-terms-on-us-states-digital-ids/

 

[alpi123]

It not a very interesting update

iOS 15 in general couldn't have been more boring

 

[dontwalkhand]

Me thinks 2022…maybe even late 2022 if not in 2023. It seems like it’s going to be awhile as government bureaucracies tend to move slowly and this is a new program for Apple. I hope I am wrong though. Good article here: https://www.macrumors.com/2021/11/15/apple-strict-terms-on-us-states-digital-ids/

Considering that my state already has a digital ID app, I would assume that it would be like adding a debit card to Apple wallet...from within the app. Of course, this is just my assumption. I just can't wait to get rid of the extra apps, and just have everything in Wallet.

 

[yustas]

What about spoken content for iBooks? It still doesn't work, has been broken ever since the iOS 15 update.

 

[timeislove]

Apple is really underselling their Private Relay features.

I bet 99% of the users don't know that it also encrypts every DNS request (even on other browsers) on iOS/iPadOS. So you don't need to use secure DNS app/profile.

Yes, that s the reasons why I opt in iCloud+ right after ios15 released.

To me it is even better than vpn as it encrypted all dns request from all safari web browsing, hence my company would not know what web sites I visited.

 

[ahovis]

It will. I just ran this after noticing the option.
Works as expected.

Where is the option? I have one e-sim and one physical sim. Could I move both to e-sims? Would the tray allow another sim then?

 

[zorinlynx]

I no longer feel lonely when even The Verge, Zollotech, and FTP among others are complaining about Apple software becoming increasingly boring.

To be honest, I like boring iOS updates.

Usually when iOS updates are exciting, it's the bad kind of exciting rather than the good. So I'll take boring.

 

[zorinlynx]

There is an option in cellular settings to convert to esim.

I have a SIM card.

Wonder if this will allow me to pop out the sim and use my number still.

This option has been around a while. My suggestion would be to NOT do this unless you have a good reason.

For example, say you have an old iPhone 5 in a drawer as a spare... if you convert to eSIM you won't be able to move your SIM to it if your main phone suddenly dies. Having a physical SIM is usually more flexible as to what you can do with your cellular plan than an eSIM.

Another thing is keeping your eSIM slot open allows you to try other carriers easily, like the recent T-Mobile test drive.