What's New in iOS 10.2 Beta 3: TV App Updates, SOS and Videos App Removed

[MacRumors]

Apple today seeded the third beta of iOS 10.2 to developers, introducing some notable improvements to the new "TV" app that was introduced in the second iOS 10.2 beta.

As can be seen in the video below, the TV app is more fully functional, with support for the "Up Next" feature that keeps track of what you're watching across multiple devices. TV has now completely replaced the former Videos app in the United States, which has now been eliminated.

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Here's a full list of changes that can be found in iOS 10.2 beta 3:

SOS - The SOS functionality that allowed users to call emergency services by pressing the power button multiple times on the iPhone has been removed in this beta. According to Apple's release notes, SOS is currently only available in India, perhaps for testing purposes before a wider rollout.

Messages - There's a new "Send With Love" Screen Effect option in Messages that sends a heart along with a text message.

TV settings - In the Settings app, there's a new section for the TV app. It allows users to choose whether to use cellular data for playback and choose the streaming quality over Wi-Fi and Cellular. There's also an option to choose whether to make purchases and rentals from the store in HD or SD.

TV functionality - The TV app now supports the "Up Next" feature that keeps track of the television shows and movies you're watching, saving your place or recommending next episodes across multiple devices.

Videos - The Videos app has been removed from iOS entirely in the United States and replaced with the TV app. The Videos widget, introduced with iOS 10.1, has also been removed, but there is a replacement TV widget that's been available since beta 2. In countries outside of the United States, the Videos app is still available.

Apple has only provided the third beta of iOS 10.2 to developers today, but will likely make the new features available to public beta testers later this week.

Because Apple has promised a December launch for several of the features in iOS 10.2 (including Single Sign-On and the TV app), the update could be officially released during the early weeks of the month.

Article Link: What's New in iOS 10.2 Beta 3: TV App Updates, SOS and Videos App Removed

 

[benh911f]

Does this mean you can finally stream iTunes purchases over cellular?

 

[longofest]

SOS - The SOS functionality that allowed users to call emergency services by pressing the power button multiple times on the iPhone has been removed in this beta. According to Apple's release notes, SOS is currently only available in India, perhaps for testing purposes before a wider rollout.

I'm not sure they ever intended it to be a bigger rollout, or at least I'm not sure they intended to target the USA at this juncture. The liability on that in a US environment is going to be prohibitive, but in India this is necessary in order to do business.

 

[jerry16]

Did they finally fix the banner notification bug that makes me tap twice to trash each e-mail that comes up? Or the weird bug that will show three different 'typing' indicators in a rich message notification?

 

[Fabian90]

Public Beta 3 is out OTA, too

 

[themick4u]

VERY unhappy about the VIDEOS app being removed... So glad I could re-download it and retain all my personal movies ripped from home copies of DVDs.....

 

[anopy1]

Just got the public beta

 

[TwoBytes]

Can you copy videos to the TV app like you could on the videos app?

 

[Tmelon]

The video app is still there.

 

[KazKam]

Videos - The Videos app has been removed from iOS entirely in the United States and replaced with the TV app. The Videos widget, introduced with iOS 10.1, has also been removed, but there is a replacement TV widget that's been available since beta 2. In countries outside of the United States, the Videos app is still available.

Can we get the Videos app back?! I don't like this on several levels.

One, semantically speaking, all videos are not TV, but all TV are videos.

Two, I'm not at all interested in them doing to videos what they did to music. I just need/want an app to play the videos I choose to sync to my device. I do NOT want to wade through what is essentially a storefront just to watch the videos I own, or have to tweak settings to not have streaming and renting and buying and "discovering" (which is essentially advertising IMO) forced down my throat.

 

[dannyyankou]

Does anyone else just not care?

You care enough to comment that you don't care. Not every article is for everyone.

 

[Aluminum213]

TV app looked like a mess, another Apple flop

 

[rwilliams]

Please add more apps/services to the TV app. It's not very useful right now. And why is HBO NOW supported and not HBO GO?

 

[tremlock]

The video app is still there.

I don't have it on mine. iPhone 6S Plus. USA

 

[blacktape242]

send with love?? wheres the send with distain?

 

[sniffies]

Public Beta 3 is out OTA, too

Wow, I really thought you were joking.

 

[PJWilkin]

I don't have it on mine. iPhone 6S Plus. USA

Only USA has the TV app. I believe the rest of the world still retains the video app.

 

[LordQ]

That grey couch linen is so iOS 6!

 

[SMIDG3T]

Does anyone else just not care?

Love posts like these.

You obviously do because you took the time to comment!!
[doublepost=1479159382][/doublepost]

Wow, I really thought you were joking.

Ha. Same. Normally it's a day delay. Downloading...

 

[tremlock]

Only USA has the TV app. I believe the rest of the world still retains the video app.

good information, thank you

 

[ChrisCW11]

I am still amazed that all an "OS" update these days are app fixes. Seriously Apple should manage their apps as separate entities that are updated whenever they need to change, rather than lumping them into an iOS update. Perhaps the stability and security of the OS might improve if it wasn't tied to a dozen app updates and rolling out new apps.

The problem with being treated like separate entities is that it requires people to want to first download and install the app first and I am sure that most people wouldn't bother with half of Apple's own applications. I have had a folder or separate home screen on my iPad and iPod Touch from the first day they were released for all the iJunk that is force fed on iOS and cannot be removed, until Apple decides to make the app obsolete and deletes it on you.

Also Apple couldn't make sure their own apps have some tight performance coupling to the iOS kernel giving them unfair competitive advantage.

I mean Microsoft used to be slammed for both adding bloatware AND anti-competitive practices like making application DLL's tightly coupled to the OS kernel that competitors didn't have access to, but Apple is allowed to get away with all this still?

It's 2016, an app is an app, an OS is an OS, and an OS is not an Emoji delivery system either. If Apple wants to tweak iMessage or improve emoji, deliver that through the standard app store update process. An OS update should only be for security and stability.

 

[Westside guy]

So, in the eventual Beta 4... will the TV app be renamed to "Videos"?

 

[Kabeyun]

So all of our non-TV show media will naturally be found in the TV app. Great.

I've been an Apple enthusiast for a long time, but sometimes I feel that Apple's software beta tester is a soccer Mom. If her needs are met, they're good. Even their new MacBook "Pro"s aren't all that pro anymore.

 

[Peepo]

I can now use HomeKit scenes with Siri again - eg Siri I'm home.

 

[Loge]

VERY unhappy about the VIDEOS app being removed... So glad I could re-download it and retain all my personal movies ripped from home copies of DVDs.....

It's almost as though they don't want you to do that