Apple iOS 10.2.1 Is Causing New Problems

Problem #1: Breaking TouchID

This will be widely reported (sources: 1, a couple of, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9 regarding many). After upgrading to iOS 10. a couple of. 1 iPhone owners are credit reporting the update has broken Apple’s fingerprint audience.

The problem primarily appears to be able to impact iPhone 6 and i phone 6 Plus owners and logical options for instance removing and re-adding fingerprints plus a factory reset doesn’t work. Curiously downgrading to iOS 10. 2 is reported to repair, which isolates iOS 10. a couple of. 1 as the root result in.

Apple iOS 10. 2. 1 TouchID problems may be fixed by downgrading to iOS 10. a couple of. Image credit: Reddit

Apple iOS 10. a couple of. 1 TouchID problems can become fixed by downgrading to iOS 10. a couple of. Image credit: Reddit

Problem #2: Shifting Display Brightness

Another problem that’s getting traction (sources: 1, 2, 3, some, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, etc) and one I’ve recently been contacted about directly by several frustrated users is iOS 10. a couple of. 1 is causing iPhone exhibits to dim automatically at certain battery percentages. These are:

74% battery power > dim to 70% settings

49% battery > dim to be able to 50% brightness

Interestingly it appears Apple did this is on purpose as it is often replicated at these same items by other users. Why would Apple try this? It could be a bizarre try to address the 30% bug difficulty on older iPhones (only the particular iPhone 7 and iPhone 7 Additionally are immune) by conserving battery but that you will find a ridiculous approach.

One workaround regarding affected users is manual handle. As explained on one The apple company Support Communities thread: “When the particular dim happens, the only way to obtain the normal brightness again is to attend: Settings > Display and Brightness and discover the Display Zoom option and also tag it to Zoom and back to normal. This way the brightness is "fixed" until the very next time the battery reaches any with the predefined battery percentages. ”

If this is indeed a great intentional change by Apple (and in that case it was left out from the iOS 10. 2. 1 official release notes) expect an outcry because of it to be changed back.

Problem #3: Bluetooth Reliability

Bluetooth is certainly a bugbear for Apple. iOS 8 has several ongoing problems and now this indicates they’re back with iOS 10. a couple of. 1 (sources 1, 2, 3, some, 5, 6, 7, 8).

iOS 10. a couple of. 1 is also causing Wireless problems, including heavy battery depletion. Image credit: Twitter

iOS 10. a couple of. 1 is also causing Wireless problems, including heavy battery depletion. Image credit: Twitter

The concerns include both lost connectivity and also excessive battery drain while Wireless is paired. Again users have tried the most common tricks including resetting Bluetooth contacts, unpairing devices and factory resets yet found no solution.

Other Bugs

The above list represents plenty of difficulties for one release, but you can find others worth pointing out. They are most notable list because I haven’t noticed them reported as widely:

Battery Drain - With virtually every iOS update someone complains concerning battery drain, but iOS 10. a couple of. 1 is seeing consistent problems about increased power consumption (sources 1, a couple of, 3, 4, 5).

Sound performance - I have already been contacted specifically by a developer that is witnessing degraded audio performance inside PhoneGap and Unity based programs.

Degraded WiFi - another a single I was contacted about and contains also been picked up inside forums. It seems for some users (though the amount of is unknown), WiFi performance and reliability has brought a dive with iOS 10. a couple of. 1.

Should You Still Put in iOS 10. 2. 1?

Given quite security fixes in the launch, I’m tempted to say sure. The caveat would be regarding iPhone 6 and iPhone 6 Plus users while they seem disproportionately affected by the TouchID and screen brightness issues.

So what’s the solution? Today, patience. Apple already has iOS 10. 3 in beta testing but it's going to be 4-6 weeks before a ultimate version is launched. If you are desperate to get a fix then either registering for the iOS 10. 3 beta or perhaps downgrading to iOS 10. 2 (the latter certainly repairs the TouchID bug) are short-term options.

Meanwhile the wait to get a fix to the headline hitting 30% bug continues on. Apple, we really need one to fix existing bugs faster as compared to you introduce new ones...