Apple
5 Things to Know About the iPadOS 14.2 Update
Apple’s released its iPadOS 14.2 update and the firmware is available to download if you own a compatible iPad, iPad Pro, iPad Air, and iPad mini.
iPadOS 14.2 is a milestone upgrade which means it brings mix of new features and under-the-hood improvements to Apple’s stable of tablets.
With that in mind, we want to take you through everything there is to know about the latest software update for the iPad and iPadOS 14.
In this guide to iPadOS 14.2 we’ll take you through the update’s performance, the current list of iPadOS 14 problems, the best places to find feedback about bugs and performance issues, the iPadOS 14.2 jailbreak status, and more.
We’ll start with our impressions of iPadOS 14.2 update’s performance on iPad.
iPadOS 14.2 Review
If your iPad is currently running iPadOS 14.1, you’ll be looking at a pretty large download.
If your tablet is running an older version of iPadOS, your update will be larger. And that’s because the features and fixes from the update(s) you skipped are baked into your upgrade.
If your iPad is running iPadOS 14.1, the installation should take around 10 minutes to complete. It took about nine minutes to install on one of our older iPad Pros.
For more on the iPadOS 14.2 download and installation, take a look at our guide.
We’ve been using the iPadOS 14.2 update on the iPad Pro for several days now and here’s what we’ve learned about its performance thus far:
Connectivity
- Battery life is stable.
- Wi-Fi connectivity is fast and reliable.
- Bluetooth is working fine.
- GPS and cellular data are stable.
Apps
- Third-party apps like Netflix, Dark Sky, Twitter, Slack, Asana, Gmail, Chrome, and Spotify are working just fine right now.
- First party apps like Safari, Podcasts, and Calendar are also stable.
Speed
- iPadOS 14.2 feels as fast as iPadOS 14.1.
If you’re dealing with problems on iPadOS 14.1, iPadOS 14.0.1, iPadOS 14.0 or iPadOS 13, you might want to install the iPadOS 14.2 update on your iPad right now.
If you need help making a decision, take a look at our list of reasons to, and not to, install iPadOS 14.2.
iPadOS 14.2 Problems
iPad users are running into problems on the newest versions of iPadOS 14.
The current list of problems includes installation issues, Exchange problems, weird battery drain, issues with first and third-party apps, issues with Face ID, UI lag, Wi-Fi issues, issues with Widgets, and Bluetooth issues.
If you encounter a problem on your tablet, have a look at our list of fixes for the most common software issues. We’ve also released tips that will help you improve performance and tips that should help you improve battery life.
If you can’t handle the iPadOS 14.2 update’s performance on your iPad, note that you can’t downgrading its software in an attempt to improve performance. Apple has stopped signing iPadOS 14.1.
Unfortunately, you can’t move back to anything older than iPadOS 14.1 either. So those of you jumping up from iPadOS 14.1, iPadOS 14.0.1, iPadOS 14.0 and iPadOS 13 should approach this update with caution. Once you move to iPadOS 14.2, there’s no going back.
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iPadOS 14.2 Update: What’s New
Apple’s x.x updates always bring a mix of features, security patches, and under-the-hood improvements and that’s what you get from iPadOS 14.2.
Here’s the full change log:
New Features
- 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 iPad Pro 12.9-inch (4th generation) and iPad Pro 11-inch (2nd generation).
- Scene Detection in Camera uses intelligent image recognition to identify objects within a scene and automatically improves the photo on iPad Air (4th generation).
- Auto FPS in Camera automatically reduces the frame rate when recording video to improve low light capture and to optimize file size on iPad Air (4th generation).
- Optimized battery charging for AirPods to slow the rate of battery aging by reducing the time your AirPods spends fully charged.
- 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.
Bug Fixes
- Addresses an issue where the Camera viewfinder may appear black when launched.
- Addresses an issue where the keyboard on the Lock Screen could miss touches when trying to enter the passcode.
- Addresses an issue where Reminders could default to times in the past.
- Addresses an issue where the Photos widget may not display content.
- Addresses an issue where the Weather widget could display the high temperature in Celsius when set to Fahrenheit.
- Addresses an issue where Voice Memos recordings are interrupted by incoming calls.
- Addresses an issue where the screen could be black during Netflix video playback.
- Addresses an issue where Apple Cash could fail to send or receive money when asked via Siri.
iPadOS 14.2 also includes 24 security updates and you can read about those on Apple’s security page.
iPadOS 14.2 Jailbreak
The developer team behind the Checkra1n jailbreaking tool has released version 0.12.0 which adds support for iPadOS 14.2 and iPadOS 14.1.
The jailbreak now tool works with A10/A10X-powered devices running iPadOS 14.x. If you own an iPad model with a newer processor, you’ll need to stay on iPadOS 13 for now.
What’s Next
If your iPad is struggling on iPadOS 14, help is on the way.
Apple’s confirmed a new iPadOS 14.3 upgrade. The milestone software is currently in beta testing ahead of an unknown release date.
We’ve heard that iOS 14.3/iPadOS 14.3 will be pushed to devices later this year so there’s a good chance the software rolls out in December. If you can’t wait for the official release, you can download the iPadOS 14.3 beta right now.
For more on iPadOS 14.3, please check out our guide.
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