Apple issues second public beta of iOS 10.1

The new beta code is free to download for anyone registered in Apple's Beta Software Program. People who already have the first beta can download the second as an over-the-air update.

While the finished 10.1 update will likely deal mostly with interface tweaks and maintenance issues, its signature feature is a promised "Portrait" mode for the iPhone 7 Plus, simulating bokeh effects to blur out backgrounds.

The feature is restricted to the Plus because it requires the phone's dual-lens camera, which allows iOS to gauge the depth of a scene and separate the subject.

Apple hasn't said when iOS 10.1 might be finished, but the company typically issues fewer betas of point releases than it does for major iOS updates. That should mean the software will be ready by the end of October.