Apple offers second developer betas of iOS 12.2, watchOS 5.2, tvOS 12.2, macOS 10.14.4 for testing

By Malcolm Owen

Apple has pushed out its second round of developer betas to those enrolled in the company's test program, with new second betas of iOS 12.2, macOS Mojave 14.14.4, tvOS 12.2, and watchOS 5.2 now available to download.

The new beta builds can be acquired by developers enrolled in the testing program as an over-the-air update on devices that have been used for previous betas, or via the Apple Developer Center. Public beta versions of each beta operating system release normally arrive a few days after the developer betas, via the Apple Beta Software Program website.

The second-generation of beta builds arrive just 11 days after the first round. The second iOS 12.2 build of 16E5191d replaces the first build, number 16E5181f, while the new second build of watchOS has number 16T5191d, up from the first build, 16T5181f. The new second build of tvOS 12.2 is 16L5191d, replacing build 16L5181f from the first beta, and lastly macOS 10.14.4's second beta, build 18E184e, increments from the first build number 18E174F.

While previous updates have largely consisted of bug fixes and performance improvements, the version number change suggests there will be more in the way of changes to expect in these betas, potentially including refinements to existing features rather than extra functionality. One notable change for iOS is the blocking of motion sensor data access for web pages, unless users grant permission to a specific page, a change that may affect online advertising firms.

AppleInsider, and Apple itself, strongly suggest users avoid installing betas on to "mission-critical" or primary devices, due to the potential for data loss or other issues. It is instead recommended to install betas onto secondary or non-essential devices, and to ensure there are sufficient backups of important data beforehand.

Find any changes in the new betas? Reach out to us on Twitter at @AppleInsider or @Andrew_OSU, or send Andrew an email at andrew@AppleInsider.com.