Apple Releases iOS 15.2, iPadOS 15.2, macOS 12.1 Monterey, watchOS 8.3, and tvOS 15.2

Originally published at: Apple Releases iOS 15.2, iPadOS 15.2, macOS 12.1 Monterey, watchOS 8.3, and tvOS 15.2 - TidBITS

Apple has released iOS 15.2 and iPadOS 15.2, with delayed features like App Privacy Report and Digital Legacy. Apple also dropped watchOS 8.3, tvOS 15.2, and HomePod Software 15.2.

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I installed Monterey 12.1 today and it hasn’t changed the trackpad click issue. The light, two fingered touch I use on my previous machine with Big Sur (to initiate a right click) still requires a definite press to activate. It’s not a major thing (I guess I’ve gotten used to it) but I prefer the old way with a very gentle touch.

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I’m afraid I’m seeing the same thing here on my 14" MBP. Light taps to the top area of the trackpad (nearest the keyboard) are still getting missed. Not all of them, but definitely some. Argh. :man_facepalming:

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No problem here on my MacBook Pro M1.

Updated my iPad and iPhone to 15.2 last night, and my Mac to 12.1 this morning. Touch wood, no problems thus far, and I’m pleased that the memory leak linked to the custom colour option for the pointer under Accessibility is fixed.

Anyone know if 12.1 fixes the encrypted Time Machine issue? I have a new MacBook Pro M1 Max and set up an OWC Express M.2 w/ 2 x 2TB and their SoftRAID software but while Time Machine can back up to the RAID, it can only do unencrypted backups - in fact I get a TM warning that I’m backup up from an encrypted drive to an unencrypted drive. OWC told me it was a macOS issue that Apple is aware of but I don’t know if that means it’s an issue for any encrypted TM backup or just those using SoftRAID…

12.1 appears to have solved the trackpad issue on my 2015 11-inch MacBook Air.

Not sure if anyone else has seen this: Carplay before the update, would show my music with the default song playing and artwork. Now, after the update, the Carplay screen defaults to recent songs list. Have to select the > in the upper right to get to the song playing. Not a feature update I approve of.
Also, several users that did the 15.2 on their iphones, found it turned off Exchange email calendar toggle.
Come on Apple…

Nope. Installed 12.1 but when I enable encryption on the TM backup drive, I get a kernel panic. Sigh.

If you have had any parts replaced on your iPhone, you can view that in Settings > General > About. Under Parts and Service History, it will list any replaced parts and whether or not they’re genuine Apple parts.

This may be limited by hardware. I have an iPhone X just upgraded to iOS 15.2, and there is no “Parts and Service History” under “About”. I tapped all the expandable spots on the About page, but none mentioned this new feature. And my iPhone has had 2 battery replacements, so it’s not omitting that option due to lack of material to fill it.

But my iPad Pro 2020 on iPadOS 15.2 also has no “Parts and Service History.” I searched Settings for “parts” and for “service” and came up empty. That device has not had any parts or service, however.

It is. As the MacRumors link in Glenn’s article says, it’s limited to XR and XS and later, and the older devices only show battery replacement info, and 11 and 12 series phones show battery and display replacements only. 13 series adds camera module replacements. And it is iPhone only, not iPad.

See iPhone parts and service history - Apple Support

My iPhone 13 Pro has no repair info on the about screen, so it must only show if you’ve actually had a repair.

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Monterey 12.1 hasn’t addressed the issue where Time Machine never finishes the first backup. I tried starting over from scratch. The backup proceeds and looks like it’s going to finish. Then the next thing I know, Time Machine has stopped and is waiting for the first backup to complete.

I have to dispute the claim that MacOS 12.1 fixes the issue of “Menu bar items being obscured by the notch on 2021 MacBook Pro computers.” A quick Internet search has found only articles repeating the assertion that the 12.1 release resolves the issue, with apparently no-one chiming in to say that they found this to be untrue.

I have a 16" 2021 MacBook Pro M1 Max that is running Monterey 12.1, and I always have about 20 menu bar extras or status items (whichever is the correct term) displayed in the right-hand side of the menu bar. Some of these items are part of the MacOS (Control Center, Sound, Battery, Wi-Fi, Time & Date), and others are third-party add-ons (Amphetamine, Browserosaurus, Dropbox, Menu Meters, and others).

On my MBP, as soon as the number of these items extends far enough from the rightmost side to reach the notch, the leftmost ones disappear behind the notch, just as the mouse pointer does when moved into the location of the notch. I have had to relegate some of these items to the Control Center, or remove them from the menu bar itself. Additionally, for those items with more than one appearance option, I have had to choose the option with the smallest footprint. For example, selecting the Analog icon (i.e., the clock face) for Time & Date allowed me to regain some needed real estate on the menu bar so that other options would remain visible without being obscured by the notch.

I know there is at least one third-party application (Bartender) that offers the option of relocating some of these menu bar items to the app’s own secondary menu bar. However, I am reluctant to pay the current purchase price while I remain hopeful that perhaps Apple will eventually offer a reliable (and officially supported) way to get around this problem on Macs that have the notch.

Anyone else still having USB troubles? I use USB-C to connect my Mac mini M1 to a 4k LG monitor, and occasionally the display will lock up on waking from sleep. I hoped 12.1 would fix this, but it hasn’t. A new cable didn’t help.

Hi Charles,
I found on my LG 4k monitor that has HDMI and USB-C I have to be really careful not to get FUBAR. I have to tell the monitor NOT to use USB-C for video. I kept thinking I had to say “yes” to get the data I wanted to the two USB-A ports. Nope.

Also, I need to have it wake up before I wake my MacMini up from sleep. If I wake the Mini up first, I may not get a image on the LG. I also have a AOC cheap 4k monitor as well and that will light up but not the LG (at leas as long as I am willing to wait).

I think the LG goes to sleep too quickly to get the signal from the Mini but that is a guess on my part.

Good hint, @MaltbyEarl! I’ll try that.

I take it you’re using HDMI for video? I thought that was supposed to work without problems, but perhaps if you are using the monitor as a USB hub that’s sufficient to cause trouble with HDMI. If so, that’s scary.

I use the excellent Lunar to control screen brightness, and I don’t think it works with HDMI.

With USB-C, on waking from sleep the display is fine 90 percent of the time. Then for some reason it will become unresponsive, with a wide black strip on the right-hand side. After that it will show the same behaviour every time it wakes.

Yes, I am doing the display over HDMI and using the USB-C as a hub. Now that I figured out that I don’t want to use USB-C for video, it is working pretty well.

Interesting on the black bar on the right. That is where the menu actions show up on my LG. Tapping the button in the bottom-center brings up a bottom-center menu. However, when I select Setting or Input, the menu shows up on the right.

Try an SMC reset (search Apple support). This can fix USB errors.

I’m seeing the same unfixed issue. I’ve always kept my frequently used Default Folder at the far left of the set of menubar icons (unless the frequently relocating Dropbox has annoyingly moved itself there) for easy access. Since it’s now hidden behind the notch, it’s not easy access any more.

One thing that isn’t fixed is weird Contacts behavior on my new MacBook Pro M1 Pro. When I try to add a new contact, after I’ve entered a few characters (if I’m lucky, enough for last and first name), my entry window disappears and the new entry isn’t added. I have to add the name and click Done, then Edit. Add the address and click Done, then Edit. Add the city and click Done, then Edit. And so on. Very annoying.