Apple Releases iOS 12.1.2 for iPhones With eSIM Bug Fixes

Apple today released iOS 12.1.2, the fourth update to the iOS 12 operating system since its September launch. iOS 12.1.2 comes just two weeks after the release of iOS 12.1.1, and one week after Apple seeded the first iOS 12.1.2 beta to developers.

The iOS 12.1.2 update is available exclusively on the iPhone and it can be downloaded over-the-air in the Settings app. To access the update, go to Settings > General > Software Update. As with all iOS updates, iOS 12.1.2 is free to download. iPads and iPod touch models continue to run iOS 12.1.1, the prior version of iOS 12 released on December 5.

appleesim
According to Apple's release notes, iOS 12.1.2 is a bug fix update that focuses on addressing issues with eSIM activation and a cellular connectivity issue in Turkey. From Apple's release notes:

iOS 12.1.2 includes bug fixes for your iPhone. This update:

- Fixes bugs with eSIM activation for iPhone XR, iPhone XS, and iPhone XS Max

- Addresses an issue that could affect cellular connectivity in Turkey for iPhone XR, iPhone XS, and iPhone XS Max

The timing of the iOS 12.1.2 release is curious as Apple often seeds more than one beta before launching a software update. It's likely that iOS 12.1.2 is addressing a bug that Apple did not want to wait to fix.

Today's iOS 12.1.2 release may also include software tweaks in China that remove patented Qualcomm functionality. A Chinese court last week issued an iPhone sales ban on certain devices in China after ruling that Apple had infringed on two Qualcomm patents related to resizing and reformatting photos and managing applications using a touch screen when using apps.

Apple said it would issue a software update for iPhone users in China to address "the minor functionality of the two patents at issue in the case."

eSIM functionality was first introduced in the iOS 12.1 update and expanded with iOS 12.1.1. In the U.S., T-Mobile, Verizon, and AT&T are all now supporting the eSIM feature, as are multiple other carriers around the world.

Update: The iOS 12.1.2 update is now available for download.

Update 2: This post has been updated to reflect the fact that it is only available for the iPhone.

Related Forum: iOS 12

Popular Stories

iPhone SE 4 Vertical Camera Feature

iPhone SE 4 Rumored to Use Same Rear Chassis as iPhone 16

Friday July 19, 2024 7:16 am PDT by
Apple will adopt the same rear chassis manufacturing process for the iPhone SE 4 that it is using for the upcoming standard iPhone 16, claims a new rumor coming out of China. According to the Weibo-based leaker "Fixed Focus Digital," the backplate manufacturing process for the iPhone SE 4 is "exactly the same" as the standard model in Apple's upcoming iPhone 16 lineup, which is expected to...
iPhone 17 Plus Feature

iPhone 17 Lineup Specs Detail Display Upgrade and New High-End Model

Monday July 22, 2024 4:33 am PDT by
Key details about the overall specifications of the iPhone 17 lineup have been shared by the leaker known as "Ice Universe," clarifying several important aspects of next year's devices. Reports in recent months have converged in agreement that Apple will discontinue the "Plus" iPhone model in 2025 while introducing an all-new iPhone 17 "Slim" model as an even more high-end option sitting...
iPhone 16 Pro Sizes Feature

iPhone 16 Series Is Just Two Months Away: Everything We Know

Monday July 15, 2024 4:44 am PDT by
Apple typically releases its new iPhone series around mid-September, which means we are about two months out from the launch of the iPhone 16. Like the iPhone 15 series, this year's lineup is expected to stick with four models – iPhone 16, iPhone 16 Plus, iPhone 16 Pro, and iPhone 16 Pro Max – although there are plenty of design differences and new features to take into account. To bring ...
Apple TV Plus Feature 2 Magenta and Blue

Apple TV+ Curbs Costs After Expensive Projects Fail to Capture Viewers

Monday July 22, 2024 5:11 am PDT by
Apple is scaling back its Hollywood spending after investing over $20 billion in original programming with limited success, Bloomberg reports. This shift comes after the streaming service, which launched in 2019, struggled to capture a significant share of the market, accounting for only 0.2% of TV viewership in the U.S., compared to Netflix's 8%. Despite heavy investment, critical acclaim,...
bsod

Microsoft Blames European Commission for Major Worldwide Outage

Monday July 22, 2024 11:55 am PDT by
Last Friday, a major CrowdStrike outage impacted PCs running Microsoft Windows, causing worldwide issues affecting airlines, retailers, banks, hospitals, rail networks, and more. Computers were stuck in continuous recovery loops, rendering them unusable. The failure was caused by an update to the CrowdStrike Falcon antivirus software that auto-installed on Windows 10 PCs, but Mac and Linux...

Top Rated Comments

TimUSCA Avatar
73 months ago
Is this going to fix my green-bubble messages constantly saying "Number changed to Primary"? It does this for every single message that comes through, and it drives me nuts.
Score: 9 Votes (Like | Disagree)
BeyondtheTech Avatar
73 months ago
I'm not seeing the benefit of using an eSIM unless using 2 lines. Am I missing anything?
Here's a potential cool thing - your telephone number is embedded in the iPhone. In the event that someone steals it or you lose it, even if they wipe it out and try to reactivate it, it will automatically reactivate the internal SIM and possibly ping its location.
Score: 7 Votes (Like | Disagree)
cableguy84 Avatar
73 months ago
Battery life great after this update, getting over 1 whole day on a full charge now.
Score: 5 Votes (Like | Disagree)
dmccombs Avatar
73 months ago
There are those who have heard that 12.1 also has bugs and were encouraged not to update. It's like that practically with every update for years and years now (and not even just when it comes to iOS).
I was just kidding about the Apple "It Just Works". LOL, those days are long gone. Now its more like "Stand on one foot while chanting, deinstall and reinstall all devices, hard reboot, soft reboot, then hope it kinda works a little".

Seriously, I spend more time re-syncing devices, re-installing, etc. Trying to get my Apple Watch, Phone, iCloud, Pictures, etc to keep working together, is like a second job... OK, ending rant...

Regarding this update, obviously Apple must consider it a bit of an Emergency, yet they don't tell much in the release notes. Ok, I better stop before I start a rant about Apple's lack of disclosure on problems/issues.
Score: 5 Votes (Like | Disagree)
The Oak Avatar
73 months ago
Battery life great after this update, getting over 1 whole day on a full charge now.
The update just got out???
Score: 4 Votes (Like | Disagree)
C DM Avatar
73 months ago
since applying the update 3 days ago.
Sounds like we might be talking about a different update given that this one was just released less than a day ago.
Score: 3 Votes (Like | Disagree)