Apple Releases Updated Version of iOS 12.1 for iPhone XR

by

Apple today released an updated version of iOS 12.1 for the iPhone XR, one week after the initial launch of iOS 12.1 and a little over a week since the iPhone XR's October 26 launch.

The new iOS 12.1 software for the iPhone XR carries a build number of 16B94, a slight change from the original 16B93 build number.

The update doesn't appear to be showing up on devices that have already installed iOS 12.1, suggesting the new version of the software is designed for customers who have not yet upgraded their iPhone XR devices to the iOS 12.1 update. Why Apple released an updated version of iOS 12.1 for the XR is unknown, but it's likely to include minor bug fixes.

ios12banner
iPhone XR owners who have not yet installed iOS 12.1 can do so over-the-air by going to Settings --> General --> Software Update.

iOS 12.1 is a major update that brings a host of new features to the iPhone XR. It brings support for the eSIM, a digital SIM that lets you activate a cellular plan from a carrier without the need to use a physical SIM card.

eSIM support is not yet available from U.S. carriers, but AT&T, Verizon, and T-Mobile are working on implementing support before the end of the year. Other carriers around the world have begun introducing eSIM support.

iOS 12.1 also brings a new real-time Depth Control feature, which lets you adjust the depth of field of your Portrait Mode photos before you capture them, and it adds support for Group FaceTime calls with up to 32 people.

Other new features include more than 70 new emoji and several important bug fixes that should entice anyone who has not yet installed the update to do so.

Excessive skin-smoothing with the front-facing camera, for example, has been addressed, with Apple updating the Smart HDR feature of the iPhone XR's camera to use a sharper base frame to preserve more detail.

The update also improves cellular connectivity on the iPhone XR and fixes bugs with voicemails, the phone app, Screen Time, Family Sharing, and more.

Related Forum: iPhone

Popular Stories

iOS 26

iOS 26.1 Coming Soon: New Features for Your iPhone and Release Date

Monday October 27, 2025 7:55 am PDT by
The upcoming iOS 26.1 update includes a handful of new features and changes for iPhones, including a toggle for changing the appearance of the Liquid Glass design, "slide to stop" for alarms in the Clock app, and more. Below, we outline key details about iOS 26.1. Release Date Given that Apple has yet to seed an iOS 26.1 Release Candidate, which is typically the final beta version, the...
Read Full Article
iOS 26

6 New Things Your iPhone Can Do in iOS 26.1

Wednesday October 29, 2025 4:22 am PDT by
Apple is about to drop iOS 26.1, the first major point release since iOS 26 was rolled out in September, and there are at least six notable changes and improvements to look forward to. We've rounded them up below. Apple has already provided developers and public beta testers with the release candidate version of iOS 26.1, which means Apple will likely roll out the update to all compatible...
Read Full Article • 59 comments
maxresdefault

Apple TV 4K Could Still Launch Before 2025 Ends: All the Rumored Features

Monday October 27, 2025 4:51 pm PDT by
Apple is designing an updated version of the Apple TV 4K, and rumors suggest that it could come out sometime in the next couple of months. We're not expecting a major overhaul with design changes, but even a simple chip upgrade will bring major improvements to Apple's set-top box. Subscribe to the MacRumors YouTube channel for more videos. We've rounded up all the latest Apple TV rumors. ...
Read Full Article • 159 comments
iOS 26

Apple Seeds iOS 26.1, iPadOS 26.1, and macOS Tahoe 26.1 Release Candidates

Tuesday October 28, 2025 1:07 pm PDT by
Apple today provided developers and public beta testers with the release candidate versions of upcoming iOS 26.1, iPadOS 26.1, macOS Tahoe 26.1, tvOS 26.1, watchOS 26.1, and visionOS 26.1 updates for testing purposes. The RCs betas come a week after Apple released the fourth betas. The new betas can be downloaded from the Settings app on a compatible device by going to General > Software...
Read Full Article • 64 comments
M6 MacBook Pro Feature 1

M6 MacBook Pro: Release Date, Pricing, and What to Expect

Monday October 27, 2025 9:15 am PDT by
Apple this month refreshed the 14-inch MacBook Pro base model with its new M5 chip, and higher-end 14-inch and 16-inch MacBook Pro models with M5 Pro and M5 Max chips are expected to follow in early 2026. However, these machines will represent the final update to the current design, with Apple reportedly developing a completely new version of the MacBook Pro packed with next-generation hardware...
Read Full Article • 148 comments
iPhone 17 Pro Cosmic Orange

8 Reasons to Wait for Next Year's iPhone 18 Pro

Thursday October 30, 2025 4:42 am PDT by
Apple's iPhone development roadmap runs several years into the future and the company is continually working with suppliers on several successive iPhone models at the same time, which is why we often get rumored features months ahead of launch. The iPhone 18 series is no different, and we already have a good idea of what to expect for the iPhone 18 Pro and iPhone 18 Pro Max. One thing worth...
Read Full Article • 118 comments
M5 MacBook Pro

Waiting for New Macs? Apple Just Shared Bad News

Friday October 31, 2025 7:32 am PDT by
Apple has just given a strong indication that it will not be releasing any additional new Macs for the remainder of the year. Apple's CFO Kevan Parekh dropped the hint during the company's earnings call on Thursday:On Mac, keep in mind, we expect to face a very difficult compare against the M4 MacBook Pro, Mac mini, and iMac launches in the year-ago quarter.Parekh essentially gave a heads up ...
Read Full Article • 71 comments
macos tahoe

Here Are Apple's Release Notes for macOS Tahoe 26.1

Tuesday October 28, 2025 1:21 pm PDT by
Apple today provided developers and public beta testers with the release candidate version of macOS Tahoe 26.1, which means the update will likely see a public launch next week. The release candidate includes notes on what's in the update, so we have a full picture of the new features that Apple has included. macOS Tahoe 26.1 adds AutoMix support over AirPlay, improved FaceTime audio...
Read Full Article • 64 comments
ipad mini 7 feature blue

OLED iPad Mini: Release Date, Pricing, and What to Expect

Wednesday October 29, 2025 7:13 am PDT by
Rumors are stoking excitement for the next-generation iPad mini that Apple is reportedly close to launching. So what should we expect from the successor to the iPad mini 7 that Apple released over a year ago? Read on to find out. Processor and Performance Apple is working on a next-generation version of the iPad mini (codename J510/J511) that features the A19 Pro chip, according to...
Read Full Article • 66 comments

Top Rated Comments

AngerDanger Avatar
AngerDanger
91 months ago
Excessive skin-smoothing with the front-facing camera, for example, has been addressed, with Apple updating the Smart HDR feature of the iPhone XR's camera to use a sharper base frame to preserve more detail.
Maybe iOS 12.1 16B94 has further refined this feature.

EDIT:



Goddammit!

Attachment Image
Score: 11 Votes (Like | Disagree)
bigboyz12000 Avatar
bigboyz12000
91 months ago
My favorite thing about the XR is the size. Its perfect to me. Not to big not too small. I wish they made the XS in that size 6.1"
Score: 8 Votes (Like | Disagree)
dona83 Avatar
dona83
91 months ago
So XR buyers what is the verdict so far? Are you happy? If you switched from a dual lens iPhone, do you miss that?

How is the display? I haven’t had time to stop by an Apple Store recently. I’ve seen YouTube reviews but I prefer hearing from regular people.
I love my XR so far. The screen is amazing in 95% of the situations: crisp, bright, with really accurate and eye pleasing colours. I'm really addicted to the screen. If you're watching a 21:9 movie, you only lose about 13% of the pixels (less the notch) compared to an old Plus phone despite the fact the XR has 28.5% less pixels because of the super wide 39:18 aspect ratio.

Camera is excellent as well. The single lens portrait photos are surprisingly good if you can get past the wide angle subjects. Low light photos are good. I've never had a dual lens iPhone before but I thought I should take that money I save to buy a DSLR. The XR is $330 cheaper than the XS in Canada but I thought 64GB would be too small but didn't think I would need 256GB as I pay for the 2TB of iCloud storage, so I thought 128 GB would be a good size, so really I saved $460. $460 will go towards getting an entry level DSLR and superzoom lens. I want to get into some sports photography and no dual lens camera will do it.

Would I buy it again? Absolutely.
Score: 5 Votes (Like | Disagree)
sbailey4 Avatar
sbailey4
91 months ago
Probably an update to throttle and drain the faster.
Man I hope so. The battery on that thing is crazy long and needs to drain some. geez. :)

I have an XR already updated to 12.1, so my device says it is up-to-date. If there is a fix required for the XR, I am not sure why it is not being offered to me.
Plug into iTunes and it will offer the update (if you want it) No idea what was fixed though.

DFU restore is your only option now.
Nope, Itunes will offer the update if plug it in. No DFU required.
Score: 4 Votes (Like | Disagree)
lec0rsaire Avatar
lec0rsaire
91 months ago
Coming from a 7 Plus with higher resolution and higher DPI, I expected to be slightly disappointed, but unless I stare intently at the screen, it looks just as sharp. I don't watch TV or movies on my iPhone, but movies look really good, particularly those with HDR/DV, and the audio is MUCH better than my 7 Plus.

I'd recommend the XR to anybody.
Thanks. Exactly the sort of opinion I was looking for!

Played with one at the Apple Store and it seems like a gigantic leap forward from the previous "low-end" iPhone. Would recommend to people in the market for a new phone.
Thanks.
Score: 4 Votes (Like | Disagree)
DrJohnnyN Avatar
DrJohnnyN
91 months ago
Maybe iOS 12.1 16B94 has further refined this feature.

EDIT:



Goddammit!
You're a master at GIF. Sometimes I come onto these forums to see your newest GIF.
Score: 3 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Read All Comments