Apple Releases iOS 14.2.1 With Fix for Text Message Bug and iPhone 12 Mini Lock Screen Issues
Apple today released iOS 14.2.1, a bug fix update that comes two weeks after the launch of iOS 14.2 and is available for Apple's new iPhone 12 models.

The iOS 14.2.1 update can be downloaded for free and it is available on all eligible devices over-the-air in the Settings app. To access the new software, go to Settings > General > Software Update.
According to Apple's release notes, iOS 14.2.1 addresses several serious bugs that were found in the new iPhone 12 devices. It fixes a bug that caused some MMS text messages not to be received in both single person and group chats, and it fixes a bug that caused the Lock Screen of the iPhone 12 mini to become unresponsive.
It also includes a fix for Made for iPhone hearing devices that were experiencing sound quality issues. Apple's release notes are below.
iOS 14.2.1 addresses the following issues for your iPhone:
- Some MMS messages may not be received
- Made for iPhone hearing devices could have sound quality issues when listening to audio from iPhone
- Lock Screen could become unresponsive on iPhone 12 mini
There have been multiple complaints about all of these issues. For the iPhone 12 mini, users were seeing problems when swiping up from the bottom of the Lock Screen or when pressing the flashlight or camera buttons.
The missing text messages primarily affected iPhone users who were in group chats with Android users, with the bug causing some Android text messages to fail to show up in the chat.
Apple did not acknowledge these problems, but there was a support document on the third issue, which was causing some people with Made for iPhone hearing aids and devices to experience unexpected noises like loud static or intermittent audio.
Apple is also testing iOS 14.3, and has seeded two betas of that update to developers so far. iOS 14.3 brings ProRAW functionality to the new iPhones and it also will introduce the Fitness+ service.
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