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Apple releases iOS 12.3 with overhauled TV app and plenty more

Published May 13th, 2019 12:59PM EDT
iOS 12.3
Image: Apple

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Apple rolled out iOS 12.3 to the public on Monday, coming nearly two months after 12.2 arrived alongside the March event in which the company unveiled its Apple News+ and Apple TV+ subscription services. While Apple News+ has already launched, Apple TV+ won’t be ready until the fall. Nevertheless, Apple has completely overhauled the TV app for iPhone and iPad in iOS 12.3, adding many of the features that were revealed in March.

Aside from the new design, the highlight of this TV-centric update is the new Channels feature, which allows users to subscribe to other networks from within the TV app, such as HBO, Showtime, and Starz. This is an important step to consolidating streaming content into one app that Apple has complete control over.

The other big addition in iOS 12.3 is AirPlay 2 support, which Apple fans have been anticipating for quite some time. With AirPlay 2, iOS 12.3 users will be able to share videos, photos, music and more with AirPlay 2-enabled smart TVs. There are also subtle improvements to the feature, including one-tap playback.

With WWDC 2019 coming up in just a few weeks, this is likely one of the last major iOS 12 updates we’ll see, as iOS 13 is expected to be unveiled during the conference. That said, iOS 13 likely won’t be out until the fall, along with the new phones, so there’s a chance we’ll see iOS 12.4 later this summer as well.

If you want to update your device to iOS 12.3 now, you can do so by navigating to Settings > General > Software Update on your device and tapping “Download and Install” at the bottom of the page. You can also apply the update through iTunes by connecting your iOS device to a computer.

As for device compatibility, iOS 12.3 carries the same long list from earlier iOS 12 releases:

  • iPhone XS
  • iPhone XS Max
  • iPhone XR
  • iPhone X
  • iPhone 8
  • iPhone 8 Plus
  • iPhone 7
  • iPhone 7 Plus
  • iPhone 6s
  • iPhone 6s Plus
  • iPhone 6
  • iPhone 6 Plus
  • iPhone SE
  • iPhone 5s
  • 12.9-inch iPad Pro 2nd generation
  • 12.9-inch iPad Pro 1st generation
  • 10.5-inch iPad Pro
  • 9.7-inch iPad Pro
  • iPad Air 2
  • iPad Air
  • iPad 5th generation
  • iPad mini 4
  • iPad mini 3
  • iPad mini 2
  • iPod touch 6th generation
Jacob Siegal
Jacob Siegal Associate Editor

Jacob Siegal is Associate Editor at BGR, having joined the news team in 2013. He has over a decade of professional writing and editing experience, and helps to lead our technology and entertainment product launch and movie release coverage.