Apple released a new iOS 14.7 beta Thursday afternoon, and at first glance, it did not seem very substantial. iOS 15 should be out before the end of September, so we don’t expect much from any additional iOS 14 updates. That might be the case, but if you are a beta tester, this is one you’re going to want to download. iOS 14.7 beta 5 actually fixes a pesky iPhone Wi-Fi bug.
Last month, Carl Schou shared a video on Twitter of a truly bizarre iPhone bug. If an iPhone connects to a Wi-Fi network with the SSID “%p%s%s%s%s%n,” it will permanently disable the phone’s ability to connect to Wi-Fi. Schou claimed that neither rebooting his phone nor changing the SSID. Other users say they were able to resolve the issue by resetting network settings. Either way, it was a genuinely troublesome discovery, but Apple appears to have patched it in iOS 14.7 beta 5.
YouTuber Aaron Zollo (zollotech) tested to see if the bug was still active in his latest video. He updated to iOS 14.7 beta 5, created a network with the same SSID as the one in Carl’s tweet, and connected his iPhone. Not only was he able to connect to the network, but he was also able to load webpages. Being thorough, he also disconnected from the oddly-named network and reconnected to one with a less bizarre name. He didn’t experience any issues, and his Wi-Fi connection was fine:
How to get iOS 14.7 beta 5 and fix the iPhone Wi-Fi bug
As you know by now, installing a new iOS or iPadOS beta on your iPhone, iPad, or iPod touch couldn’t be easier. Navigate to Settings > General > Software Update and then tap “Download and Install” at the bottom of the page. If you want, you can also install an update through iTunes by connecting your iOS device to your computer. Whichever method you choose, just make sure to back up your devices before installing the update. You can never be too careful!
