Apple Preparing iOS 7.1.2 Update, Likely Addressing Email Encryption and iMessage Issues

With just eleven days to go until the expected public unveiling of iOS 8 at its Worldwide Developers Conference keynote, Apple also appears to be working on an upcoming iOS 7.1.2 update, as has also been hinted at by recent statements from the company. Devices identifying themselves as running iOS 7.1.2 and coming from Apple's networks have been showing up in our web logs since last Friday.

Activity is still low, but that is typical for the early stages of update testing, particularly minor ones that may not require widespread internal or external testing. As a minor update, iOS 7.1.2 is likely to focus on bug fixes and other tweaks rather than major feature additions, and it likely will not even be put through a developer testing period before release.

ios_7_1_2_hits

Visits to MacRumors.com from devices running iOS 7.1.2

Details on changes included in the update are currently unknown, but there are two issues likely to be addressed. One is a fix for an email attachment encryption issue disclosed several weeks ago. At the time the issue gained widespread publicity, Apple issued a statement indicating it was aware of the issue and that a fix would be included in a "future software update."

The second is a long-standing iMessage issue that has recently gained new attention. The issue, which results in lost messages for those switching away from the iPhone to another device and not having their phone numbers disassociated from iMessage, has been worsened recently by server problems. Just today, Apple reported those server problems have been fixed and that it will be including "an additional bug fix in a future software update".

For both of these issues, iOS 7.1.2 would be the first iOS update since Apple's promise of fixes, so it's reasonable to assume those problems will be addressed in the forthcoming update.

While Apple is expected to preview iOS 8 at its June 2 keynote and begin making builds available to developers, a public release of iOS 8 is not expected until around the September timeframe, in line with the release of new iPhone hardware. Apple has on occasion continued to release updates to iOS after it has begun developer testing of the next major version, but these updates have historically been specialized ones targeting significant performance or security issues rather than broader sets of improvements.

Heading into WWDC, traffic from devices on Apple's network identifying themselves as running iOS 8 has been rising fairly steadily in recent months, while OS X 10.10 traffic has been fairly stable.

Related Forum: iOS 7

Popular Stories

apple tv 4k new orange

New Apple TV Expected Later This Year With These New Features

Saturday July 12, 2025 3:09 pm PDT by
A new Apple TV is expected to be released later this year, and a handful of new features and changes have been rumored for the device. Below, we recap what to expect from the next Apple TV, according to rumors. Rumors Faster Wi-Fi Support The next Apple TV will be equipped with Apple's own combined Wi-Fi and Bluetooth chip, according to Bloomberg's Mark Gurman. He said the chip supports ...
iphone 16 pro ghost hand

5 Reasons to Skip This Year's iPhone 17 Pro

Thursday July 10, 2025 4:54 am PDT by
Apple will launch its new iPhone 17 series in two months, and the iPhone 17 Pro models are expected to get a new design for the rear casing and the camera area. But more significant changes to the lineup are not expected until next year, when the iPhone 18 models arrive. If you're thinking of trading in your iPhone for this year's latest, consider the following features rumored to be coming...
iPhone 17 Pro in Hand Feature Lowgo

iPhone 17 Pro Coming Soon With These 16 New Features

Friday July 11, 2025 12:40 pm PDT by
Apple's next-generation iPhone 17 Pro and iPhone 17 Pro Max are only two months away, and there are plenty of rumors about the devices. Below, we recap key changes rumored for the iPhone 17 Pro models. Latest Rumors These rumors surfaced in June and July:A redesigned Dynamic Island: It has been rumored that all iPhone 17 models will have a redesigned Dynamic Island interface — it might ...
Apple Watch Ultra 2 Complications

Apple Watch Ultra 3: What to Expect

Sunday July 13, 2025 10:30 am PDT by
The long wait for an Apple Watch Ultra 3 is nearly over, and a handful of new features and changes have been rumored for the device. Below, we recap what to expect from the Apple Watch Ultra 3:Satellite connectivity for sending and receiving text messages when Wi-Fi and cellular coverage is unavailable 5G support, up from LTE on the Apple Watch Ultra 2 Likely a wide-angle OLED display that ...
iphone 16 pro pro max

iPhone 17 Pro Models With BOE Displays Will Be Sold in China Only

Thursday July 10, 2025 11:59 pm PDT by
iPhone 17 Pro and iPhone 17 Pro Max models with displays made by BOE will be sold exclusively in China, according to a new report. Last week, it emerged that Chinese display manufacturer BOE was aggressively ramping up its OLED production capacity for future iPhone models as part of a plan to recapture a major role in Apple's supply chain. Now, tech news aggregator Jukan Choi reports...
top stories 2025 07 12

Top Stories: iPhone 17 Pro Rumors, iOS 26 Beta 3, and More

Saturday July 12, 2025 6:00 am PDT by
The iOS 26 public beta release is quickly approaching, while developers have recently gotten their hands on a third round of betas that has seen Apple continue to tweak features, design, and functionality. We're also continuing to hear rumors about the iPhone 17 lineup that is now just about right around the corner, while Apple's latest big-budget film appears to be taking off, so read on...

Top Rated Comments

Fanaticalism Avatar
146 months ago
What I find interesting is that there have been iMessage issues for years and with the sudden spur of class action lawsuits, all of sudden it has been addressed?
Score: 15 Votes (Like | Disagree)
ZildjianLudwig Avatar
146 months ago
What's the Y-axis in that chart?
Score: 11 Votes (Like | Disagree)
2457282 Avatar
146 months ago
Nice to see the fixes, but I am way more excited to hear about iOS8 and OSX 10.10. Less than two weeks now. And then its on to Brazil for the World Cup. This summer is going to be exciting!
Score: 10 Votes (Like | Disagree)
iMacFarlane Avatar
146 months ago
What's the Y-axis in that chart?

Furlongs per fortnight? Apples per Aardvark?

Great question, charts without scales are pretty useless! :)
Score: 5 Votes (Like | Disagree)
thekeyring Avatar
146 months ago
Let's hope iOS 8 is a nice stable, well-tested OS with as few bugs as possible.

The Snow Leopard of iOS if you will :)
Score: 4 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Col4bin Avatar
146 months ago
Getting a little nervous MacRumors…it's been a week since your last iPhone 6 mockup story! :D

Edit: I spoke too soon https://www.macrumors.com/2014/05/22/iphone-6-mold-case-manufacturers/
Score: 2 Votes (Like | Disagree)