A bug in iOS 13.4 that broke FaceTime compatibility with older iPhone and iPad models has just been fixed. Apple on Tuesday introduced iOS 13.4.1 and an iPadOS equivalent to repair this problem.
Word of the FaceTime bug surfaced shortly after the release of iOS and iPadOS 13.4 on March 24. Handsets and tablets with the new updates couldn’t connect to some older handsets, tablets and Macs.
Apple’s release notes for iOS 13.4.1 say that it “fixes an issue where devices running iOS 13.4 could not participate in FaceTime calls with devices running iOS 9.3.6 and earlier or OS X El Capitan 10.11.6 and earlier.”
In addition, today’s update fixes a bug in which choosing Bluetooth from the quick actions menu on the Home screen would fail.
Update to iPadOS and iOS 13.4.1 now
There was no beta testing of iOS and iPadOS 13.4.1. Both were released to the public and are ready to be downloaded immediately.
To install the new software on an iPhone or iPad, open the Settings application, then go to General > Software Updates. Or connect the computer to a Mac running iTunes.
Apple is thinking ahead
Beta testing for iOS 13.4.5 and the iPad equivalent already began March 31. This is intended to fix bugs that are less urgent than the one that broke FaceTime compatibility. However, unlike the the 13.4.1 versions, access to the 13.4.5 betas is currently limited only to those who have paid a $100 annual fee to join the Apple Developer Program.
Apple is apparently working on a number of other bug-fix updates for before the debut of iOS 13.4.5. But at this time, its plans for iOS 13.4.2 through iOS 13.4.4 are not yet known.
