iOS 15.2 beta brings App Privacy Report to track activity of third-party apps

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Apple begins testing iOS 15.2 with new App Privacy Report
Developers can start testing iOS 15.2 beta 1, iPadOS 15.2 beta 1 and watchOS 8.3 beta 1 on Wednesday.
Photo: Ed Hardy/Cult of Mac

iOS 15.2 beta 1 and iPadOS 15.2 beta 1 have been seeded to developers. When available to everyone, the updates will bring an App Privacy Report for tracking what third-party application are doing. It’ll show users, each app’s sensor, data and internet usage in a simple chart.

These beta releases come only two days after iOS 15.2 and the iPad equivalent were released to the general public.

iOS 15.2 will add Record App Activity to Settings

The release notes for iOS 15.2 beta 1 tell developers:

iOS 15 and iPadOS 15 introduced the Record App Activity feature in the privacy settings, allowing people to save a summary of sensor, data, and internet access by apps on their device.

In iOS 15.2 beta and iPadOS 15.2 Beta, this activity is presented in Settings in a new UI called App Privacy Report. This is a great opportunity to review your app’s sensor, data, and internet usage. To view your activity in the report, go to Settings > Privacy > App Privacy Report > Turn On App Privacy Report. Activity will show once you use your app.

There’s also an update to the system for making an emergency call. According to the release notes:

Auto Call can now be set up to use one of two methods for initiating an emergency call: holding the side button together with a volume button, or rapidly pressing the side button multiple times. Both methods now show a longer, 8-second countdown before placing an emergency call.

More betas? Yes and no.

Apple also seeded watchOS 8.2 Beta 1 to developers on Wednesday after version 8.1 came out Monday. But the release notes for the beta make no mention of new features. The same is true for tvOS 15.2 beta 1.

macOS 12 Monterey also debuted on Monday but beta testing for macOS 12.1 Monterey has not yet begun. The same is true for tvOS 15.2. No pre-release versions of either were introduced on Wednesday. Not so far, anyway.

Only for developers… for now

Currently, iOS 15.2 beta 1, iPadOS 15.2 beta 1, watchOS 8.3 beta 1 and tvOS 15.2 beta 1 are only for developers. But if Apple follows its previous habits, public beta versions will be along.

In the mean time, getting access to these pre-release editions requires joining the Apple Developer Program, which costs $99 a year.

Update: The article was updated after Apple released tvOS 15.2 beta 1 on Wednesday, several hours after the others. 

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