Apple Just Released iOS 12.3 Developer Beta 2 Today, Includes Date & Time Features & Updates to Wallet Transactions

Apple just released iOS 12.3 dev beta 2 today, Monday, April 8, which follows the first iOS 12.3 beta by twelve days. This update introduces new Japanese Date & Time features as well as updates to Wallet transactions. As a whole, iOS 12.3 introduces Apple's previously announced Apple TV Channels, premium monthly subscriptions with content you can watch right in the TV app across Apple products.

According to Apple's release notes, the only major change includes new Japanese feature to Date & Time. That means support for the Reiwa era of the Japanese calendar, as well as a change where the first year of Japanese-calendar era is represented as "Gannen" in place of a previous character. You might also see a bug if you set the system time ahead of May 1 while using Japanese as the system language and calendar.

Update: Apple Released iOS 12.3 Developer Beta 5 for iPhones

You will also see an update to your transaction history in Wallet. Now, purchases made in Safari or other apps on your iPhone will be listed as "In-App Purchases." This follows Apple's move in 12.3 beta 1 to change the building icon next to transactions to a grey square with a white dot in the middle. Likely, beta 2 also features a few bug fixes for issues found in beta 1 and beyond, as well as possible security patches for any vulnerabilities discovered in iOS.

If you're a public tester, don't worry. While the update isn't out for you yet, Apple usually releases your version anywhere from 3–24 hours after the release of the developer beta (public beta 1 was released one day later). Keep your eyes out, and keep refreshing the "Software Updates" page on your iPhone.

Check out the full release notes for 12.3 beta 2 below:

Date and Time — New Features
Support for the Reiwa era of the Japanese calendar, which begins on May 1, 2019, is now available. The first year of Japanese-calendar era is represented as "Gannen," except in the shorter numeric-style formats which typically also use the narrow era name; for example: "R1/05/01". (27323929)

Known Issues
You might experience unexpected behavior while changing the system time ahead to May 1 when using a device with the system language and calendar set to Japanese. (49371044)

To download and update your iPhone to iOS 12.3 dev beta 2, you will first need to be a registered developer with a valid configuration profile. If you have iOS 12's "Automatic Updates" enabled, you can let the software update overnight. To install right away, launch the Settings app, select "General," then "Software Update." Tap "Download and Install," then follow the on-screen prompts.