Apple Releases First Public Beta of iOS 12

Apple this afternoon released the first public beta of iOS 12 to its public beta testing group, giving non-developers a chance to test the software ahead of its upcoming fall release. The first public beta of iOS 12 should correspond to the second developer beta, which was released last week.

Beta testers who have signed up for Apple's beta testing program will receive the iOS 12 beta update over-the-air after installing the proper certificate on an iOS device.

ios 12 facetime siri photos
Those who want to join the beta testing program can sign up on Apple's beta testing website, which gives users access to iOS, macOS, and tvOS betas. Before installing a beta, make sure to create a full encrypted iTunes backup or an iCloud backup and be sure to install iOS 12 on a secondary device because beta software is not always stable and can include bugs.

iOS 12 is a significant update to the iOS operating system, introducing Group FaceTime, local multiplayer shared AR experiences, new Animoji, and a Memoji feature that's designed to let you create a personalized Animoji that looks just like you.


Animoji, stickers, text, and more can be used in FaceTime and the Messages app, and there's a new Screen Time feature to help customers understand and manage the amount of time they're spending on their iOS devices. New Do Not Disturb features make it easier to manage notifications, as do interactive notification options and notification grouping.

Siri has been improved in iOS 12 with Siri Shortcuts, which is designed to allow Siri to work with any app, and Siri is also smarter and able to provide info on motorsports, food, and celebrities.

Under-the-hood improvements to iOS 12 will make everyday tasks on the iPhone and iPad faster and more responsive, with the camera launching up to 70 percent faster and the keyboard showing up to 50 percent faster.

iOS 12 will be available to developers and public beta testers as a beta for several months to allow Apple to work out kinks and bugs. The update will see a launch this fall.

Related Forum: iOS 12

Top Rated Comments

bchery21 Avatar
75 months ago
Have fun everyone, but I'll fall back and wait.
Score: 18 Votes (Like | Disagree)
seatton Avatar
75 months ago
Downloading it and ready to f*** up my iPad Pro, but I could care less. I will try not to install it on my iPhone X yet.
Score: 13 Votes (Like | Disagree)
jclo Avatar
75 months ago
Think ima wait one more rev on this and Mojave (which was also released to the public today).
Just to clarify, macOS Mojave wasn't released today. It's listed as "Coming Soon," which we didn't initially notice. So we did have a macOS Mojave story, but I removed it because it's not actually out. Sorry for that mixup! iOS 12 and tvOS 12 are available today, though.
Score: 10 Votes (Like | Disagree)
jclo Avatar
75 months ago
Why did MacRumors remove the story about the Mojave Public Beta? If you jumped the gun, you should note that; not pretend it didn't happen. https://www.macrumors.com/2018/06/25/apple-releases-first-macos-mojave-public-beta/
We didn't see that it was listed as "Coming Soon" when the beta site went up. It is not available today. I removed the post and the tweet, sorry about that. I didn't want to leave the post up to confuse people.
Score: 8 Votes (Like | Disagree)
frumpy16 Avatar
75 months ago
For what it’s worth... (not much)


I now download Public BETAs as a matter of course. I don't see many issue with it. I've never had a bricked iPhone. On occasion I may have an app that doesn't work right and then I remember its likely due to the BETA. Battery is sometimes an issue, but I just carry a spare USB block if I know I’m going to be out all day. Sometimes the OS can be a tad clunky and jumpy but all in all, if you’re on these forums then I’d say you’re geeky enough to:


1) be able to download the BETA in the first place:

2) be interested enough to get a peek at new features:

3) in a worst case can jump back to iOS 11.


Not sure why I posted. But hey BETAs are there to play with new features, so download and play. Just don’t complain if they don’t work – that’s the point!
Your last statement is wrong. You are supposed to complain if the beta doesn't work but you're supposed to do it properly by reporting the bug. The point of the beta is to get a lot of people using it under different use cases and see what might break. Report your bugs!
Score: 7 Votes (Like | Disagree)
munpip214 Avatar
75 months ago
with GPS, Reminders, and Carplay issues I will hold off until at least PB2
Score: 6 Votes (Like | Disagree)

Popular Stories

reset password request iphone

Warning: Apple Users Targeted in Phishing Attack Involving Rapid Password Reset Requests

Tuesday March 26, 2024 4:34 pm PDT by
Phishing attacks taking advantage of Apple's password reset feature have become increasingly common, according to a report from KrebsOnSecurity. Multiple Apple users have been targeted in an attack that bombards them with an endless stream of notifications or multi-factor authentication (MFA) messages in an attempt to cause panic so they'll respond favorably to social engineering. An...
Generic iOS 18 Feature Purple

iOS 18: What to Expect From 'Biggest' Update in iPhone's History

Wednesday March 27, 2024 11:10 am PDT by
At least some Apple software engineers continue to believe that iOS 18 will be the "biggest" update in the iPhone's history, according to Bloomberg's Mark Gurman. Below, we recap rumored features and changes for the iPhone. "The iOS 18 update is expected to be the most ambitious overhaul of the iPhone's software in its history, according to people working on the upgrade," wrote Gurman, in a r...
maxresdefault

Apple Announces WWDC 2024 Event for June 10 to 14

Tuesday March 26, 2024 10:02 am PDT by
Apple today announced that its 35th annual Worldwide Developers Conference is set to take place from Monday, June 10 to Friday, June 14. As with WWDC events since 2020, WWDC 2024 will be an online event that is open to all developers at no cost. Subscribe to the MacRumors YouTube channel for more videos. WWDC 2024 will include online sessions and labs so that developers can learn about new...
apple maps 3d feature

Apple Maps May Gain Custom Routes With iOS 18

Tuesday March 26, 2024 3:10 pm PDT by
Apple may be planning to add support for "custom routes" in Apple Maps in iOS 18, according to code reviewed by MacRumors. Apple Maps does not currently offer a way to input self-selected routes, with Maps users limited to Apple's pre-selected options, but that may change in iOS 18. Apple has pushed an iOS 18 file to its maps backend labeled "CustomRouteCreation." While not much is revealed...
General iOS 17 Feature Orange Purple

Apple Releases Revised Versions of iOS 17.4.1 and iPadOS 17.4.1 With Updated Build Number

Wednesday March 27, 2024 5:59 am PDT by
Apple on late Tuesday released revised versions of iOS 17.4.1 and iPadOS 17.4.1 with an updated build number of 21E237, according to MacRumors contributor Aaron Perris. The updates previously had a build number of 21E236. The revised updates are available for all iPhone and iPad models that are compatible with iOS 17 and iPadOS 17, but they can only be installed via the Finder app on macOS...
maxresdefault

Apple to Launch New iPad Pro and iPad Air Models in May

Thursday March 28, 2024 11:07 am PDT by
Apple will introduce new iPad Pro and iPad Air models in early May, according to Bloomberg's Mark Gurman. Gurman previously suggested the new iPads would come out in March, and then April, but the timeline has been pushed back once again. Subscribe to the MacRumors YouTube channel for more videos. Apple is working on updates to both the iPad Pro and iPad Air models. The iPad Pro models will...
applephilschiller

Apple's Phil Schiller Works 80 Hours a Week Overseeing App Store

Wednesday March 27, 2024 2:03 pm PDT by
With the App Store and app ecosystem undergoing major changes in the European Union, The Wall Street Journal today shared a profile on App Store chief Phil Schiller, who is responsible for the App Store. Though Schiller transitioned from marketing chief to "Apple Fellow" in 2020 to take a step back from Apple and spend more time on personal projects and friends, he is reportedly working...