At long last, Apple has released its iOS 12 operating system for the iPhone, iPad, and iPod touch. iOS 12 is available on all devices able to run iOS 11, which includes the iPhone 5s and later, the iPad mini 2 and later, the iPad Air and later, and the 6th-generation iPod touch.
The update cab be snagged on all eligible devices by going to Settings –> General –> Software Update. It could potentially take a few minutes for the update to propagate to all users due to high demand. As with all iOS updates, iOS 12 is free to download.
iOS 12’s new features include the following:
– Apps open more speedily than before, the keyboard pops up faster, and the Camera launches much quicker. Apple has also introduced optimizations for when the system is under load, making iOS devices faster when you need performance most.
– New Animoji characters include a Ghost, Koala, Tiger, and T-Rex along with “Memoji,” which are customizable, personalized, humanoid Animoji that can be used both in Messages and in FaceTime, alongside fun new camera effects in both of those apps.
– Siri in iOS 12 now includes a new Shortcuts features that allows you to build multi-step customized animations. These animations can be activated through first and third-party apps that can be activated with Siri voice commands.
– Apple originally intended to release Group FaceTime support in iOS 12, although this feature was removed during the beta test. The feature is expected to be reintroduced later this fall through an iOS 12 update.
– iOS 12 not allows users to track and monitor their screen time, wherein you can keep track of how much time you’re spending in apps on your iPhone and iPad. App limits can help you cut back on iOS device usage, and robust parental controls are included for families.
– Updated Do Not Disturb options make activating Do Not Disturb, including a new Do Not Disturb at Bedtime feature, cuts down on nighttime distractions and sleep interruptions by hiding notifications at night.
– Grouped Notifications allow for Notifications to be more easily viewed and managed. Additionally, a new Instant Tuning feature lets you tweak your notification settings right on the Lock screen on a notification-by-notification basis to cut down on the number of notifications you receive.
– Apple News has a new Browse feature, the Stocks app has been redesigned and brought to the iPad, iBooks has been overhauled with a new look and a new name — Apple Books — and Voice Memos has been revamped with iCloud support and an iPad app.
– ARKit 2.0 offers a new shared experiences feature that allows two users to see the same AR environment on separate devices. A new persistence feature allows AR experiences to be saved across multiple sessions. There’s also a new Apple-built Measure app for measuring objects using AR functionality.
– iOS 12’s Maps application uses a new Apple-designed Maps engine that displays foliage, pools, buildings, pedestrian pathways, and other map elements more accurately. The new Maps also includes significant improvements to traffic, real-time road conditions, construction, and more, plus it lets Apple push out changes and fixes more quickly.
If you’ve had a chance to download, install and try out iOS 12 and have any feedback to offer about the new operating system, please let us know what you make of it in the comments.
Via MacRumors