FileMaker Pro 12 Adds New 'Starter Solutions' and Broadens iOS Integration - MacRumors
Skip to Content

FileMaker Pro 12 Adds New 'Starter Solutions' and Broadens iOS Integration

by

Apple subsidiary FileMaker today announced the launch of its new lineup of FileMaker 12 database applications, launching new themes and "Starter Solutions" to help users get up and running, as well as significantly enhancing integration with iOS devices.

"Databases only boost productivity if people genuinely enjoy using them," said Ryan Rosenberg, vice president, marketing and services, FileMaker, Inc. "Everyone wants a great database, but not everyone is a great designer. Let FileMaker 12 handle the design and you’ll create dazzling databases that are incredibly easy to use, on iPad, iPhone, desktop and the web."

filemaker 12 screenshots
Among the key new features in FileMaker 12:

- Over 40 new themes specifically designed to translate among desktop, iPad, and iPhone. New tools help users customize the default themes to create their own unique database documents.

- Sixteen rebuilt Starter Solutions provide templates upon which users can build their databases depending on the type of data being stored. As with themes, the templates can be easily customized to suit users' needs.

- Enhanced container fields for storing files within databases, improving performance and ease of use.

- Quick Charts for streamlining the process of creating new charts based off of database entries.

- Significantly enhanced iOS compatibility with free new FileMaker Go apps for iPad [App Store] and iPhone [App Store]. The new apps are compatible only with Filemaker 12, and the company continues to offer the $39.99/$19.99 FileMaker Go 11 apps for use with earlier versions of the software.


Pricing for FileMaker 12 on the desktop remains the same as in the previous version, with FileMaker Pro 12 priced at $299 for new users and $179 for upgrade users and FileMaker Pro 12 Advanced checking in at $499 and $299 respectively. The basic FileMaker Server 12 is priced at $999/$599, while FileMaker Server 12 Advanced carries a price tag of $2,999/$1,799. All versions are available today.

Popular Stories

iPhone Handoff iOS 27 Feature

T-Mobile to Charge $5 a Month for iOS 27 iPhone Handoff

Thursday September 10, 2026 3:58 pm PDT by
T-Mobile will charge customers $5 per month to use iPhone Handoff, an e-SIM feature that allows the same phone number to be used on two separate iPhones. iPhone Handoff requires carrier support, and at launch, only T-Mobile users in the U.S. and Deutsche Telekom users in Germany will be able to use it. T-Mobile says customers can use their number across two compatible iPhone models and...
Read Full Article • 153 comments
deep black iphone 18 pro

Apple Says iPhone 18 Pro Max Sold in U.S. Differs in One Way

Saturday September 12, 2026 3:27 pm PDT by
As noted by Nicolas Lellouche, who writes for the French tech website Numerama, Apple has updated its tech specs pages for the iPhone 18 Pro and iPhone 18 Pro Max to clarify which models are equipped with its new C2 cellular modem and where. Apple now says the iPhone 18 Pro has a C2 modem worldwide, while the iPhone 18 Pro Max uses the chip in every country except for the U.S. According...
Read Full Article • 94 comments
iphone duo

IMAX Reacts to iPhone Duo's 1:1.4 Aspect Ratio Displays

Friday September 11, 2026 4:42 am PDT by
Production theater company IMAX has responded in a mixed way to Apple's embrace of a 1:1.4 aspect ratio on the iPhone Duo's inner and outer displays. The boxier ratio happens to be very close to the classic "full-frame" IMAX 1.43:1 aspect ratio, which comes from the geometry of the company's original 15-perforation/70mm film system. In response to an X post from someone wondering if we'll see...
Read Full Article • 74 comments

Top Rated Comments

669532 Avatar
669532
189 months ago
wish I got to use this instead of MS Access:mad:
Score: 7 Votes (Like | Disagree)
deannnnn Avatar
deannnnn
189 months ago
I generally dislike themes in creative applications like iMovie and Pages/Word because then everybody's supposedly creative movies and documents all end up looking exactly the same. In a database application, however, I think themes are great. Who cares if the databases across multiple organizations look the same if they're allowing for easier use for accessing the data you're trying to organize.
Score: 6 Votes (Like | Disagree)
M
Macist
189 months ago
I've been a Filemaker fan for years and years. It's well thought out, powerful software that can cater to any number of needs. it's interesting that Apple allow the company to operate as a subsidury that simply gets on with giving users what they want and ask for.

Perhaps Apple should create a quasi independent business/professional division to assauge professionals' anxieties that Apple is now solely focused on the consumer.
Score: 2 Votes (Like | Disagree)
P
pgyanke
189 months ago
Both have limitations

Looks cool but I wish they would improve Bento. I really like how Bento works - much, more approachable I find. But it's hampered by a lack of fairly basic, and in some cases transparent, features (like automatically updating cross referenced records). There's a huge gap between Bento and FileMaker.

I use Bento for basic CRM. It's barely functional for that... but it is functional. Its ace in the hole is the fact that it syncs with Address Book and other Apple applications... FMP does not! :eek: I tried FMP and ended up returning it before I had to keep it. The learning curve was too steep and I would have had to maintain multiple contact lists since it doesn't sync with Address Book.

This whole process annoys the hell out of me. FMP should be fully functional (at least be able to do everything Bento can do). Bento should have more functionality rather than artificially limiting it in annoying ways. THERE'S A HAPPY MEDIUM HERE, SOMEWHERE! :mad:
Score: 2 Votes (Like | Disagree)
T
the Otter
189 months ago
Excel?

People I work with can do NOTHING without Excel. Its a running joke.

My question is: do I need File Maker?

I guess I wonder what a regular schmo like me would do with it to make life easier.

:confused:
Need? Probably not. But would it make your life easier? Most likely. Excel is not a database; it’s a spreadsheet. The fact that people try to use it as a database doesn’t make it so; it would probably make everyone’s life a lot easier to use something that’s designed for the task at hand.
Score: 2 Votes (Like | Disagree)
J
jinnj
189 months ago
If you are looking for a low end database then use sqlite. It's part of OS X and you can use LibreOffice, NeoOffice or OpenOffice to design a front end for it. The same database file can be used for web frontend as well.
Score: 2 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Read All Comments