Hands-On With Apple's New iOS 12 Update

Apple yesterday introduced the newest version of iOS, iOS 12, which is currently available to developers as part of a beta test.

We thought we'd take a closer look at iOS 12 to give MacRumors readers who aren't yet able to download the beta an idea of what to expect from the new software.

iOS 12 has some enticing new features that iOS users have been wanting for several years. Grouped notifications, for example, cleans up your notifications list, while new Do Not Disturb features give you more granular control over when it turns on and when it turns off.

Screen Time, a new feature, lets you know how much time you're spending on your iOS device with detailed statistics, including how much time you spend using each app and how many times you pick up your iPhone during the day.

Group FaceTime is here and supports calls with up to 32 people, and on the iPhone X, there are new Animoji and customizable Memoji. You can also use fun new camera effects in both Messages and FaceTime, and those aforementioned Animoji are also available in Messages and FaceTime on iPhone X.

Siri is much smarter in iOS 12 thanks to a new feature called Shortcuts, which has been built on the Workflow app. Shortcuts let you build automations with first and third-party apps that can be activated with Siri commands.

ARKit 2.0 brings improvements to augmented reality that include persistence, so AR environments will stay the same across multiple sessions, and multiplayer support, so two or more people can interact with the same augmented reality environment on separate devices.

Apple has also focused heavily on performance, working from top to bottom to make iPhones faster and more responsive, including older iPhones. Apple has introduced optimizations for all devices, and iOS 12 will work on all iPhones and iPads that are able to run iOS 11.

For more detail on iOS 12, make sure to check out our iOS 12 roundup, which is in development. We'll also be sharing additional videos covering iOS 12 features, so make sure to stay tuned to MacRumors and subscribe to our YouTube channel.