Apple Seeds Fifth Beta of iOS 12 to Developers [Updated]

Apple today seeded the fifth beta of an upcoming iOS 12 update to developers for testing purposes, two weeks after seeding the fourth beta and more than a month after introducing the new software at the Worldwide Developers Conference.

Registered developers can download the new iOS 12 beta from Apple's Developer Center or over-the-air after installing the proper certificate.


iOS 12 introduces major updates to iOS, with Apple revamping the operating system from top to bottom to make iPhones and iPads, especially older models, faster and more responsive.

On the iPhone X, there are new Animoji characters along with "Memoji," which are customizable, personalized Animoji that can be used both in Messages and in FaceTime. Messages and FaceTime have also gained fun new camera effects, and Group FaceTime support allows for audio/video calls with up to 32 people.

Siri is smarter in iOS 12 with a new Shortcuts feature that lets you create multi-step custom automations using first and third-party apps that can be activated with Siri. Shortcuts can be created through the Shortcuts app, available as a beta from Apple's Developer Center.

Apple built comprehensive time management and monitoring tools into iOS 12 with Screen Time, allowing you to keep track of just how much time you're spending on your iPhone and iPad. App limits can help you cut back on iOS device usage, and robust parental controls are included for families.

iOS 12 Memoji
Updated Do Not Disturb options make turning off notifications and distractions easier than ever, and a new Do Not Disturb at Bedtime feature cuts down on nighttime interruptions.

ios 12 screen time
Group Notifications make incoming notifications easier to view and manage, while a new Instant Tuning feature lets you tweak your notification settings right on the Lock screeen on a notification-by-notification basis.


Apple News has a new Browse feature, the Stocks app has been redesigned, 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 introduces new capabilities like shared experiences that let two people see the same AR environment on separate devices, and persistence, which allows AR experiences to be saved across multiple sessions. There's also a new Measure app for measuring objects using AR capabilities.

iOS 12 includes a revamped and rebuilt Maps app that uses a new Apple-designed Maps engine that will display 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 will enable Apple to push out changes and fixes more quickly.

ios12newmapssf
The revamped Maps app is available in the Northern California area during beta testing. After iOS 12 launches, Apple will continue rolling out the new maps to additional U.S. locations across late 2018 and 2019.

Tons of other small tweaks and features have been added to iOS 12, so make sure to check out our dedicated roundup for additional detail on what's new in iOS 12.

Early betas of new operating system updates always introduce tweaked features and new functionality, and we'll be outlining what's new in the fourth beta below. We also rounded up all of the changes that were introduced in the previous betas, beta 2 and beta 3, and beta 4.

iOS 12 is available for developers and public beta testers, with a public launch planned for the fall alongside new iPhones.

What's new in iOS 12 beta 5: According to Apple's release notes, the fifth beta of iOS 12 introduces some new bugs.

- After restarting a device, paired Bluetooth accessories might not function correctly or might be displayed using the device's address instead of name.

- Using Apple Pay Cash to send or request money via Siri might result in an error.

- When using CarPlay, Siri can't open an app by name. Shortcuts that involve opening an app won't work, and Shortcuts that require confirmation might not work.

- Some Shortcuts requests might not work.

- When multiple ride-sharing apps are installed, Siri might open an app instead of providing an ETA or location when asked. Apple suggests asking again as a fix.

- Users might not see custom UI when using Siri Suggestions Shortcuts with built-in intents.

Several bugs have been addressed, including error messages in the App Store when attempting to install an app, an inaccurate cellular signal bar on iPhone X while on Lock screen or Home screen, a bug that caused Wallet to crash on launch, and a failure for Screen Time usage and data settings to sync between devices. Shortcuts will also mostly work in CarPlay now, and will be restored from iCloud backups.

HomePod data found in iOS 12 seemingly confirms recent rumors that a HomePod software update set to be released alongside iOS 12 will allow the device to be used to make phone calls.

As shared by 9to5Mac, a HomePod personal requests image says the HomePod can be used to send and read messages, add reminders, create notes, make phone calls, and more, with the portion about phone calls being new.

ios12homepodphonecalls
Right now, you can make a phone call on the iPhone and transfer it to the HomePod to use the HomePod as a speakerphone, but you can't use the HomePod to place calls, something that appears to be changing following the update. Apple is testing new HomePod software internally, but it is not available for developers or public beta testers.

Other changes in iOS 12 beta 5: Screen Time in the Settings app no longer lists family members who aren't children, and it needs to be reenabled after updating to the new beta.

Related Forum: iOS 12

Popular Stories

New Things Your iPhone Can Do in iOS 18

10 New Things Your iPhone Can Do in iOS 18.2

Thursday October 31, 2024 9:42 am PDT by
Apple is set to release iOS 18.2 in December, bringing the second round of Apple Intelligence features to iPhone 15 Pro and iPhone 16 models. This update brings several major advancements to Apple's AI integration, including completely new image generation tools and a range of Visual Intelligence-based enhancements. There are a handful of new non-AI related feature controls incoming as well. ...
best early black friday deals

The Best Early Black Friday Apple Deals

Friday November 1, 2024 8:21 am PDT by
We're officially in the month of Black Friday, which will take place on Friday, November 29 in 2024. As always, this will be the best time of the year to shop for great deals, including popular Apple products like AirPods, iPad, Apple Watch, and more. Note: MacRumors is an affiliate partner with some of these vendors. When you click a link and make a purchase, we may receive a small payment,...
M4 Pro on Blue

M4 Pro Chip Benchmark Results Reveal an Extremely Impressive Performance Feat

Thursday October 31, 2024 7:06 pm PDT by
The first Geekbench 6 benchmark results for the M4 Pro chip surfaced today. Impressively, the results that are available so far show that the highest-end M4 Pro chip is faster than the highest-end M2 Ultra chip in terms of peak multi-core CPU performance. Here is a comparison of the results: Mac mini with M4 Pro (14-core CPU): 22,094 multi-core score (average of 11 results) Mac Studio...
Apple iPhone SE 4 5G Modem 1

iPhone SE 4 First to Get Apple-Designed 5G Modem, iPhone 17 Pro to Add Custom Wi-Fi 7 Chip

Friday November 1, 2024 4:04 am PDT by
The iPhone SE 4 that's set to come out early next year is expected to debut Apple's first in-house 5G modem, according to Jeff Pu, an analyst who covers companies within Apple's supply chain. In a research note this week with Hong Kong-based investment firm Haitong International Securities, Pu said Apple is expected to roll out its custom-made 5G modem starting with the next-generation...
ios 18 2 chatgpt plus

iOS 18.2 Beta 2 Shows Siri ChatGPT Limit, Offers 'Plus' Upgrade Option

Monday November 4, 2024 10:54 am PST by
With the second beta of iOS 18.2 that's available for developers today, Apple has further fleshed out the ChatGPT integration that's available with Siri. In the Settings app, there's now a section that shows the ChatGPT daily limit, and offers an option to upgrade to the paid ChatGPT Plus plan. The beta includes an Advanced Capabilities section with a "Daily Limit" reading that shows up as...
M3 Pro Max vs M4 Pro Max Feature

Here's How Much Faster M4 Pro/Max Are for Graphics vs. M3 Pro/Max

Friday November 1, 2024 8:04 am PDT by
Apple's new M4 Pro and M4 Max chips are impressively fast in terms of CPU performance, topping the M2 Ultra, but what about graphics performance? The first Geekbench 6 results for GPU performance are now available for the M4 Pro and M4 Max, and the Metal scores reveal some impressive year-over-year gains. Based on the Metal scores that are available so far, the M4 Pro and M4 Max are up to...
imac video apple feature

What to Expect From Apple This November

Friday November 1, 2024 9:40 am PDT by
After a busy October in which Apple announced new Macs and Apple Intelligence launched, the calendar has now turned to November. Below, we outline what to expect from Apple this month as the slower-but-still-busy holiday season approaches. After seeding the first betas of iOS 18.2, iPadOS 18.2, and macOS Sequoia 15.2 with additional Apple Intelligence features last month, Apple will likely...

Top Rated Comments

DrJohnnyN Avatar
82 months ago
I use iOS 12 beta on my iPhone X and love it.
Score: 8 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Kaibelf Avatar
82 months ago
For the love of god OPEN BETA NOW.
Prior Public beta has been available for a while and this one should come out tomorrow. Why post the same odd demand multiple times? Staging a protest on MR won’t make Apple do your bidding.
Score: 8 Votes (Like | Disagree)
lucasrant Avatar
82 months ago
[doublepost=1532972748][/doublepost]
Still stunned about the fact that animojies are a main feature
They are catering to a different demographic with that one. If you don't like it, don't pay attention to it.
Score: 7 Votes (Like | Disagree)
spazzcat Avatar
82 months ago
Still stunned about the fact that animojies are a main feature
The main feature is how much faster the OS is...
Score: 4 Votes (Like | Disagree)
delonholmes Avatar
82 months ago
Hopefully this fixes the device hanging every now and then..
Score: 4 Votes (Like | Disagree)
jclo Avatar
82 months ago
Apple said that iOS12 was suppose to increase speed on older devices - how is that actually working for those of you running it on lets say an iPad Air 1?
On my iPad mini 2, iOS 12 is faster than iOS 11, but it's not as fast as iOS 10 was. There's a noticeable speed difference between iOS 11 and iOS 12, though. Most apps open faster, though some apps like Books and Safari still have a tendency to hang a bit.
Score: 4 Votes (Like | Disagree)