Apple Seeds First Beta of iOS 12.1.1 to Public Beta Testers With FaceTime Improvements

Apple today seeded the first beta of an upcoming iOS 12.1.1 update to its public beta testing group, one day after seeding the same beta to developers and two days after the release of the iOS 12.1 update.

Beta testers who have signed up for Apple's beta testing program will receive the iOS 12.1.1 beta update over-the-air after installing the proper certificate on an iOS device.

groupfacetime
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.

The iOS 12.1.1 update introduces some significant improvements to the FaceTime interface, and it re-adds the feature that's designed to let you take a Live Photo while on a FaceTime call.

In iOS 12.1.1, FaceTime features a reworked bottom bar that includes quick access buttons for muting a call and flipping the camera. Sliding up on the bottom bar brings up additional options with conversation participants.

Previously, FaceTime users were required to tap on three dots to access a secondary menu with these features.

The update also includes a new option in the Apple News app that lets you hide the side bar if desired.

Related Forum: iOS 12

Popular Stories

Apple Logo Zoomed

Tim Cook Teases Plans for Apple's Upcoming 50th Anniversary

Thursday February 5, 2026 12:54 pm PST by
Apple turns 50 this year, and its CEO Tim Cook has promised to celebrate the milestone. The big day falls on April 1, 2026. "I've been unusually reflective lately about Apple because we have been working on what do we do to mark this moment," Cook told employees today, according to Bloomberg's Mark Gurman. "When you really stop and pause and think about the last 50 years, it makes your heart ...
wwdc sans text feature

Apple Rumored to Announce New Product on February 19

Thursday February 5, 2026 12:22 pm PST by
Apple plans to announce the iPhone 17e on Thursday, February 19, according to Macwelt, the German equivalent of Macworld. The report, citing industry sources, is available in English on Macworld. Apple announced the iPhone 16e on Wednesday, February 19 last year, so the iPhone 17e would be unveiled exactly one year later if this rumor is accurate. It is quite uncommon for Apple to unveil...
Finder Siri Feature

Why Apple's iOS 26.4 Siri Upgrade Will Be Bigger Than Originally Promised

Friday February 6, 2026 3:06 pm PST by
In the iOS 26.4 update that's coming this spring, Apple will introduce a new version of Siri that's going to overhaul how we interact with the personal assistant and what it's able to do. The iOS 26.4 version of Siri won't work like ChatGPT or Claude, but it will rely on large language models (LLMs) and has been updated from the ground up. Upgraded Architecture The next-generation...
iOS 26

iOS 26.3 and iOS 26.4 Will Add These New Features to Your iPhone

Tuesday February 3, 2026 7:47 am PST by
While the iOS 26.3 Release Candidate is now available ahead of a public release, the first iOS 26.4 beta is likely still at least a week away. Following beta testing, iOS 26.4 will likely be released to the general public in March or April. Below, we have recapped known or rumored iOS 26.3 and iOS 26.4 features so far. iOS 26.3 iPhone to Android Transfer Tool iOS 26.3 makes it easier...
iphone 17 pro dark blue 1

iPhone 18 Pro Max Rumored to Deliver Next-Level Battery Life

Friday February 6, 2026 5:14 am PST by
The iPhone 18 Pro Max will feature a bigger battery for continued best-in-class battery life, according to a known Weibo leaker. Citing supply chain information, the Weibo user known as "Digital Chat Station" said that the iPhone 18 Pro Max will have a battery capacity of 5,100 to 5,200 mAh. Combined with the efficiency improvements of the A20 Pro chip, made with TSMC's 2nm process, the...

Top Rated Comments

tvguru Avatar
95 months ago
Glad they’re making it easy to flip the camera in FaceTime again. That was a huge pain with kids bouncing back and forth.
Score: 7 Votes (Like | Disagree)
WannaGoMac Avatar
95 months ago
Holy cow! Apple REDUCED the number of steps to do something?? They've been really good at hiding things away and then requiring multiple steps to do stuff that used to be front and center the last few years.
Insane they moved it into a menu at all!? One of the most useful features is flipping the camera, and they moved it because why??? Whomever did that should be fired, they clearly have no idea about useful interface design
Score: 7 Votes (Like | Disagree)
urbanslaughter1997 Avatar
95 months ago
I can't believe they fixed the camera flip in FaceTime! I'm so glad. We ALL hated the way it was implemented in iOS12. I never imagined they'd fix it that fast. That's great news.
Score: 6 Votes (Like | Disagree)
NMBob Avatar
95 months ago
Holy cow! Apple REDUCED the number of steps to do something?? They've been really good at hiding things away and then requiring multiple steps to do stuff that used to be front and center the last few years.
Score: 3 Votes (Like | Disagree)
AMTYVLE Avatar
95 months ago
Please with these people's faces already. I can't.
Score: 3 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Guda.FL Avatar
95 months ago
I have to say Group FaceTime....did not have the beta. It's got a few bugs that were finding as im using it quite a bit more. Interface feels little sloppy un apple final product like...or just me.
Score: 2 Votes (Like | Disagree)