Apple launches eighth developer beta of iOS 12 two days after pulling seventh beta [u]

Apple has shipped its second developer beta for iOS 12 this week, following the withdrawal of Monday's beta release, with developers now able to download its replacement, the eighth beta.

Devices enrolled into the testing program can acquire the new build as an over-the-air update, or by testers downloading it from the Apple Developer Center.

Apple pulled access to the seventh OTA beta approximately three hours after the developer beta went live on Monday. Though Apple has yet to issue a statement on why it was pulled, developers are reportedly seeing bugs and system degradations in the release, including longer than normal app launch times, sluggish lock screen animations, non-functional lock screens and Notification Center assets, and other issues.

The eighth beta is build number 16A5357b, up from the now-removed seventh beta's build number 16A5354b, and the sixth beta's 16A5345f.

It is unclear why Apple decided to increment the beta count in this instance, but it likely signifies more has been added to the operating system than simply fixing any issues from the seventh beta. Apple temporarily pulled the first developer beta of watchOS 5 over installation issues, but the re-released version retained the same beta number.

Apple has added performance improvements to iOS 12 designed to help older iPhones and iPads, not just the newer models. In the same update, iPad users will gain iPhone X-inspired extras, including gestures and the grouping of notifications.

Digital health is a big focus for iOS 12, with users able to employ Screen Time to monitor their app usage. If there are some apps that are just too addictive, users can also restrict the amount of time they can use the app in a day, to try and reduce their dependency to check or use the software.

Updates have been made to various stock apps, including Stocks, News, Weather, and Voice Memos. A new first-party app, Measure, will use ARKit to help users determine the lengths or size of real-world objects in 3D space, using their device's rear camera.

Siri Shortcuts, MeMoji, and third-party map support for CarPlay are also included.

One notable change in the seventh beta was the announcement Group FaceTime will not be available to users at iOS 12's release this fall. An update including the feature will ship in a "future software update" before the end of the year.

AppleInsider, and Apple itself, strongly advise against users installing beta software releases on mission-critical computers and devices, as there is the potential for data loss. It is suggested those wishing to try out Apple's betas do so on non-essential secondary devices, and to make backups of all important data before doing so.

Find any changes in the new betas? Reach out to us on Twitter at @AppleInsider or @Andrew_OSU, or send Andrew an email at andrew@AppleInsider.com.

Update: Apple released public beta versions of iOS 12 following today's developer seed.