Apple issues twelfth iOS 12 beta for developers, tenth public beta

As the September 12 "Gather Round" event grows nearer, Apple is continuing to shake down its milestone operating systems, issuing a new build of iOS 12 with a fix to the constant upgrade notification.

iOS 12

Performance improvements in iOS 12 are said to make it more useful for those with older iPhones and iPads, not just for the latest models. For iPad users, iPhone X-inspired gestures and notification grouping will be introduced, giving them some of the same comfort features as Apple's premium smartphone.

Digital health is also an important element of iOS 12, with Screen Time revealing how long users spend in various apps, and adds options to try and reduce their dependency on specific types of app, such as spending time in social network activities or in YouTube.

New versions of the stock apps Stocks, News, Weather, and Voice Memos are being included in the release, along with a new ARKit-based Measure app for determining the dimensions of items in 3D space using the iPhone or iPad camera. Siri Shortcuts, customizable MeMoji, and third-party CarPlay navigation support are also included.

One notable feature that won't be available at launch will be Group FaceTime, with the feature said to be arriving at a later time.

AppleInsider, and Apple itself, suggest not installing beta releases onto any sort of mission-critical hardware, due to the possible loss of data if anything goes wrong. Those wishing to try out any beta software should do so on non-essential or secondary devices to minimize risk, and to keep backups of data before starting the installation.

The twelfth iOS 12 beta with build number replaces 16A5366a replaces the 11th beta's 16A5365b build.

New builds of the operating systems can be downloaded via the Apple Developer Center, or for devices enrolled into the test program, as an over-the-air updates. Apple also released a public beta alongside the developer beta version.

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.