Apple Releases iOS 12 With Performance Improvements, Memoji, Screen Time, Siri Shortcuts and More

BY Gautam Prabhu

Published 17 Sep 2018

iOS 12 is out!!! Apple has just released iOS 12, its next-generation mobile operating system for iPhone, iPad and iPod touch. Apple first unveiled iOS 12 at the WorldWide Developer Conference in June, which includes major performance improvements, and new features such as Memoji, Screen Time, Siri Shortcuts, Group Notifications, and more.

iOS 12 supports the following iOS devices:

iPhone XS, iPhone XS Max, iPhone XR, iPhone X, iPhone 8, iPhone 8 Plus, iPhone 7, iPhone 7 Plus, iPhone 6s, iPhone 6s Plus, iPhone 6, iPhone 6 Plus, iPhone SE, iPhone 5s
12.9-inch iPad Pro 2nd generation, 12.9-inch iPad Pro 1st generation, 10.5-inch iPad Pro, 9.7-inch iPad Pro, iPad Air 2, iPad Air, iPad 5th generation, iPad mini 4, iPad mini 3, iPad mini 2
iPod Touch 6th generation

Before you download and install the iOS 12 update, check our post on how to prepare for iOS 12 update on your iPhone, iPad or iPod touch.

If you have jailbroken your iOS device and cannot live without your favorite jailbreak apps and tweaks then it is recommended that you avoid updating to iOS 12, until a tool to jailbreak iOS 12 is released. Check our post to find out the latest iOS 12 jailbreak status.

iOS 12 is available on all eligible devices over-the-air in the Settings app. To access the update, launch the Settings app and navigate to General –> Software Update. If you’re not getting the OTA iOS 12 software update then try again after some time. If you still don’t get the OTA update then use the download links that we will be provided shortly to install the iOS 12 update manually on your iPhone, iPad or iPod touch.

Here’s a quick look at the major new features and improvements in iOS 12 so you can discover them:

Better Performance:

Apple has improved the overall performance of iOS 12 on all iPhones and iPads it can be installed on, including the older models. That includes boosted performance for opening the Share Sheet, for instance, or seeing up to 70 percent better performance in certain scenarios on devices like the iPhone 6 Plus. Apple says these performance boosts will be present on all devices that iOS 12 can be installed on, and the company is “doubling down” on performance with this latest iOS release.

Animoji and Memoji:

Apple is introducing four new Animoji characters, including a T-Rex, ghost, and tiger for iPhone X. The biggest new addition is what the company calls Memoji, allowing users to quickly turn themselves into an Animoji with a variety of customization options as well.

Photos:

Apple is improving the Photos experience in iOS 12, making search better and faster, with the ability to search for places and much more. The new app is also getting a faster way to share content, with the app recommending people to share the photos or videos with based on facial recognition. And, after those images are shared, Photos will work with the receiver to find if they have photos of the same event to share back.

Siri:

Apple’s digital personal assistant is getting some improvements, including a new Shortcuts feature. This will give automation workflow to users, allowing for simple statements like “Heading home” to serve up a variety of different commands, including starting a podcast or Apple Music playlist, offering up directions, notifying a contact, and much more. Shortcuts can be created through the Shortcuts app, available as a beta from Apple’s Developer Center.

Grouped Notifications:

iOS 12 is finally adding support for grouped notifications, so multiple notifications from a single app would be merged into one for better usability. Notifications are also getting other improvements. You can now send notifications from the lock screen to the notification center, with Siri now recommending you to disable notifications from apps that you don’t use.

Screen Time:

iOS 12 also includes a comprehensive time management and monitoring tools called Screen Time, which allows you to track how much time you’re spending in apps on your iPhone and iPad. The App Limits and Downtime features help you to reduce your iPhone addiction.

ARKit 2.0:

Apple is also introducing an update to ARKit, which will bring new features for the augmented reality framework. It brings with it more dynamic range for tracking items in the camera, as well as being able to play multiplayer games with up to four people. Support for 3D object detection and persistent. Starting a game built around a physical toy, or a physical classroom serving as a starting and continuation point for lessons. Shared experiences in ARKit 2.0, allowing for real-time multiplayer games. iOS 12 also includes a new app called Measure for measuring objects using AR capabilities. It will be pre-installed when you install or upgrade to iOS 12.

New Maps app:

iOS 12 also includes a revamped and rebuilt Maps app which is powered by Apple’s new Maps engine, which 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. The updated Maps app is available only for Northern California area. Apple plans to roll out the new maps for other U.S. locations after iOS 12 is released.

Group FaceTime Calls:

Apple had initially announced plans to introduce group FaceTime calling feature in iOS 12 for up to 32 people, and had included it in the first few iOS 12 betas. But the feature was removed in iOS 12 beta 7. Apple plans to release the feature later this fall as an update to iOS 12.

Apple Books:

Apple is changing iBooks to Apple Books, and tweaking the overall experience as well.

You can check out our post for the complete list of all the major and hidden new iOS 12 features and improvements for more in-depth details. You can also check out our guide to discover how to use all the new iOS 12 features on your iPhone and iPad so you can start using them.

Update 1

iOS 12 Download Links

If you’re not getting the iOS 12 update over-the-air then we will provide the direct download links for iOS 12 firmware files to install it manually as soon as they’re available.

iOS 12 Download links for iPhone:

iOS 12 Download Links for iPad:

iOS 12 Download links for iPod touch:

iOS 12 (iPod Touch 6G): iPodtouch_12.0_16A366_Restore.ipsw

If you need to help then check our step-by-step guide to download and install iOS 12 on your iPhone, iPad and iPod touch.

Along with iOS 12, Apple has also released watchOS 5 for Apple Watch and tvOS 12 for Apple TV.

Update 2:

The build number of iOS 12 public release is 16A366, which is the same as the iOS 12 GM build, so if you’ve installed iOS 12 GM then you don’t need to do anything. Check our post for more details.

Let us how it goes in the comments. If you need help or have any questions, please use the comment section below.

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