The latest iOS 12 beta 7 over-the-air update has been made temporarily unavailable as Apple investigates reports of unexpected performance issues associated with the release. The company pulled access to OTA beta 7 downloads about three hours after the update went live on Monday. While Apple has not issued a statement on the matter, developers testing the seventh iOS 12 beta have reported seemingly widespread bugs and system degradations. Common complaints include longer than normal app launch times, sluggish lock screen animations, non-functioning lock screen and Notification Center assets, and more. Apple has apparently taken notice, pulling the OTA update from its servers. Developers still have access to the IPSW file, which is available for download and manual installation via Apple's Developer website. The cause of the performance issues is unknown at this time, and it is unclear when Apple intends to release a patched version of the software. The bug or bugs likely impact the release timeline of an expected public beta build. Apple seeded iOS 12 beta 7 earlier today with minor improvements and bug fixes.<doc-sep>Apple has removed the seventh beta of iOS 12 from its developer download stream, just hours after it went live. The company pulled the plug on Tuesday, and the move came just after a slew of reports around slow performance and waiting for apps to launch. Apple did not release the update to public beta testers like normal. Reactions to the update released Monday were mixed. A MacRumors user called “OldSchoolMacGuy” noted that apps took 10 seconds or longer to load on an iPhone X running the seventh beta, and a restart failed to fix the issue. However, Reddit user “FunctionalBoredom” found their iPhone X returned to normal speeds after about five to 10 minutes, while user “Volerikan” found no slowdown on their iPhone X. Apple regularly warns people against running pre-release software due to a much higher chance of encountering severe flaws, with a Reddit user called “TheKharmeleon” asking “what do people expect?” See more: iOS 12 Developer Beta 7 Takes Away One of WWDC’s Most Hyped Up Features The seventh beta also made headlines as it drops a major feature promised for iOS 12’s launch. Group FaceTime, which enabled up to 32 people to chat in one video call, has been removed from future beta versions and will no longer launch alongside iOS 12. Instead, Apple promises an update later this fall that will restore the functionality, similar to how AirPlay 2 didn’t launch last fall and instead arrived in June. Group FaceTime or otherwise, iOS 12 introduces a slew of new features like “Siri Shortcuts” for smarter A.I. suggestions, better Animoji, improved augmented reality and new screen time monitoring features. The update also boasts faster performance like a 70 percent faster swipe to camera and 50 percent faster keyboard display, although the seventh beta unfortunately didn’t show its performance in the best light. The seventh beta is part of Apple’s iOS 12 beta process, which started in June with the announcement of the update and is set to end in the fall when the software goes live for the wider public. Around this time, Apple is also rumored to release three new iPhones, all of which will feature face recognition. Apple did not respond immediately to Inverse’s request for comment.<doc-sep>The latest early-release version of iOS 12 was made available to developers today — but it disappeared shortly afterward. This afternoon’s release of iOS 12 beta 7 was met with widespread complaints that it runs slowly. Apple seems to have pulled the OTA version within an hour or so. iOS 12 beta 7 complaints galore This afternoon’s launch was quickly followed by posts on social media complaining of performance issues. “Ok, @Apple: The performance of #iOS12beta7 is INCREDIBLY laggy and bad. I don’t know why! Fix it, please!,” wrote a Twitter user calling himself Even Amandus. And mathieo wrote “There are 5 seconds lag on launching an app so annoying,” on the same platform. But not everyone experienced problems. “Seeing reports that #iOS12DevBeta7 has been pulled because of reports of sluggish/non-responsive devices. Not seeing any problems on my iPhone 8 Plus. Interesting,” wrote Twitter user Dox Vulpine. These are just some examples. Apple has to have received much more negative feedback before pulling the release. iOS 12 beta 7 only for developers This latest prerelease version was never made available to the public. It was only for those who have enrolled in the Apple Developer Program and payed a $99 annual feee. The most recent version of iOS available to the general public is beta 5, which was added to the Apple Beta Software Program last week. Beta 6 could be released to the public in a day or so. What happened today is a demonstration of why Apple releases new betas to developers at least a week before the general public can try them. Devs might be irritated by sluggish betas, but they are accustomed to such things. In contrast, a typical user who signed up for Apple’s beta program is likely to have a much stronger reaction to the performance of their iPhone or iPad becoming “incredibly laggy and bad.” At last report, devs who really want to try iOS 12 beta 7 can download it from Apple’s website. As mentioned, the over-the-air download isn’t available. It’s not known whether a tweaked version of this beta will reappear, or if it will be replaced with iOS 12 beta 8. This is the second piece of bad news for iOS 12 today. A few hours ago, Apple delayed the introduction of Group FaceTime, a signature feature of this new version, until later this fall.<doc-sep>
If you haven't updated to the new iOS 12 beta 7 on your iOS device as of yet, you may notice that the over-the-air update option is no longer available, and that's because Apple has pulled the download. Apple appears to have removed the beta 7 update because of performance issues. On the MacRumors forums, there are multiple reports of problems when tapping on an icon, which can result in a very noticeable pause before the app launches. As MacRumors reader OldSchoolMacGuy explains: I'm seeing apps take 10 seconds or more to launch on my X. Restarted and still seeing the same issue. Some users have said that the pausing issue disappeared for them after five or 10 minutes of using the iPhone, while others appear to be having continual problems. Prior to when Apple pulled the update, several MacRumors readers had warned other users against installing the update on their iPhones. There have also been reports of other issues, such as apps freezing, Notification Center freezing, Lock screen freezing, and in-app functions refusing to load. Apple was planning to release a public beta of iOS 12 today, but that may be delayed until these issues have been addressed in an updated release. iOS 12 beta 7 is a significant update because it removes the Group FaceTime feature that has been present in iOS 12 since launch. Apple now says Group FaceTime will launch in an update coming later this fall. Update: Apple has also removed the update from the Apple Developer Center.