Apple today seeded the fifth beta of an upcoming iOS 12 update to developers for testing purposes, two weeks after seeding the fourth beta and more than a month after introducing the new software at the Worldwide Developers Conference. Registered developers can download the new iOS 12 beta from Apple's Developer Center or over-the-air after installing the proper certificate. play iOS 12 introduces major updates to iOS, with Apple revamping the operating system from top to bottom to make iPhones and iPads, especially older models, faster and more responsive. On the iPhone X, there are new Animoji characters along with "Memoji," which are customizable, personalized Animoji that can be used both in Messages and in FaceTime. Messages and FaceTime have also gained fun new camera effects, and Group FaceTime support allows for audio/video calls with up to 32 people. Siri is smarter in iOS 12 with a new Shortcuts feature that lets you create multi-step custom automations using first and third-party apps that can be activated with Siri. Shortcuts can be created through the Shortcuts app, available as a beta from Apple's Developer Center. Apple built comprehensive time management and monitoring tools into iOS 12 with Screen Time, allowing you to keep track of just how much time you're spending on your iPhone and iPad. App limits can help you cut back on iOS device usage, and robust parental controls are included for families. Updated Do Not Disturb options make turning off notifications and distractions easier than ever, and a new Do Not Disturb at Bedtime feature cuts down on nighttime interruptions. Group Notifications make incoming notifications easier to view and manage, while a new Instant Tuning feature lets you tweak your notification settings right on the Lock screeen on a notification-by-notification basis. play Apple News has a new Browse feature, the Stocks app has been redesigned, iBooks has been overhauled with a new look and a new name -- Apple Books -- and Voice Memos has been revamped with iCloud support and an iPad app. ARKit 2.0 introduces new capabilities like shared experiences that let two people see the same AR environment on separate devices, and persistence, which allows AR experiences to be saved across multiple sessions. There's also a new Measure app for measuring objects using AR capabilities. iOS 12 includes a revamped and rebuilt Maps app that uses a new Apple-designed Maps engine that 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, plus it will enable Apple to push out changes and fixes more quickly. The revamped Maps app is available in the Northern California area during beta testing. After iOS 12 launches, Apple will continue rolling out the new maps to additional U.S. locations across late 2018 and 2019. Tons of other small tweaks and features have been added to iOS 12, so make sure to check out our dedicated roundup for additional detail on what's new in iOS 12. Early betas of new operating system updates always introduce tweaked features and new functionality, and we'll be outlining what's new in the fourth beta below. We also rounded up all of the changes that were introduced in the previous betas, beta 2 and beta 3, and beta 4. iOS 12 is available for developers and public beta testers, with a public launch planned for the fall alongside new iPhones. What's new in iOS 12 beta 5: According to Apple's release notes, the fifth beta of iOS 12 introduces some new bugs. - After restarting a device, paired Bluetooth accessories might not function correctly or might be displayed using the device's address instead of name. - Using Apple Pay Cash to send or request money via Siri might result in an error. - When using CarPlay, Siri can't open an app by name. Shortcuts that involve opening an app won't work, and Shortcuts that require confirmation might not work. - Some Shortcuts requests might not work. - When multiple ride-sharing apps are installed, Siri might open an app instead of providing an ETA or location when asked. Apple suggests asking again as a fix. - Users might not see custom UI when using Siri Suggestions Shortcuts with built-in intents. Several bugs have been addressed, including error messages in the App Store when attempting to install an app, an inaccurate cellular signal bar on iPhone X while on Lock screen or Home screen, a bug that caused Wallet to crash on launch, and a failure for Screen Time usage and data settings to sync between devices. Shortcuts will also mostly work in CarPlay now, and will be restored from iCloud backups. HomePod data found in iOS 12 seemingly confirms recent rumors that a HomePod software update set to be released alongside iOS 12 will allow the device to be used to make phone calls. As shared by 9to5Mac, a HomePod personal requests image says the HomePod can be used to send and read messages, add reminders, create notes, make phone calls, and more, with the portion about phone calls being new. Right now, you can make a phone call on the iPhone and transfer it to the HomePod to use the HomePod as a speakerphone, but you can't use the HomePod to place calls, something that appears to be changing following the update. Apple is testing new HomePod software internally, but it is not available for developers or public beta testers. Other changes in iOS 12 beta 5: Screen Time in the Settings app no longer lists family members who aren't children, and it needs to be reenabled after updating to the new beta.<doc-sep>Currently, if you want to use HomePod to make a phone call you have to either dial or answer a call on your iPhone, then select your HomePod as the audio output device for the call, you can’t initiate or answer a call using HomePod. Apple didn’t announce any new features for HomePod during its WWDC keynote this year, but the audio accessory is likely to gain some new features when iOS 12 is released to everyone in September. We’ve seen rumors that a private beta is being tested by corporate and retail employees and that it includes features such as multiple timers and making phone calls. Today, with the release of iOS 12 developer beta 5, we’ve been able to confirm at least one of those features. It’s not the first time we’ve been able to get a glimpse at future HomePod features through beta releases of iOS, as a previous release revealed that HomePod was about to get Calendar support. The personal requests setup UI for HomePod now includes a fourth icon, for the Phone app (the icon is blank in the screenshot because that app is not available in the simulator, where we’ve been able to activate this new UI). On the same screen, it describes some of the personal requests you can make to HomePod: “…add reminders, create notes, make phone calls, and more”. Since there’s no developer or public beta for HomePod, we can’t actually test the feature until the final release, but this is a very solid indication that this feature is definitely coming for HomePod with iOS 12. Subscribe to 9to5Mac on YouTube for more Apple news: FTC: We use income earning auto affiliate links. More. Check out 9to5Mac on YouTube for more Apple news:<doc-sep>
Earlier on Monday, Apple released the fifth beta of iOS 12 to developers. AppleInsider has been digging through this most recent release and we have assembled a long list of everything that has changed this time around. Of note this time around, the saturation on wallpapers have been increased, reversing a change we saw a few betas back that upset some users. We also have more splash screens and explainers being added, which will be helpful for those upgrading once iOS 12 is released and wondering what is new. The last big change is that it appears once iOS 12 finally launches in the fall, the Battery Health feature will be officially leaving beta. Battery Health was first added with iOS 11.3 to address the concerns of throttling on older devices with degraded batteries. It gave users the option of either throttling their devices or dealing with subpar performance and occasional restarts. Full list of changes Control Center controls are now darker Wallpaper saturation has increased Lyric Search explainer in Apple Music New splash screen for Photos app New icons for media type albums in Photos "Share Across Devices" toggle in Screen Time Use Screen Time passcode above toggle instead of towards bottom (similar location overall) Family members removed from Screen Time section (still under Apple ID > Family Sharing Apple Watch app third party data sources list is pared down Smaller text for clearing all notifications Battery Health lost beta designation Stock Widget size change When setting wallpaper on non-iPhone X, icon in Share Sheet has a ring around the Home button News app has updated icons (Thanks Gradly!) New hapitc feedback on iPhone X when all apps are closed in App Switcher (Thanks Daniel Halawi!) Includes new AirPods case imagery that appear to show off an upcoming design change, possibly the new Qi charging case FaceTime has new connecting/disconnecting tones iOS 12 beta 5 was released alongside the latest betas of watchOS 5, macOS Mojave, and tvOS 12. Apple is expected to release all of these updates this fall, most likely alongside new iPhones and iPads. Update: Apple's latest beta also tip the company's hand on future HomePod capabilities. As noted by 9to5Mac, today's beta confirms a future HomePod firmware update will bring phone call support to Apple's smart speaker. Modified text in HomePod's personal requests setup pane reads, "Allow anyone to use this HomePod to send and read messages, add reminders, create notes, make phone calls, and more with this iPhone when it is connected to the same Wi-Fi network." Previously, the pop-up window lacked language specifying access to an iPhone's telephone abilities. Today's finding provides confirmation of rumors last week claiming Apple is testing voice calls and other new features as part of a private firmware beta. According to reports, a future HomePod software update will allow users to place outbound calls, answer inbound calls, redial numbers, search call logs, perform emergency calls and to listen to voicemail.