Earlier on Monday, Apple released the sixth beta of iOS 12 to developers. We've had our heads down rooting through this latest update to see what has changed in this update. We are getting closer and closer to release, so the changes are getting more difficult to find, but there are still notable changes to talk about. In this beta, we saw new splash screens added to the Stocks app. Apple often adds these splash screens with major new updates to indoctrinate new users to the changes that were made in that particular app. They've been added in waves throughout the betas, but as we get closer to the actual release, more have been added. Other changes include new wallpapers in the Home app and a new AirPlay icon on the lock screen during playback to wireless headphones or speakers. Full list of changes (live updating) App Store splash screen iTunes Store splash screen Books splash screen (at least for us) TV app splash screen Music splash screen Reordered wallpapers Removed iOS 10 wallpaper New AirPlay icon on lock screen Bolder font in Maps Home app wallpapers removed New gradient color wallpapers in Home app Notification close button moved to the right in landscape mode The sixth developer beta of iOS 12 was released alongside the latest betas of watchOS 5, macOS Mojave, and tvOS 12. Check out what changed last time around in beta 5.<doc-sep>Apple today seeded the sixth beta of an upcoming iOS 12 update to developers for testing purposes, one week after seeding the fifth beta and over two months 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 the older models, faster and more responsive. On the iPhone X, there are new Animoji characters along with "Memoji," which are customizable, personalized, humanoid 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 video chats with up to 32 people. Siri is smarter in iOS 12 with a new Shortcuts feature that lets you create multi-step customized automations using first and third-party apps that can be activated with Siri voice commands. 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 how much time you're spending in apps 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 activating Do Not Disturb more intuitive and simple, and a new Do Not Disturb at Bedtime feature cuts down on nighttime distractions and sleep 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 screen on a notification-by-notification basis. play Apple News has a new Browse feature, the Stocks app has been redesigned and brought to the iPad, 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 Apple-built 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 updated 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, beta 4, and beta 5. 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 6: According to Apple, today's beta introduces new bugs and issues while solving some previous problems. The third-generation Apple TV might not function as a HomeKit hub in beta 6, and the Apple TV 4K might not appear as a HomeKit hub unless setup was completed using an iOS device. This can be fixed by adding the Apple TV to the home via Settings > AirPlay > Room. Settings might unexpectedly quit when viewing or selecting a voice in the Speech Accessibility options. Settings might unexpectedly quit when attempting to open Siri & Search settings if FaceTime, Mail, Maps, or Voice Memos have been uninstalled. If this is happening, Apple suggests installing the missing apps. When using certain shortcuts, Siri might not automatically open the app and will instead display an Open button. Multiple bugs from the prior beta have been fixed, including an issue with Bluetooth accessories not functioning correctly, a bug that could cause Apple Pay Cash to crash when used with Siri, a problem with Shortcuts not working, a bug that prevented Siri from opening apps by name in CarPlay, and more. The Home app also introduces new solid-colored background options while removing previously available Home wallpapers. Update: Apple has also made a new version of iOS 12 available for its public beta testing group.<doc-sep>Yesterday marked the release of the sixth developer beta for iOS 12. Is there anything new worthwhile to share? Watch our video walkthrough for the details. iOS 12 beta 6 changes and features covered: Home: 3 new stock gradient wallpapers Wallpaper rearranged, and iOS 10 wallpaper removed Updated AirPlay icon in Music Widget (CC and Lock Screen) New Photo Library icon in Messages camera Books: new splash screen Clock: bolder hands and slightly different orange tint Rounded picture-in-picture on iPad Video walkthrough Subscribe to 9to5Mac on YouTube for more videos Have a look at our other hands-on video walkthroughs to gain a full picture of what’s changed during this beta period: Found any other new noteworthy changes or features in this latest iOS 12 beta? Drop a note in the comments below with the details. FTC: We use income earning auto affiliate links. More. Check out 9to5Mac on YouTube for more Apple news:<doc-sep>The wait for a new pre-release version of iOS 12 is over: the sixth beta can be downloaded now by anyone who wants to try it. The markup tools have been greatly enhanced. Sadly, the other major change is the removal of Group FaceTime. The iOS includes a set of drawing tools for marking up images, adding sketches in the Notes app, and more. With beta 6, these tools have new features. A new pop-up window for each of the drawing instruments allows the user to choose how thick each line should be, and a slider controls color intensity. This change adds weight to the rumors that some of the 2018 iPhone models will have support for Apple Pencil. No Group FaceTime Developers got access to beta 6 early last week. At that time, it still had Group FaceTime. The decision to hold back the release was made just a few days ago, and this is the first public beta version without it. Apple hasn’t given a reason why it delayed this feature, but people who tested the beta version found it very unstable. It’s likely the company decided it could clean up the code before the release of iOS 12, which is expected next month. iOS 12 Public beta 6 isn’t the newest Anyone who wants to sign up for the Apple Beta Software Program can do so. There’s no charge, and it brings early access to iOS (and macOS) versions. Apple recently said that millions of people have already signed up. Aside from the removal of Apple’s group chat feature, this is essentially the same beta as developers began testing last week. Those who are part of the Apple Developer Program, and paid a $99 annual fee, don’t have to settle for the sixth beta. They can can download iOS 12 beta 8. New features in iOS 12 Our video preview of the next iOS version gives an overview of what’s coming to your iPhone or iPad: A highlight is an increase in speed. Aside from the flawed seventh beta, tests show that the pre-release versions are already faster than iOS 11. With Siri Shortcuts, an iPhone or iPad can perform complex actions with simple voice commands. iOS 12 also includes Memoji, personalized and animated versions of emoji. The end of beta testing and the full release is expected to happen in September, alongside the introduction of the 2018 iPhone models.<doc-sep>
(Update: Now available!) Prepare your iPhones and iPads for iOS 12 beta 6! iOS 12 betas have been released roughly every two weeks so far this summer, but today we expect to see the sixth developer beta version of iOS 12 released just one week after the previous version. We’ll update as soon as the new beta version is live and start digging in for changes. New in iOS 12 iOS 12 includes several significant changes for iPhone and iPad including performance improvements, especially on older devices; ARKit 2.0 with shared experiences; refined search and sharing in Photos; more Siri access in third-party apps and Siri Shortcuts based on Workflow; updates to Stocks, Voice Memos, Apple Books, and Apple News; use management features including updates to Do Not Disturb, more manageable notifications, and Screen Time parental controls; Memoji in Messages; FaceTime between up to 32 users; and much more. We also saw several changes in betas 2 through 4 including: Podcasts app now shows Now Playing indicator on currently playing chapters (chapter support is new to iOS 12) New splash screen for updated Voice Memos app New splash screen for Screen Time in Settings, includes Down Time walkthrough for parents New arrow launcher for Shortcuts in Spotlight iPhone-only apps on iPad now use iPhone 6 version, not iPhone 4 version (…Instagram…) Softer location icon in status bar Time Travel references removed from Watch app –> Clock Clear All Notifications now has a springy animation Can now swipe to clear alerts in one swipe (like iOS 11) Apple Watch Face Gallery now only highlights new Siri watch face updates (previously showed watchOS 4 faces) Voice Memos for iPad redesigned FaceTime effect picker tweaked CarPlay appears to be fixed when using side and backup cameras Watch app now shows third party apps that work with Siri watch face 11 Activity app stickers that animate and do not require Special Challenge to unlock iOS automatic updates suggested during setup Even more new Activity stickers in Messages Setting wallpaper with a photo now resolved, couldn’t reposition before Cellular usage now organized by highest amount of data usage, not alphabetical Activity app has tweaked icons for workouts Tweaked disclosure icon on passes in Wallet (i → …) 1x/2x for iPhone apps on iPad now has expand arrows instead Animoji gains more lip style choices, ear ring colors now have shine Battery Health no longer labeled beta Screen Time presentation improved Splash screen for Photos features Lyrics search in Apple Music now promoted in Search FaceTime has new tones when connecting and disconnecting from a call For a comprehensive look at all of the changes in the first iOS 12 betas, sit back and watch Jeff Benjamin’s 35 minute long look at 100 new features in iOS 12 on YouTube.com/9to5Mac: New in beta 6? Default iOS 10 wallpaper removed (greenish-blue waves), wallpaper sorting order changed Home app removes existing wallpapers, now includes three color options Music app has a new splash screen promoting music video features Tweaked AirPlay icon on lock screen Photo library access button in Camera app in Messages Volume buttons in Messages camera now take photo Nice new splash screen for Apple Books Refresh for updates! We will be updating our iPhones and iPads and digging in as soon as the new version is released. Also share tips at tips@9to5mac or zac@9to5mac.com and on Twitter @9to5mac and @apollozac. FTC: We use income earning auto affiliate links. More. Check out 9to5Mac on YouTube for more Apple news: