Apple’s WWDC keynote always comes with exciting news, like 2018’s release of the iOS 12 beta.
Early adopters are likely wondering how to get the iOS 12 beta on their iPhones or iPads, and for those willing to take the risk that comes with a beta it will be available at this link.
If you’ve never installed an iOS beta on your Apple device you’ll need to take a few steps first, like enrolling your device and installing a beta profile. Apple’s beta enrollment website walks you through all the steps, and don’t worry–it’s simple.
SEE: Hiring kit: iOS developer (Tech Pro Research)
iOS 12 is slated for an official release in late 2018. If you download the beta version, your device will automatically update to the public release once it’s available.
The public beta, released on June 25, 2018, offers a great opportunity for companies to take an early look at the changes to come with iOS 12 and how their apps and products will look once the latest version of Apple’s mobile OS is released.
Here are the steps to install the beta for iOS 12:
- Go to beta.apple.com and sign up for the Apple Beta Software Program.
- On the iOS device where you want to install the beta, run a backup using iTunes or iCloud.
- From Safari on your iOS device, go to beta.apple.com/profile and sign into your Apple account.
- Click the Download Profile button and when the dialog box for the iOS Beta Software Profile pops up, click Install.
- Plug in your device to a power source.
- Go to General | Software Update and you’ll see an option for the iOS 12 Public beta. Click Download and Install.
- Follow the prompts after the installation and start putting iOS 12 through its paces.
Before you put iOS 12 on a device, keep in mind that the beta isn’t finished, and it still has bugs. So, don’t install it on a work device or one that has critical data on it. Instead, install it on a test device or older iPhone.
SEE: The 10 most important iPhone apps of all time (Download.com)
Device-wise, iOS 12 will work with all devices compatible with iOS 11. The following devices are compatible with iOS 12:
- 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
Of course, iOS 12 is known for its new Memoji feature, but it also adds functionality for group FaceTime, ringless notifications, additional battery usage information, and screen time limiting. Augmented reality (AR) will be a major part of the iOS software moving forward, with major updates also coming to Apple’s ARKit and the launch of the USDZ file format. Faster app launches and faster swipes to the camera are also nice updates with this iOS release.
Testing the beta is important for developers who will be building apps on it and for IT professionals who have to ensure that their company’s software and processes will work on the latest iOS update when it arrives this fall. Enterprise developers should pay special attention to the Siri Shortcuts API, new privacy and security features, new camera and Photos tools, and notification updates.
An update about Group FaceTime
ZDNet contributing writer Jason Cipriani on Aug. 13, 2018 reported that, with the release of the seventh iOS 12 beta, Apple has removed the Group FaceTime feature. He wrote that “According to 9to5Mac, the removal was mentioned in the latest release notes: Group FaceTime has been removed from the initial release of iOS 12 and will ship in a future software update later this fall.”
Group FaceTime was also removed in the seventh beta of macOS Mojave.
