Apple iOS 12 Beta 5: New Features, Changes And Issues

Apple rolled out earlier on Monday the fifth beta of iOS 12 to developers. From the looks of things, the new pre-release version only comes with a few changes and addresses a number of previously uncovered issues. However, it also brings in several new issues.

Based on the changelog that was shared online by MacRumors Forums user Banglazed, iOS 12 beta 5 enhances FaceTime by adding accepting and ending sounds to the videotelephony feature. Another change here is the surprising removal of Battery Health, which was supposed to monitor and control performance management of an iOS device.

Other changes present in the fifth beta are very minimal. For instance, AppleInsider noticed that the control center now has a darker shade in beta 5. Alongside this is the improvement on the saturation of the control center’s background.

Beta 5 also tweaked the Apple Music app. Inside the app, users can now find a new box that says, “New in Apple Music: Search by Lyrics.” This option makes it easy for users to look for the lyrics of a song. All they need to do is key in a few words from a song, and the feature will do the rest.

The Photos app now has a new splash screen that lists upcoming features, including Personalized For You, Share Your Moments and A Smarter Way to Search. The albums tab has also been enhanced with new media type icons, making it easier for users to find what they are looking for.

As for bug fixes, iOS 12 beta 5 repairs the error message that appears on the App Store while attempting to install an app. It also fixes cellular data issues and the screen time problem that caused devices to not sync properly. Some Siri issues found in the previous beta are no longer present.

Unfortunately, the latest beta build of iOS 12 contains a lot of new issues that will hopefully be addressed by the next beta version. They are all listed below:

New Issues

• After restarting your device, paired Bluetooth accessories might not function correctly or might be displayed using the device’s address rather than its name
• Siri - Using Apple Pay Cash to send or request money might produce an error
• While using CarPlay, Siri is unable to open an app by name. Additionally, Shortcuts which involve opening an app won’t function
• Some Shortcuts requests might not succeed and display "Shortcuts will continue with your request". If your app sends a ContinueInApp response code, Siri does’t launch the app
• While multiple ride-sharing apps are installed, Siri might open the app instead of providing an ETA or location when asked
• Users might not see custom UI when using Siri Suggestions Shortcuts with built-in intents
• While using CarPlay, Shortcuts which require confirmation might not work

Remaining Issues

• HomeKit - Inviting iOS 11 users who have multiple email addresses associated with their Apple ID to a home might not succeed
• Localization - Certain languages may exhibit clipped or misaligned layout and unlocalized text
• Group FaceTime calls cannot be initiated between iOS 12 beta 3 and the first iOS 12 beta release
• iPod touch (6th generation), iPhone 5s, iPhone 6, iPhone 6 Plus, iPad mini 2, iPad mini 3, and iPad Air support only audio (no video) during Group FaceTime calls in iOS 12 beta
• In iOS 12 beta, Camera Effects in Messages is available only on iPhone SE and iPhone 6s or later and is unavailable on iPad. Camera Effects in FaceTime is available only on iPhone 7 or later and is unavailable on iPad
• Wi-Fi calls might end unexpectedly when transitioning from Wi-Fi to cellular while on the T-Mobile network
• Screen Time - “Picked Up Phone” statistics might be inflated due to data syncing from other devices signed into the same iCloud account
• Siri Shortcuts might not work if a device is locked