iOS 12 Launch Day: How To Install, Biggest New Features In iPhone Update

It's September, which means there is a new version of Apple’s iOS coming to iPhones and iPads to coincide with a new hardware launch. Apple’s annual release tradition continued on Monday, as the global tech giant began rolling out iOS 12 to customers with compatible devices.

By the end of the day Monday, users should be able to install iOS 12 by going to the Settings menu in their iPhones or iPads. From there, they can go to the General tab and then the Software Update tab. When iOS 12 is available, users should be given the option to install it from that menu.

Apple typically starts rolling out the update during the late morning on the West Coast or early afternoon on the east coast, per 9to5Mac. For iPhones, everything from the 5s to the three new models that will launch over the course of the next month will support iOS 12. The iPad mini 2 is the oldest iPad that will support the update, per Apple.

Like every new iOS release, 12 comes with a host of supposed improvements and new features that will only be available to users if they install the update. Apple’s website promised faster performance all around, including quicker app launching and more responsive typing on an improved keyboard.

One of the big new selling points for iOS 12 is the addition of group video calls through FaceTime. The video calling feature previously only supported one-on-one calls, but as of Monday, users will be able to pack 32 friends into a single call. Those group calls will include Animoji and video filters, too.

Siri shortcuts, new multiplayer augmented reality experiences and grouped push notifications are a few of the other improvements coming to iOS 12. The new “Screen Time” feature will also let users set time limits for themselves or their kids, to avoid spending too much of their days staring at their phones.

The newest version of iOS will roll out just a few days before Apple launches the iPhone XS and XS Max models. The new phones, which both cost at least $1,000, will launch on Sept. 21 and will take advantage of iOS 12’s enhancements. The iPhone XR will be slightly more affordable at $749 when it launches on Oct. 26. It, too, will work with iOS 12.