What's New in iOS 12 Beta 2: Screen Time Updates, Battery Usage Tweaks and More

Apple this morning released the second beta of iOS 12 to developers, and as expected, there are tweaks and changes to many of the new features introduced in iOS 12.

Changes to Screen Time include new options to sort by device and view additional details on a per app basis, while tweaks made to Battery Usage make it easier to see which apps are eating up battery. There are several other smaller changes in iOS 12 beta 2, which we've listed below.

- Battery Usage - The charts for activity and battery level for the last 24 hours have been redesigned in iOS 12 beta 2, and some of the wording has been updated in this section.

ios12b2batterycharts
- Screen Time - Apple has removed a toggle for clearing Screen Time data, and the interface for adding time limits to apps from the main Screen Time screen has been tweaked. In the first beta, when you tapped an app it went right into the limits interface, but now tapping on an app displays more info on the app, including daily average use, developer, category, and more, and lets you tap to set a limit. There's also a new splash screen when opening Screen Time for the first time.

screentimemoreappinfo
- Screen Time By Device - There's now an option to view activity on a single device or all devices.

screentimebydevice
- Notifications - There's a new toggle in the Notifications section of the Settings app that allows you to toggle off Siri Suggestions for individual apps. In iOS 12, Siri makes suggestions about limiting the notifications you receive from apps that aren't often used.

- Password AutoFill - There's a new interface for autofilling a password saved in iCloud Keychain.

twitterpasswordautofill
- Voice Memos - There's a new introductory splash screen for Voice Memos in iOS 12 beta 2.

- Face ID - When unlocking content using Face ID, the iPhone X now says "Scanning with Face ID."

- Photos - The text size for the "Media Types" and "Albums" listings in the Photos app is now much bigger, making it easier to read.

- Photos Search - In iOS 12 beta 2, Photos appears to support more advanced searches. For example, if you search for a specific date like July 10, it will show all photos from all years taken on July 10. This is different than the behavior in iOS 12 beta 1.

- iPhone apps on iPad - When you open iPhone apps on the iPad, like Instagram, they're now displayed in a modern device size (iPhone 6) in both 1x and 2x mode.

ios12ipadiphoneappsize
There are also multiple known issues in the second developer beta of iOS 12, with full details available from Apple's developer site. We've listed a handful of the more prominent problems users might run into:

  • The Weather widget is not functional.
  • Universal Links might not open the expected target app.
  • Netflix might unexpectedly quit when downloading a video.
  • Twitter might display a blank login screen.
  • Playback might not pause when one AirPod is removed from your ears.
  • CarPlay might not connect to certain vehicles.
  • Group FaceTime calls can't be initiated between iOS 12 beta 2 and iOS 12 beta 1. FaceTime calls may also be interrupted by a poor connection message, and FaceTime might unexpectedly quit.
  • Screen Time must be re-enabled after installing iOS 12 beta 2, and all Screen Time settings are reset after updating.
  • Voice Memos might not sync between devices even when iCloud syncing is enabled.

iOS 12 is limited to developers at the current time, but Apple has promised a public beta for its public beta testing group before the end of June, so we could be seeing a public beta as soon as later this week.

Related Forum: iOS 12

Popular Stories

Generic iOS 19 Feature Mock Light

iOS 19 Leak Reveals All-New Design

Friday January 17, 2025 2:42 pm PST by
iOS 19 is still around six months away from being announced, but a new leak has allegedly revealed a completely redesigned Camera app. Based on footage it obtained, YouTube channel Front Page Tech shared a video showing what the new Camera app will apparently look like, with the key change being translucent menus for camera controls. Overall, the design of these menus looks similar to...
2024 iPhone Boxes Feature

Apple Changes Trade-In Values for iPhones, iPads, Macs, and More

Thursday January 16, 2025 6:45 am PST by
Apple today adjusted estimated trade-in values for select iPhone, iPad, Mac, and Apple Watch models in the U.S., according to its website. Some values increased, while others decreased. The changes were not too significant, with most values rising or dropping by $5 to $50. We have outlined some examples below: Device New Value Old Value iPhone 15 Pro Max Up to $630 U ...
2024 App Store Awards

Apple Explains Why It Removed TikTok From the App Store in the U.S.

Sunday January 19, 2025 6:58 am PST by
Apple on late Saturday removed TikTok from the App Store in the U.S., and it has now explained why it was required to take this action. Last year, the U.S. passed a law that required Chinese company ByteDance to divest its ownership of TikTok due to potential national security risks, or else the platform would be banned. That law went into effect today, and companies like Apple and Google...
Generic iOS 18

Everything New in iOS 18.3 Beta 3

Thursday January 16, 2025 12:39 pm PST by
Apple provided the third beta of iOS 18.3 to developers today, and while the betas have so far been light on new features, the third beta makes some major changes to Notification Summaries and also tweaks a few other features. Notification Summary Changes Apple made multiple changes to Notification Summaries in response to complaints about inaccurate summaries of news headlines. For...
iOS 19 Roundup Feature

iOS 19 Rumored to Be Compatible With These iPhones

Saturday January 18, 2025 10:28 am PST by
iOS 19 will not drop support for any iPhone models, according to French website iPhoneSoft.fr. The report cited a source who said iOS 19 will be compatible with any iPhone that can run iOS 18, which would mean the following models: iPhone 16 iPhone 16 Plus iPhone 16 Pro iPhone 16 Pro Max iPhone 15 iPhone 15 Plus iPhone 15 Pro iPhone 15 Pro Max iPhone 14 iPhon...
iPad Pro vs iPhone 17 Air Feature

Here's How Thin the iPhone 17 Air Might Be

Friday January 17, 2025 3:38 pm PST by
For the last several months, we've been hearing rumors about a redesigned version of the iPhone 17 that Apple might call the iPhone 17 "Air," or something along those lines. It's going to replace the iPhone 17 Plus as Apple's fourth iPhone option, and it will be offered alongside the iPhone 17, iPhone 17 Pro, and iPhone 17 Pro Max. We know the iPhone 17 Air is going to be super slim, but...
airtag 4 pack blue

AirTag 2 Launching This Year With These 3 New Features

Sunday January 19, 2025 8:11 am PST by
After a four-year wait, a new AirTag is finally expected to launch in 2025. Below, we recap rumored upgrades for the accessory. A few months ago, Bloomberg's Mark Gurman said Apple was aiming to release the AirTag 2 around the middle of 2025. While he did not offer a more specific timeframe, that means the AirTag 2 could be announced by the end of June. The original AirTag was announced...
apple power beats pro 2

Powerbeats Pro 2 Coming Soon: Apple to Announce Them 'Imminently'

Sunday January 19, 2025 8:25 am PST by
In September, Apple said that it would be launching Powerbeats Pro 2 in 2025, and it appears the wireless earbuds are coming very soon. Powerbeats Pro 2 images found in iOS 18 code In his Power On newsletter today, Bloomberg's Mark Gurman said the Powerbeats Pro 2 are "due imminently." In addition to Apple filing the Powerbeats Pro 2 in regulatory databases last month, Gurman said Apple is...

Top Rated Comments

izyreal Avatar
86 months ago
But did they fix the stupid volume setting screen hog?

Attachment Image
Score: 9 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Exxhara Avatar
86 months ago
I'm so ready for iOS 12 in the fall! It'll be lit! Can't wait for the new emoji too :)
Score: 8 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Textime Avatar
86 months ago
Did they fix the GPS issue?
Score: 5 Votes (Like | Disagree)
macfacts Avatar
86 months ago
How do we have battery usage over 100%?
I mean, why is it necessary to show the vertical axis ranging from 100% to 150%?
If the iPhone lasts 10 hrs of non stop usage and I recharge it for 4 hrs and then use it non stop for another 10 hrs, that's 200% usage in one day.
Score: 5 Votes (Like | Disagree)
chrisbrummel Avatar
86 months ago
They also seemed to indicate that Airplay 2 support for Airport Express is imminent: https://www.reddit.com/r/HomeKit/comments/8sb69n/airport_express_airplay_2_ios12_beta_2/

If they’re bothering to update the copy, that signals their intent.
Score: 5 Votes (Like | Disagree)
OldSchoolMacGuy Avatar
86 months ago
How can I become a developer to try the betas. I can't wait until the fall. Thanks.
You need to pay $99 a year to gain developer access. And be aware that you will have to deal with lots of bugs and other issues. Many apps won't work or will crash frequently. That's all just part of being a developer and using beta software.

You can also wait until the end of this month and sign up for the public beta program. They get access later than developers but it's free. Keep in mind you will still have to deal with frequent crashes, bugs, battery drain, non-working apps and other issues that are just part of a beta.

https://beta.apple.com/sp/betaprogram/
Score: 5 Votes (Like | Disagree)