Apple Seeds First Beta of iOS 12.1 to Public Beta Testers With Group FaceTime

Apple today seeded the first beta of an upcoming iOS 12.1 update to its public beta testing group, two days after releasing the beta to developers and three days after the launch of iOS 12, a new major version of the iOS software.

Beta testers who have signed up for Apple's beta testing program will receive the iOS 12 beta update over-the-air after installing the proper certificate on an iOS device.

groupfacetime
Those who want to join the beta testing program can sign up on Apple's beta testing website, which gives users access to iOS, macOS, and tvOS betas.

The iOS 12.1 update reintroduces Group FaceTime, a major iOS 12 feature that was pulled during the beta testing period because it needed more work. Apple promised to deliver the feature in an upcoming update, which looks like it will be iOS 12.1.


Group FaceTime is designed to let you audio or video chat with up to 32 people at one time on an iPhone, iPad, or Mac. Calls can also be answered in an audio-only capacity using an Apple Watch or the HomePod.

There are other features that Apple has said are coming in future betas, including eSIM support and the ECG functionality and app, but those do not appear to be present in iOS 12.1, nor do new emojis that have been promised for the fall.

Related Forum: iOS 12

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Top Rated Comments

agsystems Avatar
84 months ago
not liking the buried of the flip camera option when it was only a tap away
Score: 10 Votes (Like | Disagree)
now i see it Avatar
84 months ago
Embrace the future



Attachment Image
Score: 9 Votes (Like | Disagree)
nwcs Avatar
84 months ago
Embrace the future

If people were given a chance to live their whole lives in a holodeck I bet quite a few people would.
Score: 6 Votes (Like | Disagree)
sbailey4 Avatar
84 months ago
What are the hardware requirements for this? Will my 6+ be able to run it? If not, what about my wife's 8+?
Yes all the way back to 5s can run iOS 12.
Score: 2 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Rudy69 Avatar
84 months ago
Unexpected.
How so? The developers got it 2 days ago so that sounds about right
Score: 1 Votes (Like | Disagree)
coolfactor Avatar
84 months ago
not liking the buried of the flip camera option when it was only a tap away
There's several strange design decision in iOS 12. Not sure how this stuff makes it past executive reviews. Maybe those people are clueless?

In Messages, when in a conversation, the recipient's name appears at the top, as before, but now instead iof an (i) button, they changed it to a right-pointing arrow >.

FirstName LastName >

Tapping this expands the panel *down* with three abnormally small icons+text. The font size is small... feels wrong.

Hello Apple... a right-pointing arrow should take me on the right, as it's always done!
Score: 1 Votes (Like | Disagree)