iOS 12 facts for kids

Kids Encyclopedia Facts

iOS 12
Support status
Version of the iOS operating system

iOS 12 home screen on an iPhone XS Max
Developer	Apple
Source model	Closed-source with open source components
Initial release	September 17, 2018; 6 years ago (2018-09-17)
Latest release	12.5.7 (January 23, 2023; 2 years ago (2023-01-23))
Repository	Lua error in Module:EditAtWikidata at line 29: attempt to index field 'wikibase' (a nil value).
Marketing target	Smartphones, tablets and digital media players
Update method	OTA updates, iTunes
Package manager	App Store
Kernel type	Hybrid (XNU)
License	Proprietary software with open-source components
Preceded by	iOS 11
Succeeded by	iOS 13 (iPhones and 7th generation iPod touch) iPadOS 13 (iPads)
Tagline	More power to you.
Obsolete, unsupported

iOS 12 was a big update for the iOS mobile operating system made by Apple. It looked a lot like the version before it, iOS 11, but its main goal was to make iPhones and iPads run much faster and smoother. It also brought some cool new features and important security updates.

Apple first showed off iOS 12 on June 4, 2018, at their Worldwide Developers Conference. It was then released to everyone on September 17, 2018. Later, iOS 13 took its place for iPhones and iPod Touch devices, and iPadOS 13 became the new system for iPads. Even after newer versions came out, Apple kept sending security updates for iOS 12 for devices that couldn't run the newer systems. The very last update for iOS 12 was released on January 23, 2023.

What's New in iOS 12?

iOS 12 was first shown to the public by Craig Federighi at Apple's big event on June 4, 2018. The first test version for app makers came out right after that, and a public test version was available on June 25, 2018. The official version 12.0 was released on September 17, 2018.

Faster Performance

One of the biggest improvements in iOS 12 was how much faster it made older devices. Apple worked hard to speed up everyday tasks. For example, on an iPhone 6 Plus, apps opened 40% faster, the keyboard appeared 50% faster, and the camera opened 70% faster compared to iOS 11. This made older iPhones feel new again!

Screen Time

The Screen Time usage information screen in iOS 12 on an iPhone X

Screen Time is a new feature that helps you understand how much time you spend on your device. It shows you:

How long you use your device each day.
Which apps you use the most.
How many notifications you get.

You can also use Screen Time to set limits on how long you use certain apps or types of apps, like games. It can also help you block purchases or content that isn't right for you. Adults can use it to manage their own screen time too! You can set a passcode to make sure limits aren't easily changed.

This feature was added after some investors asked Apple to help users manage their screen time better, especially for younger people. Even Apple's CEO, Tim Cook, said he was spending too much time on his phone!

Shortcuts App

iOS 12 brought a special app called Shortcuts. This app lets you create automated actions for Siri. You can make a special phrase and tell Siri what to do when you say it. For example, you could say "Good morning" and Siri could then play your favorite music, tell you the weather, and start your coffee maker (if it's a smart one!). This app replaced an older app called Workflow that Apple had bought.

ARKit 2 for Augmented Reality

Augmented reality (AR) lets you see digital things mixed with the real world through your phone's camera. ARKit 2 made AR even better. Now, multiple people with iOS 12 devices could share the same AR view. It also got better at recognizing 2D images and even 3D objects in the real world.

CarPlay Updates

CarPlay is Apple's system for using your iPhone safely in your car. With iOS 12, CarPlay started supporting navigation apps made by other companies, like Waze and Google Maps. This gave drivers more choices for getting directions.

iPad Improvements

For iPads, iOS 12 brought some useful changes:

The Voice Memos and Stocks apps, which were already on iPhones, became available on iPads.
The Control Center (where you quickly change settings) was separated from the app switcher. You could open it by swiping down from the top right corner.
iPads also got new gestures, similar to those on the iPhone X, making them easier to navigate without a home button.

Keyboard and App Switcher

On iPhones without 3D Touch, you could now long-press the space bar to turn the keyboard into a trackpad. This made it easier to move the cursor precisely when typing.

For iPhones like the iPhone X that use gestures instead of a home button, closing apps became simpler. You could just swipe up from the bottom of the screen in the app switcher to force quit an app, without needing to press and hold first.

Exposure Notification API

In December 2020, Apple released iOS 12.5, which included the Exposure Notification API. This was a system developed with Google to help with digital contact tracing during the COVID-19 pandemic. It allowed apps to help people know if they had been near someone who tested positive for COVID-19, while still protecting their privacy.

App Features

Messages and FaceTime

The Messages app got more fun with iOS 12. You could create "Memoji," which are like personalized Animoji that look like you! Apple also added new Animoji characters like a koala, tiger, ghost, and T-Rex. Plus, there were new text and GIF effects to make your messages more exciting.

FaceTime also got these new Animoji and Memoji features, along with the fun text and GIF effects. Later, iOS 12.1 added the ability to have Group FaceTime calls with up to 32 people! However, this feature had a temporary bug that allowed people to hear others before they answered, which Apple quickly fixed.

Measure App

The new Measure app uses augmented reality to let you measure real objects with your iPhone or iPad camera. It also works as a digital level, which used to be part of the Compass app.

Photos App Redesign

The Photos app got a fresh new look with four main sections: "Photos," "For You," "Albums," and "Search."

The "For You" tab replaced the old "Memories" section. It gives you sharing suggestions, creates short video collages, offers photo editing tips, and shows you featured photos from specific days.
The "Search" tab became much smarter, using Artificial Intelligence to help you find photos by location or by categories like animals, cars, or other objects.

Smarter Notifications

Notifications became much easier to manage in iOS 12. They were grouped together by app, so your screen wasn't cluttered with many separate alerts. You could also tap a "manage" button right from the Notification Center to turn off notifications for an app or have them delivered "quietly" without making a sound or appearing on your lock screen.

Do Not Disturb Options

The Do Not Disturb feature, which silences notifications, got more options. You could set it to hide notifications for a certain amount of time (like 1 hour), until a specific time of day, until you left a certain location, or until a scheduled event in your Calendar ended.

Apple Books

The iBooks app was renamed Apple Books and got a new design. It had five new sections: "Reading Now," "Library," "Book Store," "Audio Books," and "Search." The new design was praised for being simple and easy to use, making it easier to find and read your books.

Safari Browser

The Safari web browser got an update to its Intelligent Tracking Prevention. This feature helps protect your privacy by making it harder for websites to track you across the internet. It also added a way to disable social media "like" and "share" buttons that might track your activity.

Maps App Improvements

Apple Maps started a big project to rebuild its map data from scratch, using its own information instead of relying on other companies. This aimed to provide more accurate directions and better predictions for the fastest routes. The new maps were rolled out gradually across the US.

Known Issues

FaceTime Eavesdropping Bug

A serious bug was found in some versions of iOS 12 (12.1 to 12.1.3) that affected Group FaceTime. This bug allowed someone calling you to hear audio from your phone before you even answered the call. Apple quickly fixed this issue in iOS 12.1.4.

Supported Devices

A great thing about iOS 12 was that it supported all the same devices as iOS 11. This meant that even older iPhones and iPads could get the new features and performance boosts. However, some older devices, like the iPhone 5s, iPhone 6, iPad Air (1st generation), and iPad Mini 2, had slightly limited support for some of the newest features.

iPhones

iPod Touch

iPod Touch (6th generation)
iPod Touch (7th generation)

iPads

iPad Air (1st generation)
iPad Air 2
iPad Air (3rd generation)
iPad (5th generation)
iPad (6th generation)
iPad Mini 2
iPad Mini 3
iPad Mini 4
iPad Mini (5th generation)
iPad Pro (9.7-inch)
iPad Pro (10.5-inch)
iPad Pro (11-inch, 1st generation)
iPad Pro (12.9-inch, 1st generation)
iPad Pro (12.9-inch, 2nd generation)
iPad Pro (12.9-inch, 3rd generation)

Images for kids

The Screen Time usage information screen in iOS 12 on an iPhone X