Feature Roundup: iOS 12 Now Live

The long-awaited update for iOS, iOS 12, has finally arrived! If you haven’t yet, you can download it now. And we highly advise it: it’s awesome! If you’ve already got the update and wondering what new features there are to play with, we’ve got a quick roundup for you. Here’s some of the coolest new features in iOS 12!

iOS 12 Feature Roundup

ARKit 2

The new implementation of augmented reality is all over iOS 12. Namely, ARKit 2, a new developer’s kit, has been activated in this version of iOS. It allows for things like messages and News to even implement AR! It seems Apple is convinced that AR is the future, and they’re really pushing for it to take off.

Photo Features

Photos will now attempt to perform more intelligently, thanks to AI-enhanced technology. Things like examining which shots look best and which look shareable will be sorted by your phone automatically. Also new to this iOS update is the photo search function, allowing you to sort your photos by tons of criteria. Things like date, location and more will be searchable!

Screen Time

A lot of phone makers are starting to make moves that they understand the dangers of tech addiction. After all, everyone could stand to spend less time on their phones. As such, initiatives like Screen Time are great to see! Apple’s Screen Time functionality allows you to monitor your app usage and see what you’re spending the most time on. That’s rather healthy, actually!

You’ll also be able to limit use of certain apps, having the iOS tell you when it’s time to quit. You can even set Do Not Disturb setting for certain times of day, or at certain locations.

Memoji

The new Memoji feature will allow you to create a custom Animoji that looks like you! It’s a fun use of the iPhone X’s Face ID technology. Tracking your face to create the moving emoji is a fun time-waster at worst, and a cute way to communicate at best!

Siri Shortcuts

Siri just got a bit more useful! The Siri Shortcuts feature allows you to program shortcuts into Siri. Creating shortcuts essentially allows Siri to perform a variety of functions from one keyed phrase. Setting up “take me home” could have Siri turn on your music and navigate to home, for instance. This works all the better with Apple’s iHome smart home tech!