iOS 12 (codenamed Peace) is the twelfth version of iOS that was released on 17 September 2018. It was first announced at the WWDC keynote on 4 June 2018.
A new AR app called Measure was added. The app allows users to take measurements of real-life objects and includes level features that were previously in the Compass app.
Support for using Memoji and Animoji in FaceTime video calls was added.
Support for text and GIF effects in FaceTime video calls was added.
iOS 12.1 added support for FaceTime group calling which allows up to 32 people in a FaceTime conversation. The feature is only supported for video calls on devices with a A8X or A9 chip or later and is only supported for audio on iPhone 5S and later. The feature was later disabled in January 2019 due to a software bug. The feature would later be re-enabled on iOS 12.1.4.
Starting with this version of iOS, Apple began to rebuild the Maps app from the ground-up by relying on first-party data rather than using data provided by third-parties to allow for more accurate directions and predictions. The new Maps app was completely rolled out by the end of 2019.
The Photos app received a redesign with four new tabs, including "Photos," "For You," "Albums," and "Search."
The "For You" tab replaces the "Memories" tab and contains sharing recommendations, the ability to create short-length video collages, photo editing suggestions and featured photos from specific days.
The Search feature was enchanced with new AI and machine learning features which automatically shows photos by place and categories.
Notifications can now be turned off or delivered quitely to the Notification Center for a specific app by using the "Manage" button on the notification.
Screen Time was added which records the amount of time the user spent using the device. It records how long the user spent on particular apps and records the number of notifications received.
It also allows users to set time limits for apps and set other restrictions such as purchases and explict content. It replaces the Restrictions feature from previous iOS versions.
Support for pointer authentication was added (require devices with Apple A12 Bionic or A12X Bionic chips).
Many performance optimizations were made to speed up the performance of all common tasks across all devices.
ARKit 2 added the ability for users to share their view with other devices running iOS 12. Full 2D image tracking and the ability to detect 3D objects was added.
iOS 12.5 added the Exposure Notification API which was backported from iOS 13.5. It brings support for digital contact tracing.