iOS 12 public beta: The best features

The final version of iOS 12 isn't arriving until the fall, but a public beta is now here to try if you're curious. You don't need to install public betas on your phone, and we'd advise you not to (use a second device if you're curious), but here's what's new to try. Yes, Memoji! And there's more.

ARKit 2 enables all sorts of amazing things, but not without third-party apps (which won't get here until the fall). Meanwhile, there's just Apple's new Measure app.

Measure is an AR tape measure app. It's a lot like other apps that exist, but this one works pretty decently and is free.

Just keep in mind, AR measurements are often not precise.

Siri Shortcuts will eventually work with third-party apps and a future new app called Shortcuts that will program all sorts of voice-enabled workflows... like the Apple-acquired app Workflow. But that's not here yet.

Instead, you can play with shortcuts that might appear via Apple's first-party apps in Settings. These can be customized with new voice prompts, but that's about it for now.

Feeling addicted to your phone? Screen Time wants to help. It's inside Settings.

The new feature tracks usage across apps, and measures overall screen time.

Its settings can be used to try to control personal phone use, or limit kid screen time in an iCloud Family Sharing-linked account.

Downtime is a feature that aims to limit phone use during set periods, shutting down access to apps (it can be customized).

Launch an app, and you'll get this block. But you can override it by snoozing the alert, or turning it off. I'm not sure my willpower will be deterred.

Grayed-out apps during Downtime look like this.

Notification management is a lot better now. Similar app notifications can stack, and it's easy to tap to silence notifications from pings, but have them still appear on the lock screen.

If you have an iPhone X, you'll want to try Memoji. The make-your-own-Animoji avatar tool lives where Animoji already are: in the Messages app, or in FaceTime.

New Memoji can be made pretty quickly and added to the roster. Mine looks pretty familiar.

Or, go crazy (I have no idea what this is).

Four new Animoji are also on iOS 12. There's a dinosaur.

There's a ghost.

There's a koala.

There's a tiger.

You can do weirder photo and video effects, and put Animoji and Memoji on your head, but it's buried inside the Camera feature in Messages.

Pick from your Animoji/Memoji, and they'll automatically glom onto your head. (Why isn't this part of the basic Camera app?)

Here are a lot of photos of me putting Memoji and Animoji on my head.

My wife asked me what the point of this was, and I couldn't answer. But my kids were amused.

Group FaceTime, supporting up to 32 people, also works with Memoji-on-heads and Animoji-on-heads, which will clearly be the killer app. I haven't gotten to try that yet.

Pig-me.

Dragon-me.

Yes, Animoji will open their mouths (and stick out their tongues).