4 Better-Looking Selfies
There was no “beauty” filter in iOS 12, despite what angry internet commenters may have told you during the “Beautygate” controversy. On the other hand, Apple’s Smart HDR algorithm did feature some aggressive noise reduction.
That wasn’t a bug or a cover beauty filter, but it was something that was readily changeable if enough people weren’t happy with the results. Apple obviously took the outcry to heart, since it tweaked its Smart HDR algorithm in iOS 12.1 to lessen the effects of that noise reduction.