What to expect from iOS 18

Apple’s latest update, iOS 18, promises to enhance the iPhone experience with new customization options, a major redesign of the Photos app, improved connectivity features, and the introduction of Apple Intelligence. Here’s what you can expect from iOS 18.

Enhanced customization and control
iOS 18 also brings significant customization capabilities to the Home Screen, Lock Screen, and Control Center. Users can now arrange apps and widgets freely, even placing them above the dock. App icons and widgets can also be customized with dark or tinted effects and resized for a tailored experience.

The redesigned Control Center offers easier access to frequently used controls and new levels of flexibility. Users can now add third-party app controls, customize the layout, and switch controls on the Lock Screen. In addition, the Action button on the iPhone 15 Pro models allows quick access to various controls.

Redesigned photos app
The Photos app undergoes its biggest redesign yet, making it easier to find and relive special moments. The app now features a unified view with a familiar grid and new collections that automatically organize photos by themes. Users can pin favorite collections for quick access and enjoy autoplaying content throughout the app.

A new customizable carousel view presents daily highlights featuring favorite people, pets, and places. The app’s layout can be personalized to suit individual preferences, making it easier to organize and access important photos and collections.

Improved connectivity with messages
iMessage introduces new text effects, allowing users to add dynamic, animated appearances to any letter, word, phrase, or emoji. Text formatting options like bold, underline, italics, and strikethrough help express tone better. Users can also schedule messages to send at a later time and enjoy expanded Tapback options.

Meanwhile, for times when cellular and Wi-Fi connections are unavailable, iOS 18 offers Messages via satellite. With this, users can send and receive texts, emoji, and Tapbacks over iMessage and SMS via satellite, with end-to-end encryption ensuring privacy.

Mail and Safari updates
Mail in iOS 18 also introduces on-device categorization, sorting incoming emails into Primary, Transactions, Updates, and Promotions. A new digest view compiles relevant emails from businesses for quick scanning.

Safari enhances web browsing with Highlights. This surfaces key information about webpages, and a redesigned Reader experience, offering summaries and tables of contents for longer articles.

Introducing the Passwords app
The new Passwords app builds on Keychain’s foundation, providing easy access to passwords, passkeys, Wi-Fi passwords, and verification codes. The app includes alerts for weak passwords and those involved in data breaches.

Privacy features and Apple Intelligence
iOS 18 delivers more control over privacy with locked and hidden apps, selective contact sharing, and seamless third-party accessory connections.

Apple Intelligence, deeply integrated into iOS 18, uses generative models and personal context to enhance writing, communication, and photo management. Systemwide Writing Tools offer rewriting, proofreading, and summarizing text capabilities. The Image Playground feature allows users to create playful images. Meanwhile, the new Clean Up tool can remove distracting objects from photos.

Additional features

• Apple Maps Enhancements: The latest update to Apple Maps includes the ability to browse thousands of hikes across national parks in the United States. Users can also create custom walking routes accessible offline and save favorite hikes and locations in a new Places Library, complete with personal notes.
• Game Mode: Designed for a smoother gaming experience, Game Mode provides more consistent frame rates during long play sessions and enhances responsiveness for wireless accessories like AirPods and game controllers.
• Apple Pay Updates: iOS 18 also introduces new ways to use Apple Pay, including redeeming rewards and accessing installment options for eligible credit or debit cards. The Tap to Cash feature allows users to send and receive Apple Cash by simply holding two iPhones together. Enhanced Tickets in Apple Wallet provide event details, recommended Apple Music playlists, and more.
• SharePlay with Apple Music: SharePlay now lets multiple users control music playing from HomePod, Apple TV, or any Bluetooth-enabled speaker, making group listening sessions more interactive and fun.
• AirPods Features: AirPods Pro (2nd generation) users benefit from Siri Interactions, which allow head gestures to respond to Siri announcements. Voice Isolation improves call quality in noisy environments, and Personalized Spatial Audio enhances gameplay immersion.
• Notes and Journal Improvements: The Notes app now instantly solves formulas and equations with Math Notes, while new collapsible sections and highlighting make important information stand out. In the Journal app, an insights view tracks journaling goals, with options to search, sort, and export entries. A Journal widget also enables quick entries from the Home Screen or Lock Screen, and audio recordings are automatically transcribed.
• Calendar and Health App Updates: The Calendar app integrates events and tasks from Reminders, allowing users to manage both from one place. The redesigned month view also provides an overview of events and tasks. On the other hand, the Health app, the redesigned Medical ID makes critical information easier to find during emergencies, and pregnancy adjustments help users track their health more accurately.
• Emergency SOS Live Video: This feature allows users to share live video or media with emergency dispatchers during calls, providing crucial context for faster assistance.
• Home App Enhancements: Meanwhile, the Home app introduces guest access for smart home accessories, hands-free unlock with home keys using Ultra Wideband technology, and updates to the Energy category for better home electricity management.
• Accessibility Updates: New options include Eye Tracking for navigating iPhone with just eyes, Music Haptics for experiencing music through vibrations, and Vocal Shortcuts for performing tasks with custom sounds.

Availability

The developer beta of iOS 18 is available now through the Apple Developer Program. Meanwhile, users can expect a public beta next month. The official release of iOS 18 is slated for this fall as a free software update for iPhone Xs and later models. Apple Intelligence features will be available in beta on select devices with U.S. English Siri and device language settings.

Source: Apple Newsroom