Apple, during its WWDC 24 keynote, has officially announced iOS 18, the latest version of its iPhone operating system. Along with it are a slew of new features and updates, including those utilising the company’s new machine learning system, dubbed as Apple Intelligence (or AI for short).
One of the standout changes on iOS 18 is the new home screen customisation options. Users can now theme their app icons, place them anywhere on the screen, and automatically tint them to match Dark Mode. This provides a more personalised and flexible user experience.
The Control Center in iOS 18 has been revamped with a multi-page layout and a new “Controls Gallery.” This gallery allows third-party developers to offer widgets for the Control Center, enhancing its functionality. Users can also swap the new controls onto the lock screen, replacing the flashlight and camera icons, offering more customisation options.
Security has also been enhanced with iOS 18, which now supports locking individual apps behind Face ID. This ensures that sensitive information within apps remains protected, even if the phone is shared with others.
The Messages app has received several updates. Tapbacks have been redesigned to allow users to react with any emoji or sticker, rather than being limited to a few options. The app now supports scheduled send, text effects, and text formatting options like underline and strikethrough.
The Mail app has been improved with automatic categorization that is handled completely on the device, enhancing privacy and efficiency. Apple Maps has also been upgraded, adding detailed topographic maps and offline support, making navigation more reliable in remote areas.
Apple Wallet now includes Tap to Pay for Apple Cash, a new Apple Pay Online platform, and improved support for event tickets. The Tap to Cash feature allows users to send money to friends instantly by bringing their phones close together, similar to AirDrop. Other enhancements to Apple Pay include better support for rewards cards and deeper integration of event tickets, providing more detailed information like seat numbers and shortcuts for directions.
The Journal app now supports logging your state of mind, tracking goals, and offers a new Insights view with search support. Game Mode is coming to iPhone, minimising background activity to ensure the highest frame rates during gameplay. The Photos app has undergone the biggest redesign ever, aimed at managing growing photo library sizes more effectively. New features include the ability to hide screenshots, the “Collections” feature to keep track of recent photos and suggestions, and a new Carousel interface. Additionally, the app can now group people together, making photo organisation easier.
iOS 18 will also add RCS, reminders integration in Calendar, and an option to make home screen icons bigger. One of the major new features is the ability to use the Messages app without a Wi-Fi or cellular connection, thanks to Messages via Satellite. This particular feature is available on the iPhone 14 and later models and allows users to send essential communications over a satellite connection when traditional networks are unavailable.
iOS 18 will be supported by all the same devices as iOS 17. These include the iPhone 15, 15 Plus, 15 Pro, 15 Pro Max, 14, 14 Plus, 14 Pro, 14 Pro Max, 13, 13 mini, 13 Pro, 13 Pro Max, 12, 12 mini, 12 Pro, 12 Pro Max, 11, 11 Pro, 11 Pro Max, XS, XS Max, XR, and the iPhone SE (2nd and 3rd generation).
As for the release date, Apple says the first beta for iOS 18 will be released following Apple’s keynote, while a public beta will arrive in July. A general public release, on the other hand, is expected sometime in Fall this year.
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