Apple’s latest iPhone update brings these new and useful features to your phone.
A week after announcing the new iPhone 16 and 16 Pro lines, the Apple Watch Series 10, and other items at its September event, Apple launched iOS 18 on September 16. The operating system was revealed by the corporation during its June Worldwide Developers Conference. Updates to the Messages app and additional options to personalize your home screen are just two of the many new features the operating system offers your iPhone.
Since the operating system’s beta release following WWDC, I have been using it. During that time, I looked into the features that Apple had highlighted at its announcement and discovered some more that they had left out.
Here’s what you need to know about the enhancements and new features that iOS 18 offers your iPhone:
- Customizable home and lock screens
Previously, you could alter the home screen and lock screen of your iPhone by adding widgets and changing the backdrop. However, iOS 18 allows you to alter the apps and layout on your home screen as well as the lock screen features.
Apple’s senior vice president of software engineering Craig Federighi demonstrated how iOS 18 allows you to customize how your iPhone’s apps and widgets appear on your home screen during the WWDC. These icons used to occupy your home screen from top to bottom, occasionally blocking backgrounds you might find appealing. Android has long allowed you to organize your icons whatever you like, now iOS 18 allows you to do the same.
Additionally, it’s simple to alter how your app’s icons look. Icons can be tinted to match your wallpaper or given a dark mode filter.
On the lock screen of your iPhone, the operating system also allows you to change the camera and flashlight settings. By doing this, you may start another app on your iPhone instead of unintentionally turning on the flashlight when putting it in your pocket.
- Updated Control Center
At WWDC, Apple also revealed that iOS 18 changes the Control Center on your iPhone. Additional controls for things like the music you’re listening to and particular apps are accessible through the operating system. In order to have faster access to the buttons you use most frequently, you may also alter which apps you see and their sizes.
Additionally, third-party applications are modifying their programs to work with the new Control Center. To make it easier to access the social media app, you can, for instance, add an Instagram control to your Control Center. Other apps from third parties will probably do the same.
- Messages gets a lot of upgrades
iOS 18 also includes an upgrade for the Messages app on your iPhone. The most recent version of the operating system allows you to structure messages and individual words with text effects, schedule messages to be sent later, and respond to messages with more tapbacks. You can use bolding, underlining, or other effects to draw attention to a particular passage in a text.
Many iPhones may receive messages via satellite thanks to the OS. The Emergency SOS via satellite feature, which was first available on the iPhone 14 and 15 series, functions similarly to this one. While satellite messages allow you to send messages to anyone, even if there is no signal, emergency SOS allows you to make an emergency call even in the event of a signal outage. Therefore, you can SMS your parents or spouse to update them on the status of your camping vacation.
Additionally, Apple adds rich communication support (RCS) to Messages, allowing your iPhone to work well with an Android smartphone owned by a friend or relative.
- Lock and hide certain apps
It might be somewhat unsettling to let someone use your iPhone, particularly if you don’t want them to see or use specific apps. Apps can be hidden and locked in iOS 18.
Your Face ID or passcode will be needed to unlock and access the app after it has been locked. You can hide an app in your App Library’s Hidden apps folder if you just don’t want anyone to know you have it on your iPhone. This organizes all of your hidden apps in one location and is comparable to uninstalling apps from your iPhone’s home screen without really deleting them.
- Redesigned Photos app
Looking over memories in your Photos app can be enjoyable, but if you shoot a lot of pictures, it can be difficult to navigate. In iOS 18, Apple revamped the Photos app on your iPhone.
By grouping your photos in additional ways, such as Recent Days and Pinned Collections, the redesign should make it simpler to locate particular images. You should be able to locate images from a trip more quickly because they will also be arranged by theme.
In order to prevent images and receipts from cluttering your Library, you may also filter them away using the new Photos app in iOS 18.
- New Camera settings
With iOS 18, Apple also adds a new setting to the Camera app on your iPhone. Controls Menu is the new setting. Navigate to Settings > Camera > Preserve Settings to locate it.
“Preserve the previously used camera tool when expanding the controls menu, rather than showing the list of camera tools,” writes the description of the setting.
Additionally, you may now use your iPhone to simultaneously record a video and play music. This also applies to screen captures. The audio quality on screen recordings is fairly decent, but it’s not very good for videos with music.
- New password manager app
Apple developed Passwords, a full-featured app, from its password keychain function. Apple claims that Passwords securely keeps all of your login information in one location. Your passwords on all of your Apple devices can be synced with it as well. In this manner, your Netflix password will follow you so you don’t forget it even if you update it on one device but not on another.
- Apple Intelligence for Siri and more — on some iPhones
Apple said that iOS 18 will introduce Apple Intelligence, the company’s take on generative AI. However, Apple stated on its website that for the time being, these enhancements will only be accessible on the iPhone 15 Pro and Pro Max.
In addition to enabling the creation of new images known as genmojis and adding new writing tools and capabilities to those iPhones, Apple Intelligence will enhance Siri to make the assistant more useful and competent.
The first public beta of iOS 18.1 has these features, which were absent from the original release of iOS 18. When Apple plans to make iOS 18.1 available to the public is unknown.
- AirPods and hands-free Siri interactions
Wearing the second generation AirPods Pro with iOS 18 will allow you to communicate with Siri by shaking your head or nodding. Therefore, you can keep Siri operating without speaking if you need to remain silent while your partner is on a crucial phone call or the infant is napping.
- Notes app upgrades
Your Notes app is also enhanced by Apple’s iOS 18. The software has the option to highlight specific phrases, live audio transcripts, and parts that can be folded up to keep the app organized. As you type, you can also use the program to solve mathematical problems.
These changes are comparable to what Apple announced for the Notes app in iPadOS 18.
- Game Mode
Facts and Factors predicts that by 2030, the mobile gaming market would have grown by more than 13%. And with the release of Game Mode in iOS 18, Apple seemed to have acknowledged that.
In order to enhance the performance of your game, Game Mode will reduce background activity on your iPhone. According to Apple, it will also respond more quickly to wireless gaming controllers and AirPods.
- iPhone Mirroring
iPhone users who have a Mac can now remotely access their iPhone using iOS 18. This functionality, which Apple is referring to as iPhone Mirroring, will be compatible with the next MacOS Sequoia. You will therefore be able to access the file directly on your Mac without the need for further procedures, as opposed to transmitting it from your iPhone to your Mac.
- SharePlay screen sharing
With the release of iOS 15 in 2021, SharePlay enabled Apple customers to share their screen with others over FaceTime. Additionally, SharePlay is being upgraded in iOS 18.
“With enhanced screen sharing capabilities, you can draw on someone’s screen so they can see what they can do on theirs, or control their screen and take actions yourself,” Apple announced on its website.
- More ways to organize Mail
According to Apple, iOS 18 will improve email organization with the Mail app on your iPhone. New categories for newsletters, receipts, and other items will be added to your app. In this manner, you avoid having to go through your emails for a party invitation that you neglected to reply to. These were not accessible with the release of iOS 18, though, and they will probably be included in a future version of Apple Intelligence.
- Tap to Cash
Sending money to friends and family is now simpler with iOS 18 thanks to Tap to Cash. Similar to how you can instantly AirDrop a picture or message to someone or NameDrop your contact details to someone by bringing your iPhones near together, this function allows you to transmit Apple Cash straight to others by bringing your iPhones close together.
- Updates to Apple Wallet
Speaking of money, iOS 18 also includes an update for your Wallet app. You may monitor your rewards or points balance within the app, and you can use Apple Pay online or in one of your apps to redeem those points. Additionally, you can use the app to access any installment finance options that your bank may provide.
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Additionally, Apple adds new functionality to your event tickets in Wallet. One of the new features, according to Apple’s blog post, is “an event guide combining helpful information about the venue with recommendations from Apple apps.”
Additionally, Wallet now makes it simple to integrate a chipped credit or debit card into the app. Wallet will require you to bring the chipped card close to your iPhone in order to add it. To accomplish this, navigate to Wallet, tap the plus sign in the upper right corner, select Debit or Credit Card, and then select Continue. However, you can select Enter Card Details Manually at the bottom of the screen if your card is chip-free.
- Safari gets highlights, a redesigned Reader and more
With iOS 18, the Safari software on your iPhone can identify and highlight key content on certain webpages. Directions and fast links to people and movies, for instance, ought to be prominently displayed and simple to locate. A table of contents and article summaries will also be available to readers in Safari. However, the majority of these capabilities were not included in the original release of iOS 18 because they are part of Apple Intelligence.
With the release of iOS 18, Safari does gain a new feature called Distraction Control. This makes it simple to prevent pop-ups, advertisements, and other content on websites you visit regularly.
- Topographic maps in Maps
Offline maps were included to the iPhone Maps app when Apple released iOS 17 in 2023. The Maps app on your iPhone will also receive topographical data with iOS 18. To help you plan your next trek, Maps also provides comprehensive information on hiking trails, including routes from more than 50 US national parks.
In iOS 18, you may even design your own unique walking or hiking itineraries. Additionally, you may download the route and a portion of the map to your iPhone for offline usage after creating one. This way, you’ll always have a map of your area with you when you’re in the great outdoors.
- Journal app improvements
Additionally, according to Apple, the Journal app on your iPhone will see some modifications in iOS 18. You can use the app to track your goals and record your mental condition. Additionally, it will provide you with statistics such as writing streaks. In order to locate older ideas and more, you can search the Journal for prior entries.
For additional information about Apple, check out my review of iOS 18, our cheat guide for iOS 18, and everything you need to know about the first public beta of iOS 18.1. Additionally, you can view all of the announcements made by Apple during its September event.
SOURCE: CNET
