Apple revealed the highly anticipated iOS 18 at WWDC 2024, marking it as the iPhone’s most significant software update to date. This latest version of iOS 18 comes packed with an array of impressive features, including customizable home & lock screens, a refreshed Control Center, a redesigned Photos app, a comprehensive Passwords app, and much more. If you’re eager to learn about what’s new in iOS 18, its release date, and compatible devices, you’re in the right place. Let’s dive right in!
iOS 18 Features
1. Personalized iOS 18 Home Screen
After a long wait of 17 years, Apple finally offers a redesigned and more customizable home screen experience with iOS 18. This eagerly awaited feature allows users greater control over the arrangement of app icons on the Home Screen. While app icons are still aligned to an invisible grid system for consistency, you now have the flexibility to create blank spaces, columns, and rows between icons, enhancing the visibility of your wallpaper.
Additionally, the iOS 18 Home Screen allows app icons to have a dark or tinted appearance. You can set them to match the light or dark mode, or they can switch automatically based on your iPhone’s settings.
2. Customizable Lock Screen Controls
One of the standout features of iOS 18 is the ability to customize the lock screen controls on your iPhone. You can replace default controls with alternatives like Shortcuts, QR code scanner, Calculator app, or Dark Mode. Now, you can even remove the Flashlight icon from the Lock Screen to prevent accidental activation.
3. Lock & Hide Apps
With iOS 18, the long-desired feature to lock individual apps is finally here. Users can protect sensitive applications and their data when others are using their devices. Lock an app using Face ID, Touch ID, or a passcode, ensuring that no information from that app shows up in system searches, Siri, or Notifications. Additionally, apps can be moved to a hidden folder that requires a lock for access.
4. Redesigned Control Center with a New Controls Gallery
The revamped iOS 18 introduces substantial updates to the Control Center with new controls groups. Users can swipe down from the Home Screen to access various Control Center screens. A new Controls Gallery consolidates all options, including controls from Music, Home, and favorite apps, allowing for rearrangement or custom groups for quick access.
5. New Passwords App
As anticipated, Apple has transformed its password keychain feature into a comprehensive Passwords app in iOS 18. This dedicated app simplifies the storage of all account passwords, passkeys, Wi-Fi passwords, and other credentials. Everything is encrypted for security, and passwords are synced across Apple devices. Thus, changes like updating your Netflix password on an iPhone will reflect across your iPad and Mac.
6. Redesigned Photos App
iOS 18 offers a significant redesign of the Photos app, making it easier to search and find specific photos. The new Collections feature organizes your photo library into helpful themes like Recent Days, Trips, and People & Pets, streamlining your photo browsing experience.
7. RCS, Tapbacks, Text Effects, & More in Messages
The Messages app has received significant upgrades in iOS 18. Users can now schedule messages for later delivery, react with enhanced Tapbacks, and add animated effects to individual words, phrases, or emojis. Formatting tools such as bolding, underlining, italicizing, and strikethroughs add more ways to convey messages.
Moreover, iOS 18 introduces RCS (Rich Communication Services) support, enhancing communication between iPhone and Android users. For iPhone 14 users and newer, messaging with satellite connectivity is available, ensuring you stay connected even without cellular or Wi-Fi service.
8. Tap to Cash
The iOS 18 update also introduces a new Apple Pay feature called Tap to Cash. Users can make payments by simply tapping two iPhones together, eliminating the need to exchange phone numbers or email addresses. This feature is reminiscent of the iOS 17 NameDrop functionality.
Additionally, Apple Wallet has introduced features to display rewards or points balances and redesigned event tickets for better venue information, including concert seat numbers and direction shortcuts.
9. Record and Transcribe Phone Calls
The addition of call recording in iOS 18 is a welcomed feature for iPhone users. This functionality allows users to record calls made via the Phone app, with all participants notified during the recording. Users can also receive transcripts and summaries of calls, enhancing productivity and record-keeping capabilities.
10. Safari Gets Highlights & Redesigned Reader
Safari in iOS 18 comes with a host of new features, including the Highlights capability that identifies and highlights valuable information on web pages such as summaries, directions, and quick links related to people, movies, and shows. A revamped Reader mode enhances the reading experience by reducing distractions and providing a table of contents for longer articles.
11. Game Mode
For the first time, iOS 18 introduces Game Mode to enhance gaming experiences. This feature minimizes background processes to ensure stable frame rates, reduces audio latency, and improves responsiveness with game controllers and AirPods, catering specifically to gaming enthusiasts.
12. AirPods and Hands-Free Siri Interactions
Interacting with Siri on AirPods Pro 2 is now more intuitive with iOS 18. Users can respond to Siri simply by nodding or shaking their heads, making it easier to engage with Siri while on the go or in quiet spaces. The Voice Isolation feature is also integrated into AirPods Pro.
13. Native App Updates
iOS 18 enhances several native apps, including a new Math Notes calculator in the Calculator app, unit conversion, history features, and a portrait mode for scientific calculations.
The Mail app now automatically categorizes emails to help prioritize your inbox, with categories like Transactions, Promotions, and Updates for better organization.
The Apple Maps app introduces Topographic Maps with trail networks in all 63 U.S. national parks, as well as offline map saving with turn-by-turn voice navigation. The iOS 18 update also includes custom routing, now available in Apple Maps.
The Calendar app has gained Reminders integration, enabling direct interaction with Reminders within the Calendar. Optional features in the redesigned Privacy & Security settings menu simplify information-sharing management.
Apple also announced improvements to the Journal app, allowing users to log their state of mind, track goals, and search through older entries.
14. iOS 18 Accessibility Features
Apple announced a series of new accessibility features with iOS 18, iPadOS 18, and visionOS 2. Notably, Eye Tracking will allow users to navigate their devices with eye movements, designed for users with physical disabilities. This technology works seamlessly across iOS and iPadOS apps without needing additional hardware.
Other accessibility features include Music Haptics, enabling the Taptic Engine to convey music via vibrations for hearing-impaired users, and Vocal Shortcuts, allowing users to create custom commands for Siri.
Moreover, a new option called Vehicle Motion Cues aims to alleviate motion sickness for passengers in vehicles.
15. CarPlay Upgrades
Apple has expanded accessibility options in CarPlay with new features such as Voice Control allowing voice navigation and app control, Sound Recognition to alert deaf or hard-of-hearing drivers and passengers to car horns, and Color Filters for colorblind users to enhance usability.
iOS 18 Release Date
Apple announced iOS 18 on June 10, alongside iPadOS 18, macOS 15 Sequoia, and additional software updates. The initial developer beta was made available immediately after the WWDC 2024 Keynote event. The official release date for iOS 18 was set for September 16, 2024, following extensive beta testing, making it available now for all iPhone users.
iOS 18 Supported Devices
As expected, iOS 18 supports all iPhone models compatible with iOS 17, including the iPhone XR, XS, XS Max, and newer versions.
Here is the complete list of devices supported by iOS 18:
- iPhone XR, XS, and XS Max
- iPhone 11, 11 Pro, 11 Pro Max
- iPhone SE (2nd gen)
- iPhone 12, 12 mini, 12 Pro, 12 Pro Max
- iPhone 13, 13 mini, 13 Pro, 13 Pro Max
- iPhone SE (3rd gen)
- iPhone 14, 14 Plus, 14 Pro, 14 Pro Max
- iPhone 15, 15 Plus, 15 Pro, 15 Pro Max
The upcoming iPhone 16 models will come pre-installed with iOS 18. However, it’s worth noting that not all supported iPhone models are compatible with Apple Intelligence, which requires an A17 chip or higher (i.e. M-Series chips on iPads & Macs). Consequently, Apple Intelligence features will be exclusive to iPhone 15 Pro, iPhone 15 Pro Max, and all iPhone 16 lineup models. Users with older models might consider an upgrade to utilize all AI capabilities.
That wraps up your comprehensive overview of iOS 18. Which feature are you most excited about? We’d love to hear your thoughts in the comments section below.
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