iOS 18: A Closer Look at Apple’s Newest iPhone Upgrades
Discover the Exciting New Features of iOS 18
iOS 18 brings a host of new features and updates that make your iPhone more customizable, user-friendly, and interactive. Let's dive into the key changes you can expect:
Customization
Personalize Your Home Screen: You can now place apps and widgets wherever you like, arrange them along the bottom, or create unique layouts for each Home Screen page.
Sleeker App Icons: Enjoy a new look for app icons with a darker appearance, color tinting, and larger options.
Locked and Hidden Apps: Protect sensitive apps with Face ID and hide them from the Home Screen. You can access them through a hidden folder in the app library.
Updated Control Center: Redesigned with new groups of controls, accessible with a continuous swipe.
Controls Gallery: You can add more controls from a comprehensive gallery, rearrange, resize, and create groups of controls.
Lock Screen Controls: Swap controls and access new ones via the Action button on the iPhone 15 Pro.
New Wallpaper Options: Four variations of iOS 18 official wallpaper with light and dark modes.
Clock Gradient on Lock Screen: New color gradient for the clock picker.
App Shortcuts on Lock Screen: Create shortcuts to open apps directly from the Lock Screen.
Parallax Effect: The depth effect for icons is back, adding a dynamic feel when moving the device.
Photos
Biggest Redesign Yet: An organized library with easy access, browsing by topics like Recent Days, Trips, and People & Pets.
Carousel Feature: Highlights the best content with new daily photos.
Hide Screenshots: Option to hide screenshots from the main photo view.
Enhanced Search: Improved search functionality with better prompts and recent views.
Wallpaper Suggestions: New suggestions based on photo collections.
Updated Photo Editing: Options for appearance (dark, system, light) and aspect ratio lock.
Adaptive Edits: Automatically adjust exposure and white balance when copying edits between photos.
New Video Scrubber: Improved video scrubbing interface for easier navigation.
Show Hidden Album: Option to show the hidden album in the main menu.
Messages
Text Effects: Apply animated effects to text, automatically suggested.
Tapback with Emojis/Stickers: Use any emoji or sticker, including Live Stickers.
Messages via Satellite: Stay connected without Wi-Fi or cellular, using iMessage or SMS.
Send Later: Schedule messages to send at specified times.
RCS Messaging: Richer media and read receipts for non-iMessage users.
Text Formatting Options: Bold, italic, underline, strikethrough in iMessage.
Custom Emojis for Reactions: React to messages with any emoji or sticker.
Categorization: Organizes messages into categories like Primary, Transactions, Promotions, and Updates.
Primary Category: Focus on essential emails and time-sensitive messages.
Grouped Messages: View snippets of similar messages together.
Safari
Highlights: Automatically detects and highlights relevant information.
Redesigned Reader: Table of contents and summary for articles.
Improved Tab Icons: Modernized and streamlined tab icons.
Updated Menu Design: Refreshed menu layout.
Passwords App
Centralized Credentials: Stores passwords, verifications, and security alerts securely.
Cross-Device Syncing: Works across iPhone, iPad, Mac, Apple Vision Pro, and Windows.
Autofill Options: Supports up to three autofill services like 1Password or LastPass.
Share Wi-Fi via QR Code: Easily share Wi-Fi network details with others using a QR code.
Maps
Topographic Maps and Trails: Detailed maps with trail networks, offline access, and custom routes.
Popular Hikes: View and plan popular hikes in national parks.
Game Mode
Enhanced Gameplay Performance: Minimizes background activity for high frame rates.
Responsive AirPods/Controllers: Reduces latency and improves responsiveness.
Wallet
Tap to Cash: Quick and private in-person payments.
Rewards/Installments: Pay using rewards or installments with participating cards.
Event Tickets and Guides: Redesigned tickets with venue information and recommendations.
AirPods
Hands-Free Siri Interactions: Respond to Siri with head nods or shakes.
Voice Isolation: Clearer calls in noisy environments.
Personalized Spatial Audio: Immersive gaming audio with low latency.
Improved Mic Mode/Video Effects: Revamped control center section for audio and video settings.
Notes
Live Audio Transcription: Record and transcribe audio within notes.
Instant Calculations: Solve math expressions while typing.
Collapsible Sections: Manage text-heavy notes with collapsible headers.
Highlighting: Make text stand out with color.
Journal
Wellbeing Tracking: Log your state of mind and track your journaling goals.
Search and Sort Entries: Easily find past journal entries.
Home/Lock Screen Widgets: Widgets for prompts and streak tracking.
Log Mindfulness Minutes: Track mindfulness time in the Health app.
Enhanced Entry Organization: Improved interface and categorization of journal entries.
Apple TV App
InSight Feature: Learn more about actors and music while watching.
Enhance Dialogue: Improved vocal clarity for better hearing.
Home App
Guest Access Controls: Manage access to home devices.
Hands-Free Unlock: Automatically unlock doors with an iPhone or Apple Watch.
Robot Vacuum Support: Control and automate robot vacuums.
Electricity Usage View: Access home electricity usage information.
Home Key and Express Mode: Improved home lock functionality.
Privacy and Security
Contact Sharing Control: Decide which contacts to share with apps.
Redesigned Settings: Easier management of shared information.
Improved Bluetooth Privacy: Better accessory pairing privacy.
Accessibility
Eye Tracking: Control the iPhone using eye movements.
Music Haptics: Sync iPhone Taptic Engine with music for those who are deaf or hard of hearing.
Vocal Shortcuts: Custom phrases to perform actions for users with atypical speech.
Personal Voice: Support for Mandarin Chinese and improved voice features.
Vehicle Motion Cues: Assist users with motion sickness.
Hover Typing: This is a new input method for low-vision users.
Flexible Voice Rotor and Custom Volume Controls: Enhanced voice control options.
Live Captions and Voice Control: Improved support for complex vocabularies.
Battery and Charging
Charge Limit Customization: Adjust the charge limit in increments from 80% to 100% on iPhone 15 models.
Slow Charger Notification: Notify when the device is connected to a slow charger.
Settings
Icons for Settings: Added icons for every option in settings for easier navigation.
System Fonts: Download and use various system fonts.
Wi-Fi Address Rotation: Option to rotate Wi-Fi addresses to reduce tracking.
Reorganized Settings: Important settings moved higher for easier access.
Enhanced Search: Improved search functionality with suggestions and recent views.
Phone
Call Recording: Record calls directly from the Phone app with a notification to the other party.
T9 Dialing: Type phone numbers to see contact suggestions.
Updated Contacts Icons: New icons and search bar in the recent tab.
Transcribed Voicemails: Displays transcribed messages directly from voicemails.
Freeform
Scenes and Diagramming: Organize boards and create connections.
SharePlay
Enhanced Screen Sharing: Draw on and control others' screens.
Emergency SOS
Live Video Sharing: Share video and photos during emergency calls.
Fitness
Customizable Summary: Adjust the summary view in the Fitness app.
Fitness+ Updates: New For You tab and improved search functionality.
Rearrange Pinned Metrics: Easily adjust pinned metrics in the Health app.
Calculator
Scientific Calculator: Access advanced functions within the default calculator app.
Convert Units: Easily convert units within the calculator.
Math Notes: Solve and graph equations directly in the Notes app.
These updates make iOS 18 more interactive, visually appealing, and user-friendly, enhancing your overall experience with new features and improvements.
Special thanks to Zollotech and Brandon Butch for finding these changes and to Apple as the source of this information.
Supported iPhones:
iPhone 15
iPhone 15 Plus
iPhone 15 Pro
iPhone 15 Pro Max
iPhone 14
iPhone 14 Plus
iPhone 14 Pro
iPhone 14 Pro Max
iPhone 13
iPhone 13 mini
iPhone 13 Pro
iPhone 13 Pro Max
iPhone 12
iPhone 12 mini
iPhone 12 Pro
iPhone 12 Pro Max
iPhone 11
iPhone 11 Pro
iPhone 11 Pro Max
iPhone XS
iPhone XS Max
iPhone XR
iPhone SE (2nd generation or later)
Note: Only iPhone 15 Pro models will get Apple Intelligence features.