Apple iOS 18: What’s New in the Latest iPhone Software Release (2024)

Jun 11, 2024 10:52am PT

• With iOS 18, iPhone users can now arrange apps and widgets in any open space on the Home Screen — including placing them right above the dock. In addition, app icons and widgets can take on a new look with a dark or tinted effect, and you can make them appear larger.
• Control Center has been redesigned to provide faster access your most-used controls, such as media playback, Home controls and connectivity, as well as the ability to easily swipe between each. Users also can now add controls from supported third-party apps into Control Center.
• For the first time, you’ll be able to switch the controls at the bottom of the Lock Screen, including choosing from options available in the controls gallery or removing them entirely.

• The updated Photos app in iOS 18 features a simplified, single view that includes the familiar grid, and new collections help users browse by themes. In addition, you can pin collections to keep favorites easily accessible.
• A new carousel view presents highlights that update each day and feature favorite people, pets, places and more. Autoplaying content throughout the Photos app brings libraries to life, dislaying moments while browsing.

• iMessage will include all-new text effects that amplify any letter, word, phrase or emoji with animation. Users also can add formatting like bold, underline, italics and strikethrough.
• For sending messages to contacts who do not have Apple devices, the Messages app now supports the RCS (Rich Communication Services) protocol for richer media and “more reliable group messaging” compared with SMS and MMS, the company claims.
• iOS 18 introduces Messages via satellite for when cellular and Wi-Fi connections aren’t available. Messages via satellite automatically prompts users to connect to their nearest satellite directly from the Messages app to send and receive texts, emoji, and Tapbacks over iMessage and SMS; SMS availability will depend on your wireless carrier and fees may apply.

• The built-in Mail app will add new ways for users to manage their inbox. On-device categorization organizes and sorts incoming email into “Primary” for personal and time-sensitive emails, “Transactions” for confirmations and receipts, “Updates” for news and social notifications, and “Promotions” for marketing emails and coupons.
• A new digest view pulls together relevant emails from the same business, allowing users to scan for what’s important in the moment.

• In iOS 18, the Safari web browser can use AI to surface key information about a webpage, like presenting a text summary of an article or letting you listen to an artist’s track right from an article about the song or album.
• Safari’s Reader has been redesigned to offer more ways to read articles, with a summary and table of contents included for longer articles.

• New in iOS 18 will be the Passwords app, which Apple says builds on the foundation of Keychain (first introduced more than 25 years ago.) The new Passwords app provides a single place to access passwords, passkeys, Wi-Fi passwords and verification codes.
• The app also includes alerts for users regarding common security weaknesses, such as passwords that are easily guessed or used multiple times, as well as those that appear in known data leaks.

• Locked and hidden apps provide a new way for users to keep information private, such as app notifications and content so they will not inadvertently be seen by others. Users can now lock an app, and for additional privacy they can hide it (moving it to a locked, hidden apps folder). When an app is locked or hidden, content like messages or emails inside the app are hidden from search, notifications and other places across the system.
• iOS 18 lets you choose to share only specific contacts with an app. In addition, developers now have a way to connect third-party accessories with iPhone without letting an app see all the other devices on a user’s network, keeping a user’s devices private and enabling pairing.

• The “Apple Intelligence” announcement, a centerpiece of the 2024 Worldwide Developers Conference keynote presentation, promises a bunch of new AI-enabled capabilities.
• New Writing Tools built into iOS 18 let you rewrite, proofread and summarize text “nearly everywhere” on the iPhone, including in Mail, Notes, Pages and third-party apps.
• The new Image Playground (to be available as a separate app as well as a feature in other apps like Messages) lets you create “playful images” choosing from among three styles: animation, illustration or sketch.
• Memories in the Photos app will let you create stories by typing a description; the app then arranges photos and videos into a “movie with its own narrative arc,” per Apple. In addition, a new Clean Up tool can identify and remove “distracting” objects in photo backgrounds.
• OpenAI’s ChatGPT will be integrated into Siri and the systemwide Writing Tools across Apple’s platforms.

• In Apple Maps, users can browse thousands of hikes across national parks in the U.S. and create their own custom walking routes (which can be accessed offline).
• Game Mode enhances the gaming experience with more consistent frame rates, especially during long play sessions, and makes wireless accessories like AirPods and game controllers more responsive, according to Apple.
• Users get new ways to pay with Apple Pay, including the ability to redeem rewards and access installments from their eligible credit or debit cards. With Tap to Cash, users can send and receive Apple Cash by simply holding two iPhone devices together. Tickets in Apple Wallet will show key event information like stadium details and recommended Apple Music playlists.
• SharePlay with Apple Music allows even more users to share control of music playing from HomePod, Apple TV, or any Bluetooth-enabled speaker.
• In the Notes app, formulas and equations entered while typing are solved instantly with Math Notes. In Journal, an all-new insights view helps users keep track of their journaling goals, and the ability to search and sort entries makes it easy to enjoy past memories. A Journal widget is now available for users to quickly start an entry from the Home Screen or Lock Screen, audio recordings are automatically transcribed, and users can export and print journal entries.
• Calendar will show both events and tasks from Reminders. Users can create, edit, and complete reminders right from Calendar, and the updated month view provides an overview of events and tasks at a glance.
• In the Health app, Medical ID has been redesigned to make it easier for first responders to find the most important information in an emergency.
• Emergency SOS Live Video allows users to share context through streaming video and recorded media. In the middle of an emergency call, participating emergency dispatchers can send a request for a user to share live video or media from the user’s camera roll over a secure connection, making it easier and faster to get help.
• The Home app introduces guest access, providing users with easy ways to grant guests control of select smart home accessories, set schedules for when guests can access the home, and more. For an effortless home entry experience, hands-free unlock with home keys leverages Ultra Wideband technology to allow users to instantly open supported entry locks as soon as they are six feet away from their door. With convenient updates to the Energy category, the Home app makes it easier for eligible users to access, understand, and make more informed decisions about their home electricity use.
• Accessibility updates include Eye Tracking, a built-in option for navigating iPhone with just eyes; Music Haptics, a new way for users who are deaf or hard of hearing to experience music using the Taptic Engine in iPhone; and Vocal Shortcuts that enable users to perform tasks by making a custom sound.