What’s New in the Latest iPhone Software Release

Apple has announced iOS 18 – the next generation of the operating system that powers iPhones. Here’s an overview of what’s new in the upcoming update.

According to Apple, iOS 18 will be available this fall as a free software update for iPhone Xs and later. It includes a series of new features and improvements, including customization options, the ability to send messages over satellite, the addition of ChatGPT and other AI features, and what the company cites as the biggest redesign of the Photos app ever. .

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Custom Features

• With iOS 18, iPhone users can now arrange apps and widgets in any open space on the Home Screen – including placing them directly 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 more visible.

• The Control Center has been redesigned to provide faster access to the most used controls, such as media playback, Home controls and connectivity, as well as the ability to easily slide between each. Users can now add controls from supported third-party apps to the Control Center.

• For the first time, you’ll be able to change the controls at the bottom of the Lock Screen, including selecting the options available in the controls gallery or removing them entirely.

Features Photos

• The updated Photos app in iOS 18 features a simplified single view that includes the familiar grid, and new collections help users browse by theme. Plus, you can pin collections to keep favorites easily accessible.

• A new carousel view presents highlights that update daily and include favorite people, pets, places and more. Automating content across the Photos app brings libraries to life, spreading moments as they browse.

Messaging Features

• iMessage gets all-new text effects that amplify any letter, word, phrase or emoji with animation. Users can add formatting such as bold, line, italic and line through.

• To send messages to contacts who don’t have an Apple device, the Messages app now supports RCS for richer media and “more reliable group messaging” compared to SMS and MMS, the company claims.

• iOS 18 introduces Messages via satellite for those times when cellular and Wi-Fi connections aren’t available. Messaging via satellite automatically prompts users to connect to the 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 charges may apply.

Email Features

• The built-in Mail app will add new ways for users to manage their inbox. Categorization organizes and sorts email into “Primary” for personal and time-sensitive emails, “Transactions” for confirmations and receipts, “Updates” for news and social announcements, and “Promotions” for marketing emails and coupons .

• A new digest pulls together relevant emails from a business, allowing users to scan for what’s important right now.

Safari features

• In iOS 18, the Safari web browser can use AI to find key information about a web page (like presenting a text summary of an article, or letting you listen to an artist’s track directly from an article about the song or album).

• Safari’s Reader has been redesigned to offer more ways to read articles, including a summary and table of contents for longer articles.

App passwords

• 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 store passwords, passwords, Wi-Fi passwords and access verification codes. .

• The app also includes alerts to users about common security weaknesses, such as frequently guessed or used passwords, as well as those seen in known data leaks.

Privacy Features

• Locked and hidden apps provide users with a new way to keep information, such as app notifications and content private, from being inadvertently seen by others. Users can now lock an app, and for added privacy they can hide it (move it to a hidden locked apps folder). When an app is locked or hidden, content like messages or emails within the app are hidden from search, notifications, and other system-wide locations.

• iOS 18 lets you choose to only share specific contacts with an app. Additionally, developers now have a way to connect third-party accessories to an iPhone without letting an app see all the other devices on a user’s network, keeping user devices private and enabling pairing.

Apple Intelligence: New AI Features

• Deeply integrated into iOS 18 and built with privacy from the ground up, Apple Intelligence unleashes new ways for users to improve their writing and communicate more effectively. With modern, system-wide Writing Tools built into iOS 18, users can rewrite, proofread, and summarize text almost anywhere they write, including Mail, Notes, Pages, and third-party apps.

• New image capabilities make communication and self-expression even greater. With Image Playground, users can create fun images in seconds, choosing from three styles: Animation, Illustration, or Sketch. Image Playground is easy to use, built right into apps like Messages, and is also available in a dedicated app.

• Memories in Photos allows users to create the stories they want to see just by typing a description. Apple Intelligence will select the best photos and videos based on the description, create a storyline with chapters based on themes identified from the photos, and arrange them into a movie with its own narrative arc. In addition, a new Cleanup tool can identify and remove distracting objects in the background of a photo – without accidentally changing the subject.

• With the power of Apple Intelligence, Siri takes a big step forward, becoming more natural, contextually relevant, and personal. Users can type to Siri, and switch between text and voice to communicate with Siri in whatever way feels right in the moment.

• With Private Cloud Compute, Apple sets a new standard for privacy in AI, with the ability to flex and scale computing power between on-device processing, and larger server-based models running on Apple’s dedicated silicon servers. When requests are sent to Private Cloud Compute, data is not stored or accessed by Apple and is only used to fulfill the user’s requests, and this privacy can be verified by independent experts.

• In addition, access to ChatGPT is integrated with Siri and system-wide Writing Tools across Apple platforms, allowing users to access its expertise – as well as its image and document understanding capabilities – without the need to jump between instruments.

Additional Features in iOS 18

• In Apple Maps, users can browse thousands of tours across US national parks and create their own custom walking routes (which can be accessed offline).

• Game Mode improves 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 holding two iPhone devices together. Tickets in Apple Wallet will display key event information such as stadium details and recommended Apple Music playlists.

• SharePlay with Apple Music allows even more users to share control of music playback from HomePod, Apple TV, or any Bluetooth-enabled speaker.

• In the Notes app, formulas and equations entered as you type are instantly solved with Math Notes. In Journal, an all-new insight view helps users keep track of their journaling goals, and the ability to search and sort entries makes it easy to enjoy memories from the past. A Journal widget is now available for users to quickly start an entry from the Home or Lock Screen, audio recordings are automatically transcribed, and users can export and print journal entries.

• Calendar will display both events and tasks from Reminders. Users can create, edit and complete reminders directly from Calendar, and the updated month view provides an at-a-glance overview of events and tasks.

• 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 to a user to share video or live 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 give guests control over select smart home accessories, set schedules for when guests can access the home, and more. For a hassle-free home entry experience, the hands-free lock release with home keys leverages Ultra Wideband technology to allow users to instantly open supported entry locks once they are six feet from the 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 usage.

• Accessibility updates include Eye Tracking, a built-in option to navigate iPhone with direct eyes; Music Haptics, a new way for deaf or hard of hearing users to experience music using the Taptic Engine in iPhone; and Voice Shortcuts that enable users to perform tasks by making a custom sound.

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