iOS 18 overview: options, Apple Intelligence, customization

iOS 18 overview

It’s no secret that buyers and pundits have been clamoring to know extra about Apple’s AI plans. Nonetheless, now that we see Apple Intelligence shall be a sluggish launch largely restricted to new {hardware}, it’s clear why iOS 18 is a lot greater than AI.

When the Android vs iPhone wars have been at their peak within the 2010s, you seemingly heard that one of many greatest causes to decide on Android was customization. Apple’s easy grid of icons was laughable to the amusement park that was Android residence screens.

Blame trade tendencies or Jony Ive leaving, however Apple lastly gave technique to giving customers one thing that they had by no means given them earlier than — choices. Alternate app icons opened the door to the concept an iPhone might be personalised.

Whereas Apple Intelligence seems spectacular in some points, it is not accessible to check. So, this overview will deal with iOS 18 outdoors of AI, particularly since this shall be how iOS seems to most individuals across the globe anyway.

And humorous sufficient, it appears almost each function has one thing to do with personalization.

Apple has handed out a sluggish drip of customization options since iOS 14 launched widgets on the Dwelling Display. Each replace since has positioned extra emphasis on customized layouts, controls, and themes till what appears to be the top of iOS 18.

iOS 18 overview: customization will get an improve with darkish icons and clean areas

It is not nearly unfavourable area on the Dwelling Display or tinting icons — it is about management. Mix interactive widgets, customized icons, unfavourable area, customized Lock Screens, wallpapers, and Focus Modes, and also you get a tool that’s really yours in any and all contexts.

Even outdoors of launching parts of the working system just like the Dwelling Display, Lock Display, and Management Heart, Apple has appeared for extra methods to customise the consumer interface. For instance, Safari has Tab Teams and Profiles that change with Focus modes and may provide completely different Begin Pages for every.

Customization is taken a step additional with Images in iOS 18, the place the consumer can configure the app’s structure. Totally different albums and good teams present up within the interface, new ones could be created and added, and it leads to a extremely controllable interface.

The one factor lacking from app icon tinting and the brand new Images apps are Focus Filters. Think about getting into a Work Focus the place Images solely exhibits albums associated to product pictures, screenshots, and different related work primarily based on collections you have curated.

Let’s get into the specifics of those updates.

Apple’s Dwelling Display has a number of new choices for consumer customization. They embody the power to go away clean area on the Dwelling Display, alter icon sizes, change to darkish icons, or add a tint.

iOS 18 overview: Lock Screens and Dwelling Screens get extra customization choices

When customizing the icons, they have an effect on each icon together with these proven within the App Library, folders, and Highlight search. It’s a setting that’s locked in it doesn’t matter what Focus is energetic, for now.

Customers have been requesting the power so as to add clean area for years. Apple pitched the function as a technique to uncover elements of a wallpaper, like a pet’s face.

App icons may also be set to a big mode that hides the textual content labels on icons and widgets. The labels disappear from in every single place, so it may be tough to establish some apps within the App Library if you do not have the icon memorized.

iOS 18 overview: embrace darkish mode with darkish icons and dimmed backgrounds

Darkish mode icons are a brand new function that swaps the colour palette of glyph-style icons to at least one with black backgrounds and darkish accents. Apple’s app icons have by no means provided various icons till now, and the change is placing.

Third-party apps that do not have advanced colours or designs within the foreground or background are algorithmically darkened too. It will probably result in some attention-grabbing outcomes, however since Apple is forcing the change, builders might want to optimize icons or be left with subpar darkish icons.

Purists who wished darkish mode and themes have been left with shiny white icons from Apple. It necessitated creating customized launchers with Shortcuts to get appropriately themed icons.

Shortcuts and widgets have been additionally used to theme the Dwelling Display, however Apple has made it a lot simpler with iOS 18. The tinting possibility routinely units icons to darkish mode after which applies a coloration filter to parts of the icon.

iOS 18 overview: tint icons and widgets to attain a extra uniform type

It seems to be a rudimentary implementation at first look since it’s a brute-force utility to all icons and widgets. Nonetheless, Apple has given builders the power to submit layered icons to benefit from the filtered mode particularly. We’ll have to guage how that appears within the fall.

Darkish and lightweight icons could be set to routinely change primarily based on time of day, just like system-wide gentle and darkish mode. Additionally, there is a solar icon that can be utilized to dim the wallpaper.

Apple did not change a lot concerning the Lock Display, however what it did change is critical. The flashlight and digital camera buttons have been on the Lock Display since iPhone X, however they’re now user-replaceable.

iOS 18 overview: change the Lock Display shortcut buttons

I’ve had some hassle with this replace as a result of I at all times need the flashlight there, and muscle reminiscence has me ruined on the digital camera button. I attempted Halide within the digital camera slot, and it grew to become a process to recollect which digital camera app I wished and when.

After I break the muscle reminiscence, I anticipate issues shall be higher. One possibility is to make the button a Shortcut, which may then run an motion menu.

Fortunately, the button customizations are tied to Lock Screens, which implies they will change with Focus. Nonetheless, it’s going to take some time to seek out what I need to be completely different there if something.

Management Heart has been rebuilt as a multi-page user-customizable software. It will probably embody a number of sizes of icons and controls for system options and third-party apps.

iOS 18 overview: Management Heart is customizable and may lengthen to a number of pages

It feels a bit redundant to have a Dwelling Display, Lock Display, At present View, and now Management Heart with methods to entry info and controls. Nonetheless, Management Heart stands out as a singular addition to the customization recreation since it’s at all times a swipe away.

Reorganize system controls to your coronary heart’s content material. Change the dimensions of a widget to take up a single block or a whole web page, relying on the management.

As soon as you have crammed a web page, a brand new one could be created as much as 10 pages. Reaching these pages is not a chore since you possibly can swipe down from the highest left and proceed sliding in a single movement till the specified web page is reached.

iOS 18 overview: Management Heart could be organized to go well with the consumer’s wants

It’s fairly a compelling improve, even with out entry to third-party apps throughout the beta. It will be attention-grabbing to see PCalc as a launcher possibility or different distinctive controls offered by numerous apps like Widgetsmith.

As soon as you have packed a web page filled with controls, it might probably change into fairly the sliding tile puzzle making an attempt to get the whole lot as an alternative. Jiggle mode is as infuriating as ever while you’re making an attempt to arrange a single icon right into a row of different icons that may doubtlessly blow up your whole web page.

And there is not any undo button. Including an undo button would make modifying these pages a lot simpler.

We’re over 1,000 phrases in and have not made it to function updates simply but. That is how massive the customization updates are.

Apple did not cease there, although. Its numerous system apps and providers have additionally been up to date for iOS 18.

Apple redesigned the Images app by eradicating its tabbed interface in favor of a unified one. The only view could be a bit overwhelming at first, but it surely does provide some helpful group and customization.

iOS 18 overview: Apple launched an all-new Images app

Anecdotally, I’ve encountered individuals who do not know what the Images app does past exhibiting an inventory of photographs in seize order. The opposite pages have been left uncared for except they wanted to get better a deleted picture.

The unified design brings the whole lot to the entrance, which ought to assist floor some capabilities that have been hidden earlier than, just like the Recollections or Map options.

Swiping on the primary library view brings up customized recollections and collections. Beneath that could be a sequence of various sorting choices primarily based on faces, pets, journeys, albums, and extra.

iOS 18 overview: Set up the Images app unified view to suite your use case

Every little thing that was within the earlier Images app continues to be right here in iOS 18, but it surely simply may take some getting used to the brand new interface. Customizing it’s key to getting it proper, although it does really feel just like the choices are restricted for now.

I would like to see Apple carry Focus Filters to the Images app. Permit me to point out screenshots and paperwork within the Work focus, present individuals and locations in Private, and present meals in Health.

Safari has a brand new Highlights function, and Reader view has been upgraded. Highlights can present fast hyperlinks to Maps, Music, or different apps that floor from the present webpage.

iOS 18 overview: Safari will get a brand new Highlights function with summaries and fast hyperlinks

Should you go to the brand new Reader view, it might probably present a abstract of the web page and provide a generated desk of contents. The abstract is proven within the Highlights view, and Reader view when accessible.

Apple Intelligence is not required for the brand new Safari options to work. They pull info utilizing information detectors for map hyperlinks, dates, music, and extra.

To this point, I’ve seen Highlights, summaries, and tables of contents on choose older webpages. They’re attention-grabbing instruments that would assist customers browse the online with out making an attempt to destroy it.

Journal upgrades embody a brand new search software with filters and insights. These are welcome updates after a comparatively stale preliminary launch with restricted choices.

iOS 18 overview: Journal will get an enormous replace with streaks and search

The journal entry course of hasn’t modified. Customers nonetheless faucet a large plus button so as to add textual content, photographs, or strategies to an entry.

A superb addition is the power to tie Journal to Apple Well being. Each minute in Journal is logged as mindfulness minutes, and customers can log State of Thoughts in keeping with the entry.

The search button within the high proper nook allows customers to look utilizing key phrases or filter entries primarily based on content material like photographs, exercise, or locations. There’s additionally a brand new choice to print entries, which additionally permits customers to transform the print choice to a PDF for exporting.

iOS 18 overview: Log mindfulness minutes and temper straight from the Journal

The Insights display screen supplies numerous metrics like streaks and whole phrase depend. Streaks are a major motivator for maintaining a wholesome journal behavior, and they’re a welcome addition to Apple’s app.

Streaks do require the consumer to truly put an entry in daily or each week. Backdating entries will not artificially full a streak.

I can see I’ve obtained an entry for daily since Journal was launched in October. Because the time of publication, I’ve a 35-week streak, however my longest day by day streak is 44 days as a result of I backfilled some entries.

iOS 18 overview: Journal now tracks your streaks and different metrics

I even have extra days journaled than the app has been accessible as a result of I’ve manually entered some entries from Day One going again to 2018.

I am excited to maintain journaling with Apple Journal. Will probably be simpler than ever, due to new widget choices and metrics.

It is not an ideal app but, but it surely has a shiny future so long as Apple would not overlook about it. I would like to see third-party apps counsel entries and for the app to be extra proactive in producing automated entries primarily based on accessible information.

Apple’s updates to Messages proceed the pattern of providing customers choices, whether or not they need them or not. Tapbacks obtained an enormous improve, and there is a ship later possibility, however the whole lot else will seemingly be utilized by a choose few.

iOS 18 overview: Ship Later and emoji reactions in Messages

Tapbacks have been beforehand restricted to a set of colorless reactions, however now they’re capable of be any emoji. It is a easy system that makes use of the present interface, so customers will seemingly have a straightforward time adapting.

Ship Later is a wonderful possibility for energy customers, and it’s accessible within the app drawer. Merely write the textual content and choose a date and time inside the subsequent two weeks.

Formatting texts and textual content results appear to be attention-grabbing choices, however they’re going to seemingly undergo the identical destiny as earlier textual content results. Few customers will know they’re there, and you will have no less than one aunt who overuses them.

iOS 18 overview: Textual content Results could be utilized per phrase in an iMessage

Results like jitter, shake, and explode are enjoyable. I am occupied with seeing how these get adopted outdoors of nerd audiences. The textual content impact part is outstanding within the strategies bar under the textual content field, so it might imply customers will uncover it simpler than an extended press.

The largest replace to Messages had the least time on display screen — RCS. Inexperienced bubble texts with appropriate customers on appropriate networks shall be upgraded from SMS to RCS.

The improve permits for typing indicators, high-resolution photographs and movies, and tapbacks. The implementation is in its early days, and we’ll must see what the iOS 18 launch seems like to know the implementation absolutely.

Apple Notes obtained two important updates — math notes and voice memos. Math notes on iPhone is not fairly as spectacular as it’s on iPad, but it surely nonetheless works when typing out equations.

iOS 18 overview: Equations can auto-populate solutions and voice recordings are transcribed in Notes

Integrating Voice Memos into Apple Notes allows customers to file audio whereas typing into their notes app. It’s a function that is been round in lots of third-party apps for years.

Nonetheless, Apple takes it a bit additional by routinely transcribing audio and making it searchable. Customers may also take the transcript of the voice memo and add it to the observe as textual content.

The replace general is minor in scale. It does elevate the Notes app so customers can depend on Notes as an alternative of third-party choices if all they want is voice recording and transcription. However energy customers will seemingly nonetheless want different apps.

One other seemingly minor however elevating replace introduced Reminders to Calendar. It’s a easy integration with the power to create, view, and handle Reminders in keeping with Calendar occasions.

iOS 18 overview: Reminders now seem in Calendar

It is not wherever close to as advanced as Fantastical’s integration or different third-party apps. Nonetheless, like with the Notes updates, it might be sufficient to persuade some customers to stay with Apple apps, as they’re “good enough.”

There are a number of views accessible, like stacked or compact bars within the month view. The only-day view crams Reminders right into a tiny scrollable interface on the high, which is not splendid in case you have quite a lot of reminders in a day.

Apple does provide an inventory view, which makes managing a number of Reminders alongside Calendar occasions extra viable. Nonetheless, at that time, you could simply need to return to the Reminders app.

Energy customers will not be coming again to Apple Calendar, however I am completely satisfied to see Reminders integration. Hopefully, Apple will proceed so as to add such cross-app options in future updates.

There’s a lot in iOS 18 which might be smaller updates and options that I would nonetheless prefer to name out right here. As I stated earlier, there’s quite a bit right here, even with out Apple Intelligence accessible to debate.

iOS 18 overview: Passwords, hikes, visitor entry, and recreation mode

The Password app is an enormous lastly for iOS 18. There’s not a lot to it if you happen to’re acquainted with the password part of Settings, besides it consists of community passwords and filtering choices.

Apple added visitor entry to the Dwelling app, however I have not been capable of take a look at it but. It’s an thrilling function that ought to vastly enhance how I deal with guests or pet sitters once I’m away.

One other tiny “Sherlock” is Apple’s addition of climbing routes to Apple Maps. Whereas this function will not be as fleshed out as AllTrails, it does present helpful info when at identified trails and nationwide parks.

Sport Mode routinely activates when enjoying a recreation, however I would truly desire to see this as a Focus Filter as an alternative. Possibly you do not want recreation mode when enjoying Sudoku, however if you happen to join a recreation controller, it might imply you are prepared for extra critical gaming.

iOS 18 overview: Lock and conceal apps, SharePlay from HomePod, Contacts privateness, and Dwelling Climate

SharePlay extends to AirPlay and Bluetooth gadgets like HomePod and Beats Capsule. I liked the implementation with CarPlay and am very completely satisfied that it’s accessible in every single place now, even for individuals with out Apple Music subscriptions.

The flexibility to cover and lock apps has been a very long time coming. I discover it humorous that TikTok determined this was an indication that iOS 18 was a “cheater’s paradise.” It is only a helpful utility, particularly if you happen to’re letting a child use your smartphone.

Apple lastly locked down contact sharing in apps, but it surely looks like a half-step. Customers can nonetheless simply say “allow full access” in the event that they’re in a rush, which solves nothing. Apple ought to deal with contact entry as critically because it does location entry.

It has change into custom for Apple to disclose issues at WWDC that will not be accessible proper at launch. This yr, it is the brand new Apple Mail categorization function, which is separate from Apple Intelligence.

iOS 18 overview: Apple Intelligence is not but accessible to check

Mail categorization is one thing I’ve wished for some time. Third-party apps like Edison Mail does an amazing job sorting content material, however I am excited to see Apple do it in a manner the place I am sure privateness shall be preserved.

The obvious a part of this overview that is lacking is Apple Intelligence. Apple’s tackle AI might seem within the developer betas in some type later in the summertime, however even that is not sure.

Apple Intelligence launches to the general public as a beta function alongside the iOS 18 launch in September. The Siri upgrades seemingly will not be accessible till spring 2025 if rumors are to be believed.

To this point, probably the most important updates round iOS 18 are tied to personalization and management. Apple Intelligence will undoubtedly step in and take over the dialog within the coming months, however for now, I am completely satisfied to have had a view of the replace unclouded by AI.

iOS 18 overview: get inventive with customized icons, clean areas, and wallpapers

A part of what makes an iPhone private is the power to customise it high to backside with the way in which it seems and behaves given completely different contexts. iOS 18 has enhanced that additional with new management over the Dwelling Display, Lock Display, and Management Heart.

Apple additionally made apps extra helpful with extra cross-app performance, extra developer APIs, and higher Shortcuts implementation. Safari is smarter, Images is extra private, and Journal is a a lot stronger app general.

I am excited to see how iOS 18 evolves by way of the beta interval over the summer time and the way Apple Intelligence impacts the working system as a complete. AppleInsider will revisit iOS 18 as new options change into accessible all through 2024.

• iPhone is extra customizable than ever
• Darkish mode icons and no-text mode verify off two important consumer requests
• Compelled darkish mode icons for third-party apps means no want to attend on holdouts
• Redesigned Management Heart opens up extra space for competitors with first-party apps
• Messages is healthier for all customers due to RCS and Ship Later
• Journal is a significantly better app with streak and Well being options
• Apple Intelligence will usher in a brand new period for iPhone software program

• However, Apple Intelligence is obtainable to a really small proportion of the consumer base at launch
• And, it may take a yr for each Apple Intelligence function promised at WWDC to reach
• Icon tinting will want some work and help from builders to be helpful
• Jiggle mode continues to be a large number wherever it’s used
• Images redesign might provide extra customization, however it might show tough to adapt to for a lot of customers

It’s clear Apple had an inner deal with Apple Intelligence whereas growing iOS 18. It’s an general smaller launch in comparison with earlier years, however the included options make up for lack of quantity.

Even when contemplating Apple Intelligence, the rating would not enhance a lot since a really small proportion of the consumer base is getting entry. Of the 24 appropriate fashions, solely 2 get the superior options.

Apple will launch iOS 18 just a few days earlier than the iPhone 16 is launched in September. Each machine that may run iOS 17 is getting iOS 18.

The next gadgets could be up to date to iOS 18:

• iPhone 11
• iPhone 11 Professional
• iPhone 11 Professional Max
• iPhone 12
• iPhone 12 Professional
• iPhone 12 Professional Max
• iPhone 12 mini
• iPhone 13
• iPhone 13 Professional
• iPhone 13 Professional Max
• iPhone 13 mini
• iPhone 14
• iPhone 14 Plus
• iPhone 14 Professional
• iPhone 14 Professional Max
• iPhone 15
• iPhone 15 Plus
• iPhone 15 Professional
• iPhone 15 Professional Max
• iPhone SE (2nd era)
• iPhone SE (third era)
• iPhone XR
• iPhone XS
• iPhone XS Max

There shall be extra to say about iOS 18 as soon as Apple Intelligence begins rolling out to beta testers. Keep tuned to AppleInsider for intensive protection of Apple’s first try at AI.

Wi-fi carriers are providing aggressive incentives on iPhone 15 gadgets in anticipation of the iPhone 16. You’ll be able to bounce straight to the provides from the provider of your selection under — or head over to our iPhone offers roundup to check promotions throughout retailers.