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| James Harris/CNN Underscored |
Apple Unveils iOS 18 with Major AI Enhancements
Apple has just revealed its highly anticipated iOS 18 update, which introduces a significant dose of its unique AI, now branded as Apple Intelligence. The WWDC 2024 keynote will be remembered not only for an enhanced Siri but also for a suite of features that many users have long desired, making the upcoming iPhone update particularly compelling.
Key Features of iOS 18
Among the standout features are significant updates to Messages and a comprehensive redesign of the Photos app. These updates promise to enhance user experience, from making group chats more fun to streamlining photo organization.
With iOS 18 set to arrive this fall, here are the 11 biggest features you can look forward to, ensuring you’re prepared for the update.
Apple Intelligence: AI for the iPhone
In line with the tech industry’s trend toward generative AI, Apple has introduced Apple Intelligence, a rebranded version of AI, available on iPhone 15 Pro, iPhone 15 Pro Max, and later models, as well as on iPads and Macs with M-series processors. This new system includes several familiar features aimed at improving user interaction and productivity.
One notable feature is the Rewrite tool, designed to help users rephrase their writing. This tool offers three style adjustments: Friendly, Professional, and Concise. Users can even opt to have their text rewritten to "read like a poem." While this technology mirrors what we've seen in devices like the Samsung Galaxy S24 series, its effectiveness remains a point of debate, especially among those skeptical of generative AI.
Enhanced Messaging and Redesigned Photos App
iOS 18’s updates to Messages are expected to add a new level of fun and functionality to group chats, while the Photos app redesign aims to make photo organization more intuitive, despite an initial learning curve.
Overall, iOS 18 promises to be a substantial update with features that cater to long-time user requests and new AI-driven tools to enhance the iPhone experience.
The new Siri will also be more forgiving for those who don’t speak perfectly, now able to process your intent if you have to correct yourself mid-sentence or stutter. It’s also supposed to be better at sending photos and items between apps, as a presenter used Siri to find a photo and then add that image to an Apple Notes document. Apple also emphasized that its take on AI and assistants is extremely personal, as it was able to pull updated flight arrival time, lunch plans and the distance from the airport to the restaurant from your own apps.
Take more control of your iPhone’s app icons
Don’t think iOS 18 is all-AI, though. There’s a bunch of great features for the rest of us, including the fact that Apple’s finally surrendering control over your home screen app icons and widgets. For starters, you’ll be able to drag and drop the apps you love and need around your home screen to your preference — and leave blank spaces on those screens.
iOS 18 Introduces Long-Awaited Features and Enhancements
Customizable App Icons and Convenient Placement
A feature that Android users have enjoyed for years is finally coming to iOS: the ability to place app icons at the bottom of the screen for easier reach. This means you can keep your favorite apps and widgets accessible without covering important elements like pets, people, and places on your home screen. Additionally, app icons are now more customizable with new dark mode images and the option to change their hues to match your wallpaper, ensuring a cohesive and personalized look.
RCS Support for Improved Messaging
In a move that has the Android community saying "finally," iOS 18 introduces Rich Communication Services (RCS) support. This update allows iPhone users to exchange high-quality images, videos, and audio files with Android users. Although Apple did not provide extensive details, the preview showed that messages exchanged with Android users will still appear in green bubbles.
Enhanced Messaging Experience
The Messages app gets a significant upgrade in iOS 18. Tapback icons, which are popular for quickly reacting to messages, now feature enhanced color and shadowing, and you can use any emoji for a Tapback. Additionally, new text formatting options allow you to make your messages ripple, jitter, shake, and bloom, adding a dynamic and expressive touch to your conversations.
Redesigned Photos App
The Photos app receives a major overhaul in iOS 18. The familiar tab-based interface is replaced by a single view that starts with a grid of photos at the top, followed by collections that sort images by specific days, such as "today" and "yesterday." The new layout also includes a People & Pets section, and you can pin your favorite collections for easy access.
Wondering where all the moments and other highlights that the Photos app loves to show you went? Swipe horizontally on that big grid at the top of the screen to see your favorites and then featured photos.
The other big iOS 18 Photos app change that I am happy to see is the ability to filter out screenshots, which seem to lose their value and get in the way at an increasingly faster pace these days. A quick tap of the “Hide screenshots” button brushes your ticket stubs and recipes away so you can focus on the memories.
We get more control over the Control Center
The Control Center is that menu of options you find by swiping down from the top-right corner of your iPhone, and I really hope every iPhone owner knows about it. Here, you can instantly change your brightness, volume, Airplane mode and other settings — it’s a godsend when a movie is starting. And now, the Control Center won’t just be for Apple apps anymore. Yes, Apple’s going to let your favorite third-party apps put controls here, such as Ford’s own app that’s designed to make it easier to get in and out of your phone (and possibly into your car).
Plus, you know the flashlight and camera buttons on your lock screen? Those are also seen as Control Center buttons, and you’ll be able to swap those out, too. The Notes app will be among the options, so you’ll be able to quickly start jotting a new document faster than ever.
Make your own apps a bit more private
Ever felt like you were taking a huge risk by simply handing your phone to someone else so they could see something? Well, Apple heard about your sense of dread, and it’s letting you lock specific apps behind Face ID unlock. Information from those apps won’t even show up in your notifications, search or Siri suggestions until you unlock it with your face.
Hopefully this doesn’t start more arguments about why your apps are locked than keeping them open would have. Additionally, you’ll be able to hide apps behind Face ID — for those programs you’d rather keep private in a hidden apps folder.
The Mail app gets easier to manage
The iPhone’s stock Mail app will give you ways to more easily sort all the email you get. That starts with the Primary, Transactions, Updates and Promotions categories at the top of the app, which is awfully similar to Gmail’s Primary, Promotions and Social tabs.
Apple’s also going to group messages from the same sender in what it dubbed “digests.” This way I’ll be more easily able to find all the things I’ve been sent about the flight I’ve booked for this summer, including the inevitable change of departure time.
These changes may not be available on iOS 18 at launch, as Apple’s own iOS 18 preview notes they’re “Coming later this year.”
Apple’s newest app stores your passwords
The iPhone, as well as the iPad, Mac and Vision Pro, is getting a new Apple-made Passwords app. Sure, Apple’s held onto your passwords in one way or another for a while (any of y’all opened Keychain recently?), but this application looks to be a more polished solution.
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