Welcome to our blog post about the most exciting new features of iOS 18! At this year's WWDC 2024, Apple once again unveiled impressive updates and features across its entire product range. In addition to the innovations for macOS, Apple Intelligence and iPadOS, there were also many exciting announcements for iOS, the operating system that accompanies millions of iPhone users worldwide every day.
With iOS 18, Apple has focused on personalization, efficiency and ease of use. The new features and improvements will take the user experience to a whole new level. In this post we will show you the top 15 features of iOS 18 that you should definitely know. Let's get started and discover what the latest iOS update has in store for you!
1. Customization of the home screen and control center
With iOS 18, you now have more control over your iPhone's appearance than ever before. The new Home Screen and Control Center customization feature allows you to make your device truly unique. You can now leave empty spaces for icons to achieve a tidy look and adjust the colors of the icons to your taste using a color picker.
The Control Center has also been redesigned and now offers separate pages for Media, Home and Connectivity. This means you can quickly and easily access the features you need most. Additionally, you can customize and resize the controls in the Control Center as you wish. Developers can even add their own features to the Control Center pages, giving you even more personalization options in third-party apps in the future.
2. Scheduled Messages
Do you know this?? You don't want to send an important message immediately, but at a later time. This is now possible with iOS 18! The new scheduled messages feature allows you to send messages at a specific date and time. No matter whether you want to wish your friend a happy birthday on time or send an important reminder - with scheduled messages nothing will be forgotten.
3. Redesigned Photos app
The Photos app has been fundamentally redesigned in iOS 18 to make managing and browsing your images even easier. You'll now find your way around even more easily with an improved design that's more visually appealing and less cluttered. New filters allow you to quickly sort receipts and screenshots, and you can search your photos by recent days, trips, people and pets.
A particularly practical innovation is the pinning of collections and the new carousel section for your favorites.
4. Revised mail program
The mail program in iOS 18 has received a comprehensive redesign that significantly improves the management of your emails. Similar to Gmail, there are now categories for Promotions, Transactions, Updates, and Primary Messages. This will help you better organize your email and quickly access important messages.
In addition, emails can be grouped by sender and sorted and filtered manually. These new functions make emailing more efficient and clearer.
5. Highlights feature in Safari
One of the most exciting new features in Safari is the Highlights feature. This highlights relevant information on websites, such as:People, places and music. This way you can capture the most important content more quickly without having to search for a long time.
In addition, the reader area in Safari has been redesigned to make reading articles more pleasant. With the quick summary creation for articles you get the most important points of a text at a glance.
6. Live audio transcription in the Notes app
The Notes app in iOS 18 now has a live audio transcription feature that automatically converts recorded notes into text. This function is particularly useful for meetings, lectures or interviews, as you immediately have the spoken information in written form.
7. Standalone password app
With iOS 18 there is a standalone password app that makes managing your passwords much easier. The app offers easy navigation with categories such as passkeys, two-factor codes, Wi-Fi passwords, security risks and recently deleted passwords.
You can also generate two-factor authentication codes and organize passwords into shared groups. This makes password management more secure and clearer.
8. Insight feature in the Apple TV app
The Apple TV app has received a new Insight feature that works similarly to Amazon's X-ray. This function provides you with additional information about films and series, such as actors, locations and music.
In addition, you can add songs to Apple Music directly from the app, making your viewing experience even more interactive.
9. Voice isolation and hands-free Siri interactions for AirPods Pro
The AirPods Pro have been further improved with iOS 18. A new voice isolation feature ensures your voice is heard clearer and clearer during calls. In addition, hands-free Siri interactions by nodding or shaking your head enable even easier operation.
10. Tap-to-cash function via Apple Pay
With the new Tap to Cash feature, you can quickly and easily transfer money to your friends via Apple Pay without having to share your email or phone number. This feature makes money transfers safer and more convenient.
11. Topographic maps and hiking trail networks in the map app
The map app has been expanded to include topographic maps and hiking trail networks. These new features are particularly useful for outdoor activities and provide detailed information about terrain and trails. You can also save routes for offline use, which is particularly useful when traveling in areas without cell service.
12. Emoji and sticker support in Messages
Messages in iOS 18 now features expanded emoji and sticker support. You can add any emojis or stickers to your messages and use the new color options to make your messages even more personal.
13. Text formatting and effects in messages
With iOS 18 you can make your messages even more creative. The new text formatting feature allows you to format text as bold, italic, underlined, or strikethrough. Additionally, you can add effects for individual words, letters, emojis and stickers to make your messages even more expressive.
14.RCS support in Messages
iOS 18 introduces support for Rich Communication Services (RCS). This new messaging technology offers advanced features such as high-resolution photos and videos, read receipts and real-time chat. This means that you can now chat with Android devices via iMessage without sending standard SMS. For users of the iPhone 14 or newer, there is also the option of using satellite messaging for off-grid communication.
15. Math solving feature in the Notes app
The Notes app now has a math solver feature that lets you solve math problems directly in the app. This function is ideal for schoolchildren, students and anyone who regularly deals with mathematical tasks.
Conclusion: How good are the new features of iOS 18?
iOS 18 brings some significant improvements that noticeably enhance the iPhone experience. Particularly noteworthy is the ability to customize the iPhone more - an area in which Apple has so far lagged behind Android and has often been criticized. The new Home Screen and Control Center customization options are big steps in this direction.
Despite these advances, iOS 18 does not offer any revolutionary features. Many of the innovations can already be found in the competition. Nevertheless, the update represents an important step towards keeping up with user expectations and standards. It remains to be seen how these functions will be accepted in everyday life and what further developments Apple will present in the future. We will know more from September 2024 - because iOS 18 will be available as a beta version in the next few days, but iOS 18 will only be rolled out to all users after the release of the new iPhone 16 series.
