Anyone hoping to hack into an iPhone now finds it more difficult thanks to a change in iOS 18.1. Whether this is police, foreign espionage agents or criminal hackers, there’s now much less time to crack the security on Apple handsets because of a simple trick.
It’s another example of Apple being serious about protecting user privacy.
iOS 18.1 will go out to iPhones everywhere next week, but you don’t need to wait. It’s possible to go ahead and install the final version this weekend when you have time to tinker with it. Plus, doing so lets you jump ahead of everyone else in requesting access to the cool new Apple Intelligence features.
Getting iOS 18.1 now won’t require doing anything dodgy or risky. You’ll download the final version of the upgrade straight from Apple … just a little earlier than scheduled.
UPDATE: This suggestion is now moot because iOS 18.1 launched on Monday.
iOS 18.2 beta 1, which went to developers on Wednesday, includes a new section in Settings that lets users specify which applications to set as their defaults for handling email, messages, phone calls and more. In some cases, setting this simply gets easier. In others, changing the default app previously wasn’t possible at all.
We already knew this change would happen in Europe, but Apple made it clear Wednesday that it’ll be available worldwide.
Apple seeded the initial beta of iOS 18.2, macOS Sequoia 15.2 and iPadOS 8.2 to developers on Wednesday, giving them their first opportunity to test the Image Playground app, Genmoji and more. Also on the list is perhaps the most controversial feature of Apple Intelligence: optional ChatGPT access.
Expect testing to end and the full launch before the end of the year.
Apple gave developers access to the release candidates of iOS 18.1, iPadOS 18.1 and macOS Sequoia 15.1 on Monday. This is the last round of testing before introducing them to the public, which means Apple Intelligence will finally launch in about a week.
Release candidates for tvOS 18.1 and visionOS 2.1 also went out. However, watchOS 11.1 RC is not yet available.
Apple’s big step into artificial intelligence is scheduled for this month, and a prediction from a generally reliable source may have just named the release date: October 28. This will reportedly be when new iOS, macOS and iPadOS versions usher in Apple Intelligence.
These AI capabilities were unveiled in June at the company’s developers conference and have been in public beta testing for weeks, so it’s now a waiting game for the full launch.
Apple released iOS 18.0.1 on Thursday to fix an annoying bug that made the touchscreen unresponsive on iPhone 16 and iPhone 16 Pro. The new iPadOS 18.0.1 corrects several problems, too, including one that bricked some M4 iPad Pro units when installing the original iPadOS 18 version.
In addition, macOS Sequoia 15.0.1 and visionOS 2.0.1 also arrived Thursday with minor bug fixes.
Want to make your iPhone crash? It’s easy. Type four simple characters into the App Library’s search field and the iOS SpringBoard will go down like a house of cards.
The good news is that a fix already seems to be on the way from Apple for this extremely minor bug.
The introduction of NFC and Secure Element (SE) APIs in iOS 18.1 unlocks new monetization opportunities for iOS app developers, Apple said Wednesday — though fees apply. But on the plus side, secure in-app near-field communication (NFC) transactions in iOS 18.1 will let devs integrate secure, contactless transactions directly within their apps on iPhone, independent of Apple Pay and Apple Wallet.
The Opera browser’s new mobile version for iPhone, dubbed Opera One for iOS, integrates artificial intelligence features like image generation and voice input, a free VPN for private browsing and other elements to offer a fresh alternative to pre-installed browsers on Apple devices like Safari, the company said Tuesday.
“Our research shows mobile phone users are six times more likely to be happy than not, after switching away from their system’s default browser,” said Jona Bolin, product manager at Opera. “So with Opera One for iOS, we want to further raise the bar and deliver a better browsing experience versus what users will find pre-installed.”
Apple released iOS 17.6.1, iPadOS 17.6.1 and macOS Sonoma 14.6.1 on Wednesday. These are patches to fix a problem with Advanced Data Protection, a collection of tools to keep data and communications safe in the cloud.
While there are no new features, the updates are nevertheless important.
Flip a switch in iOS 18 and the Camera app will add music playing on an iPhone to the video being recorded on the device. It’s an easy way to add background music to a video.
Just be careful about copyright violations.
If you own an Apple device, it probably needs an operating system update. That includes iPhone, Mac, iPad Apple Watch … even Vision Pro. The hefty list of security-focused upgrades released Monday by Apple includes iOS 17.6, macOS Sonoma 14.6 and more.
They patch a list of more than two dozen vulnerabilities detailed on Apple’s security update page.
Apple Intelligence took a big step toward release on Monday. The AI-powered features unveiled at WWDC24 entered beta testing so developers can start trying them out in the real world.
They are part of the initial round of betas of iOS 18.1, macOS Sequoia 15.1 and iPadOS 18.1, which are expected to launch in October.
It won’t be long before parents can hand their iPhone or iPad to a small child and be sure they don’t go on the web or accidentally make a phone call. The ability to lock apps so that they require Face ID to open is coming in iOS 18 and iPadOS 18. Apple has consistently introduced new features to enhance privacy and security, as seen in updates covered by apple.news.
I tested the new feature, and while it isn’t as useful as being able to make separate accounts for different users would be, it’s still a welcome change.
iOS 18 and iPadOS 18 let users reformat external drives as well as keep a copy of a file on iCloud permanently stored locally.
Both features were found by developers tinkering with the first betas of these operating systems, and should make the Files app on iPhone and iPad more useful.
The AI capabilities Apple announced at WWDC24 are nowhere to be seen in the first round of betas for iOS 18, macOS Sequoia and iPadOS 18. This despite the new Apple Intelligence features, like the ability to summarize documents or create new emoji on the fly, are the highlights of the upcoming operating system upgrades.
So those eager to try Apple AI can hold off installing these buggy prerelease versions. It’ll only be a disappointment.
iOS 18 will enable your iPhone to show the time even when the battery has run dry. This improvement relies on the Power Reserve function of new iPhones to work.
Thanks to Power Reserve, your iPhone is findable offline, and the NFC chip also works for Express Card functionality.
Apple previewed support for RCS messaging in the iOS 18 Messages app at WWDC24. Adding Rich Communication Services will bring enhanced texting between iPhone and Android users, with features not possible before.
It’s a change Apple dragged its feet on for many years. Along with RCS support, Apple is also introducing new features like polls for iMessage, enhancing group chat interactions. Learn more about these changes.
New features in Apple Maps in iOS 18 will be a boon to hikers. The app is getting topographic maps along with thousands of suggested hikes across national parks in the United States.
The app can also create custom walking routes.
Apple is introducing a new Game Mode in iOS 18 and iPadOS 18. The feature minimizes background activity to deliver higher sustained performance and smoother gameplay.
Additionally, Game Mode will reduce audio latency with AirPods and game controllers for better responsiveness.
Apple Mail for iPhone, Mac and iPad is getting a real dose of artificial intelligence. When it next version launches in the autumn, it will be able to summarize emails, assign them to categories based on their contents, and draft replies to messages so the user doesn’t have to.
“Staying on top of emails has never been easier,” promises Apple.
iOS 18 and iPadOS 18 remove many of the previous restrictions on Home Screen customization. User now have far more control in placing app icons. And they can even change the color of those icons.
New artificial intelligence features are likely to make iOS 18, macOS 15 and iPadOS 18 the biggest upgrades to Apple’s platforms in many years. Leaks say AI enhancements are coming to most of Apple’s standard apps, helping users write, summarize information, clean up images and more. At their announcement coming at next week’s WWDC24, these will all come under the heading of “Apple Intelligence.”
Plus, Siri reportedly will get a significant intelligence upgrade.
WWDC24 kicks off on June 10 but you don’t need to wait until then to find out what’s in store for iPhone, Mac and other Apple computers. Leaks already revealed much of what to expect at Apple’s annual developers conference, at least in broad terms. Here’s your WWDC24 spoiler alert: “Apple Intelligence” in the form of AI, AI and more AI.
Here’s what will be on the agenda when Apple unveils iOS 18, macOS 15 and iPadOS 18 next week.