In a major update, iOS 18 gives iPhone users big look-and-feel customization options as well as new generative AI-based functionality like a smarter Siri, Apple revealed during Monday’s WWDC24 keynote.
“iOS 18 is a big release that delivers more ways to customize your iPhone, stay connected and relive special moments,” said Craig Federighi, Apple’s senior vice president of software engineering.
The iOS 18 update will roll out to developers as a beta first. Then, after rounds of developer and public betas, become public for all in September when the 2024 iPhones arrive.
iOS 18 update at WWDC24 packs iPhone customization, AI features and more
Many people thought iOS 18, codenamed “Crystal,” would be the biggest iOS update since the iPhone launched in 2007 (or at least since iOS 10). And the iOS 18 upgrades did not fail to disappoint when Apple unveiled them in the WWDC24 opening keynote. It revealed the expected super-customizable Home Screen that users can tweak. Plus, the predicted major generative-AI upgrades with Apple Intelligence, which users probably can opt out of, should make Siri search better and work smarter with apps like Messages and Photos, among other improvements.
We’ll update this article as a hub linking to more-detailed posts about new functionality and updated apps. Find out if your iPhone will get iOS 18 and learn how to download the beta for early access to features.
Upgrades, including app updates (this is updated with links to new posts):
Image: Apple
- Photos: In “the biggest Photos redesign ever,” AI photo editing tools allow for more customization and organization than before. New views help you find and relive special moments captured in your snaps. You can pin collections for easy access, and a new Carousel view presents daily updates. Various views are customizable.
- iPhone Home Screen: iOS 18 will let you place app icons wherever you wish in the Home Screen layout, with colors you can tweak.
- New wallpapers: And speaking of the Home Screen (and Lock Screen), iPhone, iPad and Mac are all getting new wallpapers, including retro icons for Mac.
- Safari will bring improved ways to look at web pages, with summaries, highlights and better interaction with online videos.
- Control Center: The revamped iOS 18 Control Center features multiple groups and can help you control media playback, smart home devices, and other things directly. Third-party apps can be placed in the Control Center for the first time.
- Apple Maps gets custom routes and topographic maps.
- Game Mode: For the first time, iPhone and iPad have a dedicated Game Mode to optimize the system for gaming performance.
- macOS Sequoia brings iPhone closer to Mac, with features like iPhone mirroring. iPhone notifications will also appear on Mac.
- Freeform adds a new “Scenes” function.
- Apple Mail gets new AI-based summaries, categories and draft replies across devices.
- Messages: Updates include sending texts via satellite when you’re off-grid, plus new effects for iMessages plus emoji tapbacks, a very popular feature. You also can quickly create custom emoji through the AI-supported Genmoji feature and custom artwork through Apple’s new Image Playground. Rich Communication Services support for better texting with Android devices is coming, too.
- Passwords app is a new native app based on the iCloud Keychain feature that manages all your passwords across devices.
- Fitness and Health apps get a variety of new AI-based features, some tied in with watchOS and its new capabilities.
- Calculator: A new sidebar lists recent calculations, and the app gets an improved interface and integration with Notes.
- T9 dialing: This predictive-text feature lets you search for phone numbers or contacts directly from the dialer.
Photo: Apple
Key AI functionality for iPhone and other devices
Image: Apple
Summarization: You can see summarized Safari web pages, articles, meeting notes, texts, emails and more. Provide catch-up recaps for missed notifications.
Smart reply suggestions: Apple Intelligence will suggest full responses for emails and messages.
Enhanced Siri: Apple’s voice assistant will work directly with ChatGPT for more precise app control and features like helping you write. Coming later: Expanding functionality to third-party apps and stringing together multiple commands in one request that should smoke the Siri we know today.
Custom emoji: Generate custom emoji characters on the fly based on words/phrases as they’re typed.
Source: Apple
We published this article on June 10, 2024, and added new links to related posts on June 11, 2024.
David Snow, an expert on Apple hardware and software, writes on a variety of technological and cultural topics for Cult of Mac. They include Apple news, technology buying guides, and features about computer setups and Apple TV shows and movies.
With 30 years of experience covering technology and other subjects, he has written and edited for numerous print and online publications, including CMP Media, TechTV.com, CNET, Wired News, Red Herring magazine, Law.com, The National Law Journal and Law Technology News magazine. Among other roles, he served as executive editor of the Law.com network of websites and editorial director, technology, for ALM Media.
Snow graduated with a B.A. from Syracuse University with majors in magazine journalism and psychology. While there, he worked as a reporter for The Daily Orange newspaper and associate editor of Equal Time magazine.
Founder of the blog At the Waterline, he can be reached on X (formerly Twitter) via @atthewaterline and on Mastodon via @dsnow.
