Apple has released the first details about the next major release of iOS, the operating system designed specifically for iPhones. The company is holding its Worldwide Developers Conference (WWDC) this week, kicking off with an online conference focused on software releases.
As expected, this is a pivotal moment for the mobile platform, as iOS 18 will have a strong focus on artificial intelligence.
“We're thrilled to introduce groundbreaking new intelligence capabilities that will inspire developers, delight users and make our platform smarter and more useful than ever,” Apple CEO Tim Cook said in introducing the event.
But before talking about AI, Apple mentioned a new customization feature: Icons can now be arranged however you like on your home screen, so they don't obscure the background photo.
“iOS 18 is a big release that gives you more ways to customise your iPhone, stay connected and relive special moments,” said Craig Federighi, Apple's SVP of Software Engineering.
Icons can be customized with tints, for example, if you want all your icons to be yellow, you can tint all your app icons with this color.
Control Center is also getting an update. It's not just limited to the buttons you see on the main Control Center page. Swipe down to see media playback and Home controls. You can also edit Control Center directly from there by tapping the Edit button in the corner of Control Center.
There's a new set of APIs for Control Center that will allow third-party developers to create Control Center shortcuts, including on the lock screen. For example, Apple has shown that you can replace the camera button on the lock screen with a Snapchat button.
You can now lock apps individually, so that they can only be unlocked by identifying them with Face ID, Touch ID, or a passcode. The app also won't appear in search results. Being able to hide apps is also important for our AI features.
Messages is getting a very welcome update with Tapbacks, you can now react to messages with emojis and stickers, which will appear in color (much like other messaging apps), you'll be able to send messages later, and you can format text (underline, strikethrough, etc.).
Mail also has new categories, similar to Gmail's categories, that will keep promotional, newsletter and other transactional emails out of your inbox, and a new digest view that shows all the relevant emails you've received, like flight information before you head to the airport.
New features in Wallet: Tap to cash to pay someone back, just by holding up your phone. Load up your card and send money to friends and family with Apple Cash in the background. Updated event cards now include more information about events, including stadium maps.
The recently introduced diary app Journal has been updated to add insights and new ways to quickly find past entries. Game Mode, a special mode that improves device performance, is coming to iPhone and is no longer limited to macOS.
The Photos app is getting its annual update, but this time it's a bigger one than usual. It's been completely redesigned with a unified single view. At the top, you'll find the good old photo grid with year and month filters. There are buttons to filter screenshots and to zoom in and out. It should be a bit easier to understand than the previous design.
Below the grid, scroll down to access collections that you can browse by topics like people, trips, favorite memories, etc. These memories have been available before but were hidden away in separate tabs.
This is an ongoing story…