What's New with the Apple iOS 18 Update?

Designed around the brand's innovative Apple Intelligence platform, Apple's Public Beta version of the new iOS 18 is available now before its general release. This offers users the chance to test software, while also ensuring that any bugs are removed during the early development stages.

Keep reading as we explore everything that Apple's iOS 18 update has to offer for your Apple device, including a customisable lock screen, upgraded app library, and more.

Apple Intelligence

The brand new Apple Intelligence feature was announced at the Worldwide Developers Conference (WWDC) 2024, which showcases Apple's latest iPhone, iPad, Mac, and Watch devices, along with new software platforms.

The personal AI platform is automatically built into devices that operate on the iOS 18 system, which expands Apple's current artificial intelligence offering in the form of Siri. This provides new features that allow users to communicate, work, and express themselves more easily, including everything from system-wide writing tools to emoji-creating functions.

Described as "AI for the rest of us", Apple Intelligence combines generative AI with personal context to enhance the functionality of the iPhone for your unique needs. Some of the new features that iPhone users will experience with iOS 18 include:

• Writing Tools: These tools allow you to summarise, rewrite, and even proofread text to eliminate spelling or grammatical errors. Use Smart Reply in the Mail or Messages app to draft quick replies that achieve the right tone or wording. Or, summarise transcripts and recordings in seconds with just one tap, thanks to the richer language understanding of Apple Intelligence.
• Image Playground App: Generate images using Apple's wide array of suggestions and themes. Base these on images of family and friends within your Photos app or a simple written description, before creating custom pictures in animation, illustration, or sketch styles.
• Priority Notifications: Make the most of Reduce Interruptions to enhance your productivity, which highlights key notifications and puts them at the top of your stack. Minimise unnecessary distractions and focus on those important or time-sensitive emails and replies in the Messages app, for instance.
• Genmoji: Use an image from the Photos app and generate a personalised emoji for you or a friend. You can also provide a simple description that matches your unique style and characteristics, while making adjustments to create the perfect Genmoji for you.
• ChatGPT: Apple Intelligence integrates OpenAI's ChatGPT software to improve Siri's capabilities. Ask Siri a question, such as how to make the ingredients in your fridge into a meal, and the tool will feed this information into the AI platform to provide a more in-depth answer.
• Enhanced Language Understanding: Apple Intelligence brings upgraded natural language processing features to Siri, meaning that it will understand your requests more easily. Siri now also supports keyboard as well as voice command.

Apple Intelligence will be available on every Apple device with an M-series chip, including the iPhone 15 and new iPhone 16 models. Processing is kept on-device within the core of your phone, tablet, or laptop as part of Apple's Private Cloud Compute feature.

Built with security in mind, this offers end-to-end encryption and a verifiable privacy promise that makes the system aware of your personal information, without storing any training data.

New and Upgraded Apps

A key upgrade for the iOS 18 developer beta comes courtesy of the App library. With a large range of updates to several existing apps, as well as the introduction of new Password and hidden apps features, here are some of the changes you can expect to see:

Messages App

The Messages app is one of the areas that will receive the most upgrades with the new iOS 18.

Like the Emergency SOS feature introduced on the iPhone 14 series, Messages via Satellite allows users to send messages without having any signal. This could be incredibly useful not only in emergency situations, but also for communicating with friends when camping or at a festival, for instance.

Another big update for the Messages app comes courtesy of new Tapback options, which mean that you can react to messages with an expanded range of options, including more emojis and stickers. Use bold, strikethrough, underline, and italics to emphasise particular words too.

You can also schedule messages to send later, so you're less likely to forget a birthday or that important email deadline.

Photos App

Ever struggled to find the specific photo you're looking for from that special day out last year? Scrolling through thousands of images and videos can be difficult, which is why the iOS 18 update comes with a redesigned Photos app.

With the update, photos can now be organised by month, year, or theme, as well as allowing you to filter out screenshots.

Passwords App

Current iPhone users will be familiar with the password keychain feature, which stores all of your passwords securely in iCloud and shares them only with those that you trust.

Apple is using iOS 18 to expand this feature into a whole Passwords app, syncing your password across all trusted Apple devices on your network. This means that you don't need to update your passwords on all devices if you change them on one – the app will automatically take care of this for you.

Notes App

iOS18 also improves organisation throughout your Notes App by introducing collapsible sections. This helps to organise the content within each note, rather than across the whole Notes app like in previous operating systems, so that you can easily locate that recipe you quickly scribbled down months ago.

Another addition to the new features of the Notes app includes live audio transcripts, where you can record and save lectures or meetings for later without needing to take minutes.

Apple Wallet App

Through the newly updated Apple Pay online, iOS 18 is revolutionising the way that we use money.

With Tap to Cash, users can send Apple Cash directly to friends and family without needing to go through the bank. Simply place your iPhones close together, similarly to how you'd send a photo or message through AirDrop.

The Wallet app itself will also receive an upgrade, meaning that you'll be able to view any rewards points you have on loyalty cards. These can then be conveniently redeemed through the Wallet app with Apple Pay or within any third-party apps.

Plus, add event tickets to the Wallet and you'll be able to view an event guide that provides useful venue information, as well as recommendations from a variety of Apple apps.

Journal App

The Journal app was announced at WWDC 2023 and released at the end of the year with the iOS 17.2 update. This app provides prompts to help you write down a few thoughts about your day, which can then be stored on your iPhone and through iCloud backups.

With the release of iOS 18, the new Journal mental health app helps you keep on top of your goals by logging certain stats, such as writing streaks or the number of days in a row you've exercised.

You'll also be able to monitor your state of mind, as well as search through previous journal entries to see how your thoughts and feelings have evolved over time.

Locked and Hidden Apps Folder

Whether letting a friend borrow your iPhone to make a quick call or look at a photo, you may not want them to have access to the full contents and data on your device.

Rather than simply removing apps from your home screen, you can therefore now place them in a dedicated hidden apps folder to preserve your privacy. You can also lock and hide apps, before using your Face ID or password to access them.

Home and Lock Screen

iOS 18 also promises to deliver greater customization for the Home Screen, which will meet some of the options now offered on Android phones.

While you may currently be able to select your own wallpaper for the home and lock screen, the cute photo of your friends or pet is likely concealed by app icons. With iOS 18, these apps can be moved to the top, bottom, or sides of the screen to provide a better view of your wallpaper.

You can also match your app icons and widgets to your mood, style, or the photo on your lock screen by making them appear either Light, Dark, or with a Tint.

Control Center

As well as the home screen, users will also have more customisable control over the iPhone Control Center, which provides instant access to the camera, allows you to quickly switch on WiFi, and even controls your Apple TV app.

Through the Control Center, you'll now have instant access to third-party and Apple apps, along with the music you're currently listening to. Place your most used app icons where they're easily accessible and enlarge the buttons that are most important to you.

You'll also be able to create dedicated sections for each of your apps by splitting Control Center into multiple screens, plus view a variety of controls with just one seamless swipe down from the top right corner of the screen.

When Will the iOS 18 Update Be Released?

Apple has announced that its latest operating system update is coming in autumn 2024, around September, in line with the launch of the iPhone 16 series.

Although most of the ground-breaking Apple Intelligence features are supported on the iPhone 15 Pro and newer models, you may be able to make the most of iOS 18 if you have an older device too, dating all the way back to the 2nd generation iPhone SE.

Whichever model you have, here at Ghostek, we offer a wide range of protective phone cases that are designed to provide peace of mind as you make the most of the new iOS 18 features.

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