Apple today previewed iOS 18, the next major update to the operating system for the iPhone, with new customization features, a redesigned Photos app, and more.
iOS 18 features new customization tools for the Home Screen. App icons now feature Dark Mode and users can tint them with a color to create a unique look. Apps can also now be placed anywhere on the Home Screen freely.
The Control Center is redesigned and highly customizable with a new gallery. Developers can provide tools for their apps in the Control Center. Users can continuously swipe to access other Control Center screens. Lock Screen controls are also customizable.
In Messages, tapbacks have been redesigned and users can now react with any emoji. Users can also schedule messages to send later, as well as format text with bold, italicization, underlining, and strikethrough. New text effects provide ways to emphasize words and phrases with automatic suggestions. Users can also now send and receive messages with satellite connectivity.
In Mail, emails are automatically sorted into categories to help prioritize messages. There are also new topographical maps with trail networks and hiking routes in the Maps app. In Wallet, a new Tap to Cash feature sends cash by holding iPhones together.
The Photos app is completely redesigned in iOS 18. The app has been unified into a single view, with a photo grid at the top that views the entire library and collections organized by theme below. Users can use Months and Years views at the bottom, and there's a filter button that allows you to hide screenshots and sort in other ways.
The space below the grid includes Collections with the ability to browse by topics like Time, People, Memories, Trips, and more. Recent Days shows photos from the past few days, with things like photos of receipts filtered out automatically. People and Pets now gathers photos of groups of people and collections can be reordered or pinned. Swipe right from the grid and you'll see a new carousel with Featured Photos and other favorite collections. It automatically refreshes to surface new images.
Users can now Lock apps with authentication, simultaneously hiding information from Search and Siri. iOS 18 also includes a new way to connect accessories more seamlessly.
iOS 18 brings RCS messaging support to the iPhone, larger Home Screen icons, and Reminders integration in calendar.
Game Mode also comes to the iPhone for the first time, minimizing background activity to keep frame rates high, plus more responsive connections to AirPods and wireless game controllers.
The first developer beta of iOS 18 is available starting today, with a public beta following in July, and official release to the public in the fall.
