iOS 18: New Features
This document outlines the extensive new features and enhancements introduced with iOS 18, powered by Apple Intelligence.
Apple Intelligence
Apple Intelligence brings a new era of personal intelligence to iPhone, iPad, and Mac, with features designed to enhance productivity and creativity.
Writing Tools
Enhance your writing with tools like Rewrite, Proofread, Describe, and Style, allowing for multiple text versions, grammar corrections, specific text modifications, and stylistic changes. Compose original content from scratch using ChatGPT and integrate images generated by its capabilities.
Image Playground
Create custom images with ease using Image Playground. Generate images of people you know, inspired by photos, or based on concepts and characters. Utilize suggested concepts and quick previews to refine your creations. Images can be saved to your Image Playground library and synced across devices via iCloud.
Siri
Siri now offers enhanced personal context understanding, onscreen awareness, and more resilient request handling. It can access information across apps, understand conversational context, and even integrate with ChatGPT for more comprehensive answers. Features like Type to Siri, suggested text in the keyboard, and visually rich responses improve user interaction. Siri also features a new glowing edge light that animates with your voice.
Customization
Personalize your device with more flexible placement of app icons and widgets on the Home Screen. Customize app icons with dark mode adjustments and tinted icons for a unique look. Larger icons offer a streamlined appearance. The Control Center has been redesigned for easier navigation and customization, allowing users to arrange controls, add third-party controls, and customize the Lock Screen.
Photos
The Photos app features a significant design update for easier use and customization. Collections are automatically organized by theme. New features include Recent Days, Trips, Collection view options, and the ability to hide screenshots. The Clean Up tool helps remove unwanted objects from photos. Users can also create custom memories, customize the Photos app, edit albums in folders, and edit photos in light or dark mode.
Messages
Enhance conversations with Text Effects and Text Formatting options. Message friends and family via satellite when off the grid. Utilize Emoji and sticker Tapbacks for reactions, and benefit from RCS for richer messaging. High-quality images can be sent up to 100MB. Smart Reply offers quick response options, and message summaries provide previews of conversations.
Mail features new categories like Transactions, Updates, Promotions, and Time Sensitive emails for better organization. Emails can be grouped by sender, and users can recategorize senders. Smart Reply offers intelligent suggestions for replies, and email threads can be summarized for quick understanding. Unsubscribe and delete options help manage unwanted emails.
Safari
Safari offers highlights for web pages, including summaries, location details, music information, and person highlights. The Redesigned Reader provides a streamlined article view with summaries and tables of contents. Distraction Control allows users to hide distracting elements on web pages. The Passwords app centralizes passwords, passkeys, verification codes, and Wi-Fi passwords, with seamless Sign in with Apple integration and autofill capabilities.
Maps
Maps introduces topographic maps with contour lines, hill shading, and hiking trails. Users can create and save custom walking and hiking routes, and access them offline. Turn-by-turn navigation provides voice guidance. Discover and save places with photos, ratings, and price levels. The Places Library consolidates saved places, guides, and hiking routes.
Gaming
Game Mode enhances the gaming experience by improving responsiveness with wireless accessories and minimizing background activity for higher frame rates.
Wallet
Wallet offers an enriched fan experience with event tickets, including support for Live Activities and a smart event guide. Apple Pay is available for online transactions on third-party browsers and PCs. Tap to Cash allows quick, private exchanges of Apple Cash. Tap to provision enables easy addition of credit or debit cards to Wallet.
AirPods
AirPods offer Siri Interactions with head gestures, Personalized Spatial Audio for gaming, and improved in-game voice quality. Voice Isolation enhances call quality in noisy environments. Reduced gaming audio latency is also featured.
Notes
Notes allows for audio recording within notes, with the ability to edit while recording. Phone call transcription captures conversations as text and audio. Math Notes integration allows for calculations, variable assignments, and graphing within notes. Collapsible sections help organize long notes.
Journal
Journaling features include Highlighting with multiple color options, PDF inline search, state of mind integration, insights view, calendar integration, search and sort capabilities, widgets for writing prompts, audio transcription, and shortcuts for creating journal entries. It also offers mindful minutes logging, streaks tracking, stats, and export/print options.
Apple TV
Apple TV enhances the viewing experience with InSight, providing real-time actor and music information, and Enhance Dialogue for clearer audio during scenes with music and loud effects. Spatial Audio support is available for immersive sound.
Home
Home features include more dynamic subtitles, hands-free unlock with home keys, and the ability to pair Matter accessories without a hub. Electricity usage and rates can be accessed via the Home app. Guest access allows time-based access for up to 29 guests, and robot vacuum cleaners can be controlled through the Home app.
Privacy & Security
Privacy & Security settings offer improved contact preferences and an Accessory Setup Kit for seamless accessory pairing. Redesigned Privacy & Security settings provide clearer information on app data access. Blocking sensitive content for children requires a Screen Time password.
Accessibility
Accessibility features include Eye Tracking for navigation, Vocal Shortcuts for custom commands, and Music Haptics that match music rhythm with the Taptic Engine. Vehicle motion cues help reduce motion sickness for passengers.
AirPlay
AirPlay enables Spatial Audio for immersive music experiences, including Dolby Atmos support, when streaming from iPhone to compatible audio equipment.
Apple Account
Share Sign in with Apple credentials with trusted friends and family members through the Passwords app.
Calculator
The Calculator app includes Math Notes for evaluating expressions, assigning variables, and creating graphs. Typed math allows for instant solving of expressions, and graphing capabilities are enhanced. Users can also adjust numbers with a slider and access Math Notes within the Notes app.
Calendar
Calendar integration allows viewing and creating reminders directly within the Calendar app. Subtasks in Smart Lists are now available. A recently deleted list is available for reminders. Multilingual grocery lists can be enabled. The app features a refreshed look for better readability and an updated Month view for at-a-glance event details.
Camera
The Camera app offers a 5-second timer, and flash settings can be adjusted via touch and hold. Music continues to play during photo capture. Next-gen Portraits enhancements include Portrait Lighting controls and Night mode for portraits.
CarPlay
CarPlay now supports Spatial Audio songs and albums from Apple Music and third-party apps. Accessibility features like Color Filters, Bold Text, and Voice Control are available for a consistent experience between iPhone and the vehicle.
Continuity
Continuity Camera with Apple TV 4K allows for dedicated iPhone connection to Apple TV 4K for FaceTime calls and other media experiences.
Family Sharing
Family Sharing invitations are easier to accept, and organizers can track responses and send reminders. Recommended for your family feature helps set up shared items like calendars and grocery lists.
Files
Files offers desktop and documents in the Cloud setup for syncing. Expanded external drive file formats are supported for iPhone with USB-C. Users can choose to keep iCloud files downloaded for offline access and erase external drives.
Fitness+
Fitness+ provides personalized recommendations in the Summary tab. The Explore space offers easy navigation and discovery of activities. The Library provides one-tap access to saved and downloaded content.
Freeform
Freeform allows for scene creation, Snap to Grid alignment, and improved diagramming. Users can search for activities, trainers, and music. Scenes can be organized by topic. Handwriting recognition is available for text on boards. Math Results can be used for calculations within Freeform.
iCloud
iCloud settings have been redesigned for easier management of device backup and syncing. Premium features can be enabled, and personalized recommendations can be acted upon.
iCloud Mail
iCloud Mail offers powerful cleanup tools for inbox management, including time-based rules for managing old emails and unsubscribing from senders. Mail categories help organize transactions, updates, and promotions.
Keyboard
The Keyboard features a unified emoji and sticker picker, searchable stickers, and inline stickers and Memoji. A multilingual keyboard supports seamless switching between two languages and predictive typing. Language detection automatically recognizes the language used in messages.
Locked and Hidden Apps
Apps can be locked to protect their contents, with options to hide them from the Home Screen and search results. Hidden apps are moved to a locked folder requiring Face ID, Touch ID, or a passcode. Seamless authentication allows for easy app unlocking.
Move to iOS
Move to iOS offers faster migration with more connection options, new migration categories, and helpful information. Improved Wi-Fi migration supports higher speeds and Android phone connections. Dual SIM labels are supported for call history. Cabled migration offers faster data transfer. Tips during migration provide guidance on new gestures and features. Voice memo migration is also supported.
Music
SharePlay on more devices allows easier control of music playback together. Call recordings can be made directly from the Phone app, with automatic announcement. Call history search is enhanced, and Live caller ID lookup provides privacy-preserving caller information. Dual SIM switching is available in Control Center.
Phone
Call recordings can be made directly from the Phone app, with automatic announcement. Call history search is enhanced, and Live caller ID lookup provides privacy-preserving caller information. Dual SIM switching is available in Control Center. Call transcripts are saved to the Notes app. Keypad search allows quick contact finding. Live Voicemail is coming to more regions. Automatic Mic Mode optimizes audio based on environment. Podcasts feature chapter scrubbing and sharing from transcripts.
Podcasts
Podcasts offer chapter scrubbing and sharing from transcripts. Better playback control allows reordering and removing episodes. Search suggestions appear as you type.
Reminders
Calendar integration displays scheduled reminders in the Calendar app. Subtasks in Smart Lists are available. A recently deleted list for reminders is provided. Multilingual grocery lists can be enabled.
SharePlay
SharePlay allows asking to share screens, remote control of devices, and iPhone to iPhone/iPad to iPad control. Draw to highlight feature aids in screen sharing. Privacy friendly screen sharing ensures only known contacts can request control. SharePlay on more devices allows synchronized music control.
Tips
Tips sharing allows sharing helpful hints and hidden gems. Weather features include easier-to-find Feels Like temperature and prominent wind gusts and direction. Home and work locations from Contacts are integrated into Weather.
iCloud
