iOS 18: What’s new, release date, and other details

iOS 18 will be Apple’s annual iPhone software update for 2024 and is expected to bring many changes, but we’re just days away from the announcement. The update is said to be one of the biggest updates in iPhone history, bringing major new AI features and design changes, as well as new customization options. Read on for everything we know so far about the new features in iOS 18.

What to expect from iOS 18

In November, Bloomberg Apple has reportedly stopped development of new features for iOS 18 for a week to fix bugs. This comes after the completion of the “first milestone” build of iOS 18. Typically, Apple starts work on the second milestone shortly afterwards, but this year the company took a week-long hiatus to iron out some early bugs and issues.

However, the delay is unlikely to have a significant impact on iOS 18 in terms of new features or release date — rather, Apple is simply taking an early pause to ensure that iOS 18 is developed on as stable a foundation as possible.

When will iOS 18 be released?

iOS 18 will be announced at WWDC 2024 on June 10. The first beta will be released after Apple’s keynote on June 10. A public beta will be released in July 2024, followed by a general release in September.

Here’s a rundown of recent iOS release dates:

iOS 18: Which devices are compatible?

One of the biggest questions every year is which devices will be compatible with the new iOS version. This year, rumors suggest that Apple will bring good news for iPhone users. According to an anonymous Twitter account, iOS 18 will be supported on all the same devices as iOS 17.

• iPhone 15
• iPhone 15 Plus
• iPhone 15 Pro
• iPhone 15 Pro Max
• iPhone 14
• iPhone 14 Plus
• iPhone 14 Pro
• iPhone 14 Pro Max
• iPhone 13
• iPhone 13 Mini
• iPhone 13 Pro
• iPhone 13 Pro Max
• iPhone 12
• iPhone 12 Mini
• iPhone 12 Pro
• iPhone 12 Pro Max
• iPhone 11
• iPhone 11 Pro
• iPhone 11 Pro Max
• iPhone XS
• iPhone XS Max
• iPhone 7 Plus
• iPhone SE (2nd generation)
• iPhone SE (3rd generation)

What’s new in iOS 18?

Breakthrough AI

Apple has reportedly been “caught off guard” by the sudden rise of AI tools like ChatGPT, Google Bard, and Microsoft Copilot, so the company is working on a range of new artificial intelligence features for iOS that will be branded as “Apple Intelligence” features.

In fact, Apple CEO Tim Cook himself has promised to unveil new AI features this year. During Apple’s most recent earnings call, Cook hinted that Apple is investing “a significant amount of time and effort” into artificial intelligence technology, and the company “looks forward to sharing more details about our ongoing work in this area later this year.”

Many of Apple’s AI tools are expected to be opt-in. Bloomberg. Mark Gurman detailed in the report that Apple “will not force” users to adopt these AI features unless they want them.

Bloomberg We’ve covered Apple’s AI goals for iOS 18 extensively, with reports saying that Apple and Craig Federighi’s software team have a “mandate” to fill iOS 18 with features “that run on the company’s large-scale language models.”

To summarize:

• An improved Siri that will be more intelligent and take advantage of new AI systems that incorporate large-scale language modeling techniques, although many of Siri’s biggest improvements aren’t expected to arrive until 2025.
• The messaging app will integrate AI to “answer questions and auto-complete sentences.”
• Ability to summarize incoming messages, notifications, Safari web pages, emails, etc.
• Suggested replies “automatically write rich replies to emails and text messages on your behalf.”
• Apple Music’s new AI feature creates ‘auto-generated playlists’
• Integrating generative AI into iWork apps like Keynote and Pages
• It will add generative AI capabilities to Xcode to help developers “create new applications more quickly.”
• The major new feature in the Photos app will allow users to enhance images and remove people or objects from them.
• New AI features for Voice Memos, including automatic transcription of audio files.
• The ability to generate custom emojis using AI. The feature creates new emoji icons that relate to what the user is typing. According to Bloomberg, the system updates instantly as the user types words into the text.

Not all of these will necessarily be tied to iOS 18, or even ready to ship as part of iOS 18, but Apple’s clear goal is to pack as many AI features into iOS 18 as possible.

moreover, Bloomberg Many of iOS 18’s in-device AI features will reportedly require an iPhone 15 Pro, significantly limiting the number of users who can access the new features, although components that run on cloud servers may become more widely available.

Partnership with OpenAI

Bloomberg and information Apple has reportedly inked a deal with OpenAI to power some of the new AI features in iOS 18. The partnership with OpenAI will reportedly power chatbots like Apple’s custom ChatGPT.

We’re still waiting for details on how this will work. Apple is also developing its own large-scale language models for chatbots in-house.

9to5Mac We have found evidence that Apple is working on new AI and large-scale language modeling techniques in iOS 17.4, with reports that Apple is relying on OpenAI’s ChatGPT API for internal testing to help develop its own AI models.

RCS Support

Apple made a surprise announcement in October: RCS support would be coming to iPhones in 2024. RCS (Rich Communications Services) is the successor to SMS and MMS, adding some iMessage-style features to text messaging between iPhone and Android users.

RCS enables features like read receipts, typing indicators, sending high-quality images and videos in conversations between iPhone and Android devices. It also gives you the ability to share your location with others within a text thread. Unlike regular SMS, RCS works over mobile data and Wi-Fi.

Apple’s specific wording states that RCS will be available on iPhones “late next year” via a software update, which seems to suggest the feature could be included as part of iOS 18.

New Password App

For the first time, iOS 18, macOS 15, and iPadOS 18 will include a dedicated Passwords app. For years, Apple has surfaced passwords through the Settings app rather than a dedicated app, but this new app will make it easier for users to log into websites and software.

The new Passwords app will be available across Apple’s platforms, including iPhone, iPad, Mac, and Vision Pro, and will reportedly also be available for Windows.

Message upgrade

Apart from the new AI features, Apple is also making some major changes to the Messages app: Firstly, iOS 18 will upgrade the Tapbacks experience: instead of being limited to the current six predefined options (Love, Like, Dislike, Laugh, Emphasize, and Ask), users will now be able to react with any emoji of their choice.

iOS 18 will also add support for scheduling messages to be sent later, allowing users to compose a message in Messages and then actually send it to the other person at a later time.

New customization options

After adding home screen widgets with iOS 14 in 2020, Apple is reportedly planning even more home screen changes in iOS 18. According to two reports, iOS 18 will include new customizations for your iPhone’s home screen.

In particular, there are rumors that for the first time, Apple will allow users to freely arrange app icons on their home screens, meaning iPhone users will be freed from the home screen grid and will be able to create more space between widgets and app icons.

Another big update coming to the home screen in iOS 18 is the ability to customize app icons. BloombergThis new feature will allow users to change the color of app icons system-wide for the first time.

We’re still waiting for details on how this will work: Bloomberg’s example suggests that users could “make all social icons blue, or finance-related icons green.”

Apple Maps Upgrade

Apple Maps is set to introduce a new custom route creation feature in iOS 18. The addition will allow iPhone users to design their own specific routes for trips, rather than relying on suggested routes from Apple Maps.

Apple Maps currently offers multiple route options to a destination, but the iOS 18 update will give users full control over the exact details of their journey.

Revamped Settings app

The iPhone’s Settings app has remained largely unchanged since 2007. Finally, iOS 18 will reportedly include a new version of the Settings app for iPhone users. The new Settings app is said to feature a revamped interface with improved organization and more powerful search features that make it easier to find the settings you’re looking for.

Control Center redesign

according to BloombergiOS 18 will introduce a revamped Control Center for iPhone users. The new design will feature an updated music widget and enhanced HomeKit integration. The new Control Center will also reportedly be able to be split into multiple pages.

Currently, iOS “intelligently” chooses up to six accessories to display in the Home section of Control Center. Because this layout is managed automatically, it often doesn’t show exactly the controls a user needs. Bloomberg didn’t provide specific details on how HomeKit support in Control Center will be improved in iOS 18, but it’s expected that there will be a focus on adding more customization options for users.

more

• The Calendar app will be integrated with the Reminders app, allowing you to see reminders in your calendar for the first time, but the apps will remain separate.
• The Health app includes a new blood pressure data management feature.
• The Calculator app will become even more powerful (expanding to iPad for the first time).
• A new “Smart Song Transitions” feature is in the works for Apple Music.
• Bloomberg It was reported today that iOS 18 and macOS 15 will include a new wallpaper pack that evokes old-school icons, slogans, and artwork.

summary

Bloomberg Apple CEO Steve Jobs called iOS 18 the company’s most “ambitious and exciting” update in years. The update is reportedly considered “groundbreaking” within Apple, and is packed with “major new features and design improvements, along with security and performance improvements.”

Apple has internally said that iOS 18 could be the “biggest” iOS update ever. ReportsThere’s reportedly a lot more planned for this update beyond the new AI features mentioned above.

It’s important to remember that Apple’s plans for iOS 18 are subject to change between now and September. Apple plans to finalize its plans for iOS 18 over the next three months based on development progress, then release the update in September. Some features may be announced at WWDC 2024, but may be released much later through updates such as iOS 18.1 or iOS 18.2.

What are you hoping to see in iOS 18? Do you think Apple can catch up with other companies with new AI features? Let us know in the comments.

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