Apple officially introduced iOS 18 at the WWDC 2024 developer conference. The operating system will include many new features to customize the home screen, update the Photos app, and more. Below are the new features on iPhones running iOS 18.

The lock screen and home screen are customizable.

While iPhone users can currently customize their lock screen and home screen with various widgets and wallpapers, iOS 18 will allow them to change both apps and their layouts, as well as lock screen functions.

At WWDC 2024, Senior Vice President of Software Engineering Craig Federighi demonstrated how iOS 18 arranges apps and widgets on the home screen. Previously, icons filled the screen from top to bottom, sometimes obscuring your favorite wallpaper. However, with iOS 18, you can arrange icons around the wallpaper or any desired layout, a feature Android has offered for a long time. For icons, you can add dark filters or color the icons to match the wallpaper.

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iOS 18 offers greater customization options for iPhone users. Photo: Apple

Control Center has been upgraded.

Apple also announced new updates to the Control Center. With iOS 18, you can control more things like the music you're listening to or specific apps. Additionally, you can change the camera and flashlight shortcuts on the lock screen.

Lock and hide apps

Lending your iPhone to someone else can be awkward, especially if you don't want them to see or access certain apps. iOS 18 eases this by allowing you to lock or hide apps.

If an app is locked, it needs to be unlocked with a password or Face ID. If you don't want anyone to know which apps you've installed, you can move them to the Hidden folder in your App Library.

Redesign the Photos app.

iOS 18 redesigned the Photos app to make it easier for users to search for specific images and organize photos in more ways. Photos are also organized by topic for faster searching. It also filters screenshots and receipt photos to prevent the photo library from becoming cluttered.

New password management app

Apple has introduced a new Passwords app to securely store all your login information in one place. It will sync passwords across Apple devices. The app also notifies users if their passwords are too weak or too common.

Apple Intelligence

Apple will roll out Apple Intelligence in iOS 18, but only on the iPhone 15 Pro and 15 Pro Max. Apple Intelligence is a new suite of artificial intelligence features that brings improvements to Siri, making the virtual assistant smarter and capable of performing more tasks. Additionally, it includes the Genmojis image creation tool and Writings support for iPhone.

AirPods and hands-free Siri interaction

With iOS 18, if you're using second-generation AirPods Pro, you can interact with Siri simply by nodding or shaking your head. So, if you're in a quiet environment, you can keep Siri active without saying a word.

Upgrade Messages

With the Messages app in iOS 18, you can schedule messages to be sent later, interact with messages, and format text using new effects. For example, if you want to emphasize something in a message, you can bold, underline, or use effects to draw the recipient's attention.

Apple also brought the RCS messaging standard to Messages in iOS 18 to make messaging with Android devices smoother.

Game mode

Mobile gaming is an industry that will continue to grow strongly until 2030. Apple seems to be aware of this, as evidenced by the introduction of Game Mode in iOS 18. Game Mode minimizes background activity on iPhones to improve gaming performance.

Tap to Cash

With iOS 18, you can easily send money to friends and family using the Tap to Cash feature. Simply bring your iPhones close together, similar to AirDrop photos or NameDrop contacts, to transfer money directly to others.

Safari

The Safari app will detect important information on a page and highlight it. For example, it will highlight directions and quick links to a particular person or movie. Readers are also provided with a table of contents and a summary of the article in Safari.

(According to Cnet)