Apple’s iOS 18 Features Explained: An Exciting Leap in AI

Dive into the world of Apple’s iOS 18 and discover the features your iPhone will soon provide!

After the recent Apple’s WWDC 2024 event, there has been a huge buzz regarding the announcement of Apple’s iOS 18 features, which will be officially launched later this year. Though we right now have a beta version of these features!

IOS 18: All the Upgrades You Need to Be Familiar With!

1. Home Screen and Lock Screen Customization

One of the most noticeable newer updates on the iOS 18 version appears to be home screen and lock screen customization.

They are listed as:

1. Rearrange and resize apps and widgets.
2. Relish the new light and dark-themed modes on your home screen and lock screen.
3.  Change and tint the theme color of your home screen according to your background.
4. Apple’s in-depth feature has returned, which was last seen on iOS 7.
5. Redesigning and resizing control centers and adding new controls from the control’s gallery.
6. Customize icons at the bottom of the lock screen.

 2. Locked and Hidden Apps

Apple now introduces new features to make your privacy more secure.

They are listed as:

1. Face ID, Touch ID, or your passcode system for access.
2. Privacy of information across the system, like search and notifications.
3. Features a new hidden folder for hiding apps.

3. Call Recording and Third-Party Accessories

Finally, the long-awaited feature of native call recording is here with the new iOS 18, along with customizable contacts.

They are listed as:

1. Availability of native call recording feature.
2. Transcribing in different languages.
3. Using third-party accessories on iPhones without letting an app see other devices on the user’s network increases privacy and introduces seamless pairing.

4. Game Mode

Though this feature is nothing new to our eyes, it sure is for Apple’s iPhone. It provides a variety of features.

They are listed as:

1. Reduces background activities for maintaining high frame rates during the gaming experience.
2. Audio latency is now reduced with game mode turned on, enhancing the gaming experience.
3. It sustains seamless responses from wireless controllers during sender and game modes.
4. It supports classic game mode features like screen recording, do-not-disturb mode, and fps counter.

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5. Messages

With the new iOS launching soon, Apple’s Messages has been indulged with new interesting features.

They are listed as:

1. Scheduling messages using send letter is now available.
2. Express yourself with animated texts, underlines, bolds, and italics.
3. Send messages and SMS via satellite communication when out of cell reception.
4. iMessage now supports RCS for richer media for messaging with devices that are not Apple.
5. Tap backs are now expanded to include emojis and stickers making it possible to express yourself in many ways.

6. Photos

Can’t get enough of these features? Pack your seats for deep diving into all the upgrades Apple has installed in the new iOS.

They are listed as:

1.  Specific photos are easier to find categorized with months and years.
2.  Photos seem quite organized by theme, making it easier to search them faster.
3. Features a new carousel view highlighting your best content, videos, and live photos as you browse.
4. Merges the library and For You tabs into a simplified view that works on surfacing your best photos and memories.

7. Mails

Mails also have not been left behind for the latest series of updates making it easier for users to further customizations and categorize it. And it seems to be coming later this year.

They are listed as:

1. Primary categorization helps people to focus on time-sensitive messages and emails from family, close ones, and businesses.
2.  Snippets of messages like receipts, marketing emails, and newsletters grouped by sender can be viewed.
3. Showcases the new digest view feature that pulls together all the relevant business emails, allowing users to scan for important messages.

8. Safari

One of the major updates is about the infamous web browser, Apple-specific Safari. There seems to be much more behind the surface, as seen in the eyes.

They are listed as:

1. The web browser now provides the fastest way to discover information on the web with redesigned Highlights and Reader experience.
2. With the latest AI and machine learning, iPhone users can review a summary to get the gist of an article; quickly see the location of a restaurant, hotel, or landmark they are looking for; or listen to an artist’s track right from an article about their song.
3. The reader has been refined to give even more ways to enjoy articles without distraction, with a summarization option and a table of contents.

9. Wallets

With the rise of online transaction systems, Apple isn’t behind the trend of online wallets. With its upgraded features for Apple Wallet, it looks as sleek and exclusive as ever.

They are listed as:

1. With new ways to pay with Apple Wallet, now it has different loyalty schemes for you to redeem points for your payments.
2. With the Tap to Cash feature, users can send and receive cash between two iPhones just by holding near each other.
3. It now also has a Ticket feature that looks elegant and classy, displaying key information related to the events.

10. Maps

Maps are the application one cannot do without in today’s world. And Apple Maps is not behind Google Maps in terms of directions and locations. With the newly revamped map features,.

They are listed as:

1. Browse thousands of locations and create your walking routes accessing the offline maps.
2. Addition of topographical maps for your hiking routes throughout the national parks of the U.S.
3. Downloadable trial maps for offline use, with which we can aspect voice-guided directions.
4. It has detailed, easy-to-read display interfaces of maps, including routes and the time taken for hikes, elevation, and descension status.

Note: This trial maps feature for hiking of national parks seems to be limited only for US based iPhone users.

11. Journal

Originally launched in December 2023, Apple’s Journal app lets users voice and record their thoughts and daily lives in their own space. But with the latest WWDC 2024, Apple has announced some new features and upgrades for your daily life journaling journey.

They are listed as:

1. With new insight tools, your journal containing songs, videos, and your daily bantering is going to be easy to read and navigate your digital mind space
2. With new customization options available with widgets, it will help the users get daily insights easily and directly without much hassle.
3. Now even transcription of your thoughts will be possible through the app, with users able to print out their journals.

12. Notes

Notes! Such a required app for daily life, especially for those who heavily use it. Apple’s Notes app will seem to have heavy upgrades and features, making it easier for users to manage their important resources and findings.

They are listed as:

1. Now you can have built-in audio transcription on notes.
2. The original feature for iPad OS, Math Notes, now has a mobile beta version, and as highlighted by Apple at WWDC 2024, all you have to do is enter math formulas, and the problem is solved!
3. Collapsable sections along with formattable tools on your notes seem to help you edit text, headings, and subheadings, making them collapsible.

13. Siri

Apple’s Siri with the new iOS 18 update seems revamped with the latest Apple Intelligence AI of iPhones. The new features appear beautifully sleek and more exclusive than ever before.

They are listed as:

1. Now users can voice commands and also write to Siri.
2. Chat GPT for Open AI now seems to be integrated with Siri, with no need to switch between tools.
3. With a new glowing border while being activated, it makes it look like it is listening and sleek.
4. It will now follow context-aware commands so you don’t have to be specific when asking for something.

Last but not least, Apple Intelligence: A New Height for Mobile AIs

With everything being revolutionized by AI, both positively and negatively, let’s go positive for now as Apple announced its very first AI, Apple Intelligence, with the collaboration of Open AI’s Chat GPT. However, this feature seems to be only available to users of the iPhone 15 Pro and above. Though there can be some rebound regarding this technology when it’s launched, it’s for the future to see. Well, let’s talk about the most-awaited AI features.

They are:

1. With writing summarization and image editing tools at the base across the apps, as it aims to peak.
2. The newest feature in town seems to be Genmoji, making it easier to have customized energy according to users’ moods—truly a Genz idea!
3. Revamped Siri has been made more context-aware with an elegant interactive design to make it more natural to command.
4. Apple’s AI has been correlated with Chat GPT for a wider foundation of knowledge.
5. Image Playground brings new image capabilities like communication and self-expression through animation, illustration, or sketching.
6. AI will help you pick the best photos, create memories, and help you go back to them, along with the new Clean Up tool to remove distracting objects from the background.
7. Is privacy for AI a concern? Well, no more with Apple’s private cloud compute routing data; it is not stored or made accessible to Apple, is only used to fulfill the user’s requests, and is verified by independent experts on this matter.

FAQs about iOS 18 with Clear Minds!

1. What’s new in iOS 18?

iOS 18 introduces interactive and customizable widgets, icons, background light, and dark themes. Redesigned photo app with intelligent collections and enhanced and more secure privacy features. It also improves the gaming experience with Game Mode and a more intelligent Siri.

2. How does iOS 18 work?

iOS 18 operates smoothly and seamlessly with improved on-device processing. Leveraging AI to provide a customizable and personalized user experience, enhance privacy and settings, and gain more control over device interfaces and icons.

3. Where can I download iOS 18?

Though not officially downloadable, it has public beta versions, which you can download from your iPhone’s settings option.

4. Which iPhones can run iOS 18?

iPhones XR and above can run iOS 18, but Apple Intelligence is only available for the iPhone 15 Pro, Pro Max, and upcoming models.

5. Will iOS 18 be Apple’s biggest OS refresh in a decade?

Yes, Apple’s upcoming iOS 18 is considered the most substantial update for iOS as it provides features like AI advancements, a redesigned look, and powerful hardware.

6. When will iOS 18 be released?

It is planned to be released officially in September 2024. This next-generation version of iOS introduces lucrative features, including Apple Intelligence, which works within your context to provide relevant and helpful information. With iOS 18, you’ll also find improvements in writing tools, communication, customization, home screens, gaming, and many more. So, stay tuned for the official release!

7. Is iOS 18 a good update for your iPhones?

Absolutely! It is a much-awaited iOS update with more customization options than ever, a redesigned photo app, improved messages and emails, the latest AI, and many more. Well, what more could you need?

8. When will iOS 18 be released in Nepal?

The release date of iOS 18 in Nepal is the same as the global release, which is expected to be officially released in mid-to-late September 2024.

9. How do I get the iOS 18 update?

You should know that iOS 18 is only in the beta phase. To access the beta software, you need to enroll in the Apple Beta Software Program. After signing up, navigate to “Settings” on your device, select “General,” and then choose “Software Update” to download the beta version.