Monday’s keynote speech at WWDC marked a fair amount to come, complete with Apple previewing its iOS 18 update for its iPhone.
The forthcoming operating system offers new customization tools for the Home Screen, including Dark Mode, which can use a color tint to create a personalized look. Apps can also now be placed anywhere on the Home Screen freely.
Apple is also looking to update the Control Center, allowing for new widget-like components to be installed. Via the update, users will be able to continuously swipe to access Control Center screen categories, and Lock Screen controls can also be customized.
Where Messages is concerned, Apple is looking to expand tapback reactions with any emoji. Users will be able to schedule messages to send later, as well as use text formatting options such as bold, italicization, underlining, and strikethrough. Users can also now send and receive messages with satellite connectivity.
The Mail app will automatically sort messages into categories to help with organization and prioritization. The Maps app will offer access to topographical maps that correspond with trail networks and hiking routes, and over in Wallet, a new Tap to Cash feature sends cash by holding iPhones together.
The Photos app is receiving a significant overhaul and will offer new user interface options such as 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. This will also correspond with a filter button that allows you to hide screenshots and sort them in other ways. Other filters include topics like Time, People, Memories, Trips, and more.
In an interesting move, users will be able to lock apps with authentication, hiding the data from Search and Siri.
iOS 18 will also offer support for the RCS messaging protocol, bringing it closer in line with Google’s Android protocols, which other new changes include larger Home Screen icons, Reminders integration in Calendar, and Game Mode will be available for the first time on iPhone, 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 became available on Monday, a public beta is expected for July, and an official public release is expected in the fall.
Stay tuned for additional details as they become available.
Via MacRumors and developer.apple.com