CUPERTINO, CALIFORNIA, — Apple today unveiled iOS 18, a significant update offering enhanced customization options, the largest-ever redesign of the Photos app, new inbox management features in Mail, and satellite messaging capabilities in Messages, among other improvements. Users can now arrange apps and widgets freely on the Home Screen, customize Lock Screen buttons, and quickly access more controls in the Control Center. The Photos app now automatically organizes photo libraries into a single view, with new collections keeping favorites readily accessible. Mail uses on-device intelligence to categorize emails, simplifying inbox management, while iMessage introduces new text effects. Leveraging the same technology as existing iPhone satellite capabilities, users can send messages over satellite when cellular or Wi-Fi connections are unavailable.
iOS 18 also debuts Apple Intelligence, a personal intelligence system for iPhone, iPad, and Mac that combines generative models with personal context to deliver relevant insights. Built with privacy at its core, Apple Intelligence integrates deeply into iOS 18, iPadOS 18, and macOS Sequoia, It utilizes Apple silicon to understand and create language and images, take actions across apps, and use personal context to streamline everyday tasks.
“We are thrilled to introduce iOS 18. It’s a major release with incredible features, including unprecedented customization, a redesigned Photos app, and powerful new ways to stay connected with Messages. The benefits are immense,” said Craig Federighi, Apple’s senior vice president of Software Engineering. “This release also marks the beginning of a new era of personal intelligence with Apple Intelligence, offering intuitive, powerful, and instantly useful experiences that transform the iPhone experience, all while prioritizing privacy. We can’t wait for users to experience it.”
New Levels of Customization and Capability
iPhone users have more ways to personalize their Home Screen, Lock Screen, and Control Center. Apps and widgets can be arranged freely in any open space on the Home Screen, including above the dock for easy access or to frame a wallpaper perfectly. Users can apply dark or tinted effects to app icons and widgets and increase their size for a tailored experience.
The redesigned Control Center offers easier access to daily functions, with enhanced customization and flexibility. Users can quickly access their most utilized controls, such as media playback, Home controls, and connectivity, and easily swipe between these groups. Third-party app controls can now be added to the Control Center, enabling quick actions like unlocking a vehicle or capturing content for social media. The new controls gallery displays all available options, allowing users to customize the layout, adjust sizes, and create new groups.
Home Screen Customization: Arrange apps and widgets freely, apply dark or tinted effects, and increase icon sizes.
Control Center Redesign: Quick access to frequently used controls, customizable layouts, and third-party app integration.
iPhone 15 Pro showcases these customization options, demonstrating the flexibility and personalization that iOS 18 brings to users.
Photos Gets a Unified View, New Collections, and Customization
The Photos app receives its biggest-ever redesign, making it easier for users to find and relive special moments. A simplified, single view now displays a familiar grid, while new collections allow users to browse by themes without organizing content into albums. Collections can be pinned for easy access to favorites. A new carousel view presents daily highlights, featuring favorite people, pets, places, and more. Autoplaying content throughout the app brings photo libraries to life, letting users enjoy past moments while browsing. Customization options enable users to organize collections, pin frequently accessed collections and include important items in the carousel view.
Unified View: A single, simplified grid to browse photos.
New Collections: Browse by themes, with options to pin favorites.
Carousel View: Daily updates with highlights featuring favorite people, pets, and places.
Autoplaying Content: Dynamic, living photo libraries.
Customization: Organize and pin collections, and personalize carousel content.
iPhone 15 Pro showcases the redesigned Photos app, illustrating the new photo grid, thematic collections, and customizable carousel view.
Powerful Ways to Stay Connected in Messages
iMessage introduces all-new text effects, bringing conversations to life by dynamically animating any letter, word, phrase, or emoji. Users can better express tone with bold, underline, italics, and strikethrough formatting. Tapbacks have been expanded to include any emoji or sticker, and users can compose messages and schedule them to be sent later.
For messaging contacts who do not have an Apple device, the Messages app now supports RCS, offering richer media and more reliable group messaging compared to SMS and MMS.
iOS 18 also introduces Messages via satellite when cellular and Wi-Fi connections are unavailable. Leveraging the same groundbreaking technology as existing iPhone satellite capabilities, Messages via satellite automatically prompts users to connect to their nearest satellite directly from the Messages app, allowing them to send and receive texts, emojis, and Tapbacks over iMessage and SMS. With Dynamic Island, users always know when they are connected to a satellite. Ensuring privacy, messages sent via satellite are end-to-end encrypted.
Dynamic Text Effects: Animate letters, words, phrases, and emojis.
Rich Formatting: Use bold, underline, italics, and strikethrough.
Expanded Tapbacks: Include any emoji or sticker.
Message Scheduling: Compose now, send later.
RCS Support: Richer media and more reliable group messaging.
Satellite Messaging: Send and receive messages when offline, with end-to-end encryption.
iPhone 15 Pro showcases these new features, highlighting the dynamic text effects, enhanced Tapbacks, and seamless satellite messaging integration.
Enhancements to Mail
Later this year, Mail will introduce new features to help users manage their inboxes and stay organized. On-device categorization will sort incoming emails into categories: Primary for personal and time-sensitive emails, Transactions for confirmations and receipts, Updates for news and social notifications, and Promotions for marketing emails and coupons. Additionally, a new digest view will compile relevant emails from a business, allowing users to scan for important information quickly.
Big Updates to Safari
Safari, the world’s fastest browser, offers an enhanced web discovery experience with Highlights and a redesigned Reader. Using machine learning, Safari can surface key webpage details, such as article summaries, restaurant or hotel locations, and music tracks from artist articles. The redesigned Reader offers more ways to enjoy articles without distractions, including summaries and tables of contents for longer reads.
Introducing the Passwords App
Building on the 25-year legacy of Keychain, the new Passwords app simplifies password management, allowing users to easily access their passwords, passkeys, Wi-Fi passwords, and verification codes. The app also alerts users to common security issues, such as easily guessed passwords, reused passwords, and those that appear in known data leaks.
New Privacy Features Designed to Empower Users
iOS 18 enhances user privacy with new tools for managing app visibility, contact sharing, and accessory connections. Locked and hidden apps ensure that sensitive information, such as app notifications and content, remains private. Users can lock apps, and, hide them in a locked, hidden apps folder for additional privacy. Hidden apps prevent content like messages or emails from appearing in search results, notifications, and other system-wide locations.
iOS 18 also allows users to share specific contacts with apps, giving them more control over their data. Additionally, developers can seamlessly connect third-party accessories to the iPhone without exposing other devices on the user’s network, ensuring device privacy while simplifying pairing.
Apple Intelligence Transforms the iPhone Experience
Deeply integrated into iOS 18 and built with privacy at its core, Apple Intelligence introduces new ways for users to enhance their writing and communication. The systemwide Writing Tools in iOS 18 enable users to rewrite, proofread, and summarize text across various apps, including Mail, Notes, Pages, and third-party apps, providing a consistent and powerful writing experience.
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New Image Capabilities Enhance Communication and Self-Expression
With the new Image Playground, users can create playful images in seconds by choosing from three styles: Animation, Illustration, or Sketch. This feature is easy to use, integrated into apps like Messages, and available in a dedicated app.
Enhanced Photo Memories
Memories in Photos now allows users to create personalized stories by simply typing a description. Apple Intelligence selects the best photos and videos based on the description, crafts a storyline with chapters, and arranges them into a movie with a narrative arc. Additionally, a new Clean Up tool can remove distracting objects from the background of photos without altering the main subject.
Advanced Siri Capabilities
Powered by Apple Intelligence, Siri becomes more natural, contextually relevant, and personal. Users can type to Siri and switch between text and voice, making interaction more flexible. With Private Cloud Compute, Apple ensures privacy in AI by scaling computational capacity between on-device processing and server-based models on dedicated Apple silicon servers. Data is not stored or accessible to Apple and is used solely to fulfill user requests. Additionally, ChatGPT is integrated into Siri and systemwide Writing Tools, allowing users to access its expertise and capabilities seamlessly.
Additional iOS 18 Features
Apple Maps: Browse thousands of hikes across U.S. national parks and create custom walking routes, accessible offline. Save favorite hikes and routes to the new Places Library and add personal notes.
Game Mode: Enhances gaming with consistent frame rates and responsive wireless accessories like AirPods and game controllers.
Apple Pay: New ways to pay, including redeeming rewards and installments from eligible cards. Tap to Cash allows sending and receiving Apple Cash by holding two iPhones together. Tickets in Apple Wallet offer event information like stadium details and recommended Apple Music playlists.
SharePlay with Apple Music: More users can share control of music playing from HomePod, Apple TV, or any Bluetooth-enabled speaker, enhancing the listening experience.
AirPods Enhancements: Siri Interactions allow AirPods Pro (2nd generation) users to nod or shake their heads to respond to Siri announcements. Voice Isolation improves call quality in noisy environments. Updates also reduce wireless audio latency for mobile gaming and add Personalized Spatial Audio.
Notes App: Instant solving of formulas and equations with Math Notes. New collapsible sections and highlighting for better organization.
Journal App: An all-new insights view helps track journaling goals, with easy search and sort options for entries. Journaling time can be logged as mindful minutes in the Health app, and users can record their state of mind. A Journal widget allows quick entry creation, automatically transcribing audio recordings and export/print options.
Calendar: Displays events and tasks from Reminders, allowing users to create, edit, and complete reminders from the Calendar. The updated monthly view provides an overview of events and functions.
Health App: Redesigned Medical ID for easier access by first responders. Pregnancy adjustments and recommendations to reflect changes in physical and mental health.
Emergency SOS Live Video
Emergency SOS Live Video enables users to share content through live streaming and recorded media during an emergency call. Participating emergency dispatchers can request live video or media from the user's camera roll over a secure connection, facilitating quicker and more effective assistance.
Home App Enhancements
The Home app introduces guest access, allowing users to grant temporary access to select smart home accessories and schedule when guests can enter the home. Hands-free unlocks with home keys use Ultra-Wideband technology to instantly open supported entry locks from six feet away, offering an effortless entry experience. The updated Energy category helps eligible users access and understand their home electricity usage, enabling more informed decisions about energy consumption.
Accessibility Updates
Eye Tracking: Navigate the iPhone using only eye movements.
Music Haptics: Experience music through the Taptic Engine for users who are deaf or hard of hearing.
Vocal Shortcuts: Perform tasks with custom sounds, enhancing user usability.
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