Here are the iOS 18 features available in the Developer Beta

Apple recently announced iOS 18, the latest version of its smartphone operating system. iOS 18 will offer many new features, including Apple Intelligence; however, if you want to jump on the iOS 18 Developer Beta or Public Beta, you won’t get to try any cool AI features until later this year. Until then, hop on the Developer Beta or wait until July to sign up for the Public Beta to try some cool features below.

Home Screen

• With iOS 18, you can do a lot with the home screen, including customizing how your home screen looks. You can rearrange the apps on your home screen however you like it. You can arrange the icons to frame them against your wallpaper, give each screen a unique layout, put all the apps along the bottom of your display and more.
• iOS 18 also lets you change how your apps look. There’s a new Dark look that matches any Dark theme, and you can even tint the colour of the icons on the home page. You can also make apps and widgets easier.

Here are 5 iOS 18 features Apple ripped from Android https://t.co/jGq6IJ7hfD pic.twitter.com/RtBQnkkmy5

— MobileSyrup (@MobileSyrup) June 11, 2024

System Changes

• iOS 18 is getting a new feature that Android users have enjoyed for a while (similar to changing the icons and reorganizing your home screen): hiding your apps. Now, you can make apps that require Face ID or choose to Hide the app and make it require Face ID. You can’t seem to hide core apps like Messages or the Phone app, though.
• iOS 18’s display bezels expand to show when a button is being pressed. It’s a small little thing, but it’s pretty cool.
• You can swap out lockscreen controls and even open specific apps straight from your lockscreen.
• The Action button on the side of your phone can even do more now. You can open Wallet actions like Tap to Cash, Ping your smartwatch, turn on dark mode, turn on a stopwatch and more.
• A new Control Center update groups controls and lets users access different sections of the Control Center with a continuous swipe.
• The Control Gallery also looks different, and you can customize the controls, making them bigger, controlling the size and more. There are even more controls from your favourite apps.
• iOS 18 finally brings a Game mode, which minimizes background activity to keep frame rates high for hours. In Game Mode, it will also dramatically reduce audio latency with the AirPods and make wireless game controls more responsive.
• You can also make new Home Screen or Lock Screen widgets to remind you to keep writing.

Messaging

Apple confirms RCS support is coming with iOS 18 https://t.co/S8ES3qKOJd pic.twitter.com/TSjHt1DRQP

— MobileSyrup (@MobileSyrup) June 10, 2024

• RCS finally made it to the iPhone, allowing people to send high-quality media and read receipts for those without iMessage.
• The Messages app has new features, such as the ability to bold, italicize, strikethrough, and underline text. You can even shake up the text, make it explode, ripple, bigger and smaller.
• You can now react to messages with any emoji — this is a feature I’ve been waiting for.
• You’ll be able to schedule messages to get sent out at a specific time.
• If you’re also out in the wilderness, you can text via satellite when you don’t have Wi-Fi or cellular coverage.

Photos

• You can now have your library’s collections automatically organized by Recent Days, Trips, People, and Pets and Pin your favourite collections.
• You can swipe right from the grid to show a new Carousel of your best content

Safari

• Safari will automatically detect relevant information and highlight it as you browse.
• You can also get a table of contents and high-level summary to understand an article before reading it.

Apple TV app

• A new feature called Enhance Dialogue lets you hear what’s onscreen.
• InSight on the Apple TV app on your device can show you about the actors and music onscreen.

Other Updates

• In the Passwords app, you can store all your passwords and verifications and get security alerts.
• Maps show a topographic lay of the land that you can download before heading out on a hike.
• There are also thousands of hikes that you can save on your handset alongside any notes you want to add.
• iOS 18 will also bring new AirPods interactions, letting users interact by nodding yes or no.
• Voice Isolation on AirPods Pro lets people hear you clearly even if there is a lot of background noise.
• There’s also now Personalized Spatial Audio for gaming.
• The Notes app also gets Live audio transcription, and you can quickly search through the notes.
• The Notes app can also do math equations for you now.
• You can make Collapsible sections by simplifying and hiding text below each section.
• You can highlight text within the Notes app and change the highlighter’s colour.
• You can track all your goals with insight views by checking your writing streaks in the journal app.
• You can also easily look for past journal entries and sort them.
• A new Math Notes calculator lets you access a scientific calculator when turning your handset to the Portrait mode.
• The Calendar app also has a redesigned monthly view, and you create, view or edit complete reminders that will go straight into your Reminders app.
• Shareplay lets you draw or control someone else’s screen.
• You can also Share streaming video and recorded media during emergency calls.
• Record and transcribe a live call from the Phone app.

Privacy and Security

• You can control how you share contacts with apps. For example, you can give an app access to all your contacts or only to the ones you speak with the most.
• The Privacy and Security settings menu has also changed, making managing and sharing things with other apps easier.
• There is also improved Bluetooth privacy; you can pair accessories with better privacy.

Here’s how you can get your hands on iOS 18 today https://t.co/E3fbQwbVRc pic.twitter.com/I8D2uleST2

— MobileSyrup (@MobileSyrup) June 10, 2024

We are working to add more features as they are discovered. For how to install the Developer Beta, see this article here.