All the new features of iOS 18: when it arrives, how to install the beta and compatible iPhones

The new version of Apple’s operating system aims high. The Apple company has announced that iOS 18 will refresh the iPhone and iPad with the biggest redesign of the Photos app to date. It will include more customization options and new ways to manage your inbox in Mail, among other new features. As if that were not enough, the Californian company also announced that Apple devices will get Apple Intelligence, which will be integrated into the operating system and will combine the power of generative models with personal context “to deliver intelligence that is helpful and relevant.”

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These are the top new features in iOS 18

New features in iOS 18 give users more ways to customize the lock screen and Control Center. Apps and widgets can be placed anywhere on the Home screen, including above the Dock. Choosing a muted color tone or a dim effect for app icons and widgets will be possible, and even making them larger.

Another improvement is the Control Center, which has been redesigned with the idea of simplifying access to the tasks that users perform daily. It offers quick access to new groups of the most-used controls (media playback, Home, etc.) and the ability to swipe between them. Starting with this update, users can add controls from compatible third-party apps to the Control Center “to quickly unlock a vehicle or jump right into capturing content for social media — all from one place.” On the other hand, the new gallery of controls “displays the full set of available options, and users can customize how the controls are laid out, including adjusting them to the ideal size and creating entirely new groups.”

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For the first time, users will have the ability to change the bottom of the lock screen and select or remove options available in the Gallery of Controls. iPhone 15 Pro and iPhone 15 Pro Max users can take advantage of the Action button to quickly access the Gallery controls.

The redesign of Photos includes a simplified single view with a grid, as well as redesigned collections that allow you to browse by theme without being organized into specific albums. Collections can also be pinned for instant access to images. There is a carousel view that is updated daily with people, pets, and places marked as favorites. Automatic content playback “past moments can be enjoyed while browsing” because each photo library is unique to each person.

Other changes? iMessage will include new text effects that highlight letters, words, phrases, or emojis with dynamic animations. Messages will be able to use satellite when there is no cellular or Wi-Fi connection. Mail will improve the interface and change the categorization to organize email. The Safari browser will implement Highlights, a quick and easy way to find information online. A new application for collecting and organizing passwords has also been created.

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When the beta will be available, how to access it, and which models support iOS 18

Members of the Apple Developer Program have been able to test the beta, but Apple has announced that the public beta will be available in July through the Apple Beta Software Program. The software features will be released as a free download in the fall, just like the Apple Intelligence beta. What models are compatible with the new operating system?

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How to install the beta on your iPhone

Installing a public beta is very easy, just follow these simple steps. Remember that these are development versions, so there may be bugs or issues.

Apple Intelligence and its focus on security and privacy

Artificial intelligence continues to be integrated into Apple devices, but Apple Intelligence will only work on iPhone 15 Pro and iPhone 15 Pro Max, as well as iPad devices and Mac computers with the M1 chip or later. This technology helps prioritize notifications, perform typing and rewriting tasks across multiple apps, create images with generative AI, and even leverage ChatGPT technology.

One of the concerns raised by artificial intelligence is its ethical use, but also the privacy of the users themselves. According to Apple, this technology has been designed “around privacy”. To this end, the company has introduced Private Cloud Compute, which allows “processing and larger, server-based models that run on dedicated Apple silicon servers,” Craig Federighi, Apple’s senior vice president of software engineering, notes that they have extended iPhone security to the cloud, making it “the most advanced security architecture ever deployed at scale for AI in the cloud. It ensures that Private Cloud Compute never stores data that even Apple cannot access.