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Apple has announced that it will release the final version of iOS 18 on September 16. As such, and after several beta versions, the Release Candidate (RC) of its operating systems is now available. As we have seen, some features of iOS 18 will be rolled out in phases.
Apple released today the Release Candidate versions of the upcoming iOS 18 and iPadOS 18 updates (among others) to developers for testing purposes, with the software arriving a week after the launch of the eighth beta versions.
So, what’s new in iOS 18?
Many of these features have already been covered; we have created several practical guides explaining how they work. However, here’s a summary of what iOS 18 will bring to supported iPhones (available at the end of the article).
Inicial Screen
- Flexible layout to place app icons and widgets anywhere on the main screen, such as at the bottom or side, to create the ideal arrangement for each page
- The dark icons give the home screen a darker aesthetic and can adjust automatically when the iPhone enters dark mode or always appear dark
- Coloring allows for any color to be applied to app icons and widgets or to have iOS suggest a color that complements your wallpaper
- Larger icons allow increasing the size of all app icons and widgets on the screen, removing the name below
Photos
- The Photos app redesign introduces the biggest update ever with a simplified layout that puts everything in one view
- Collections automatically organize your library by useful topics that you can browse in a collage, grid, as a memory, or on a map
- Customization options allow you to reorder, add, and remove rows from Collections and only add the items you want to fixed Collections for easy access
- The groups in People and Pets include photos of your favorite people or pets that often appear together
- Travels automatically organizes your trips into collections so you can relive each trip
- Recent Days allows you to view your recent photos organized by day, without clutter like screenshots
- The Fixed Collections helps reduce clutter by filtering specific media types, your favorites, or hiding screenshots from view
- Video speed control allows slowing down high frame rate video content with entry and exit points
- Utilities include additional helpful collections, such as Documents, Receipts, QR codes, among others, and items you edited, viewed, and recently shared
- The recovered album in Utilities shows images that are on the device but were not visible due to database corruption in a locked album
Messages
- Satellite messaging allows you to send messages to friends and family when you’re out of mobile data or Wi-Fi, connecting to a satellite in space (iPhone 14 and later)
- Text effects bring your conversations to life, visually amplifying any letter, word, phrase, or emoji in iMessage with dynamic and animated effects, such as explode, wave, and salute
- Text formatting allows you to add bold, underline, italics, and strikethrough to any letter, word, or phrase in iMessage
- Emoji and sticker Tapbacks allow you to react to a message using any emoji or sticker, giving you access to the Tapbacks that you and your friends send the most with just a tap
- Send later allows you to compose a message now and schedule it to be sent later
- RCS messaging support includes delivery and read receipts, higher-resolution photos and videos to message people without iPhone and requires carrier support
Control Center
- The redesigned Control Center includes groups of handy controls, the ability to organize controls the way you want, and support for third-party app controls
- Control groups can be accessed by sliding continuously from the right edge, including the most used controls, Home controls, Media Playback and Connectivity, with the option to create entirely new groups
- The control gallery displays the complete set of available controls, including third-party app controls, that you can directly add to the group of your choice
- Resizable controls allow you to drag from the lower right corner of a control from the Control Center
Lock Screen
- Custom lock screen controls allow you to choose controls from the control gallery of your favorite apps
- The action button can be customized with controls from the control gallery (iPhone 15 Pro and iPhone 15 Pro Max)
- Font options allow you to customize the time with 12 numeric scripts in Arabic, Arabic-Indic, Bangla, Devanagari, Gujarati, Gurmukhi, Kannada, Malayalam, Meitei, Odia, Ol Chiki, and Telugu
Safari
- The Distraction Control helps you hide items on a webpage that you find disturbing to your navigation
- The highlights present important information from the webpage you are visiting with summaries, locations, and more
- The redesigned Reader offers even more ways to enjoy articles with a simplified view of the article you are reading, a summary, and an index for longer articles
Passwords
- The Passwords app allows you to view all your credentials for websites and apps in one place, making it easier to access your passwords, access codes, Wi-Fi passwords, and verification codes
- Verification codes for two-factor authentication can be set up directly in Passwords so you can easily copy them or automatically fill them in Safari without opening an authentication app
- Secure synchronization ensures that your saved accounts in Passwords are perfectly synchronized with iCloud, with end-to-end encryption, so you can access them on your other devices
- Support for Windows through the iCloud Passwords app so you can access your passwords on Windows devices
Maps
- The topographic maps feature characteristics such as trails, contour lines, elevation, and points of interest
- Hiking is available in all national parks in the US and can be saved on your device for offline access
- It is possible to create custom walking and hiking routes with just a few taps for park hikes, regular exercise routines in your neighborhood, sightseeing walks during vacations, and much more
- The Places Library combines all your saved places, guides, and hiking routes in one location for easy access
Games
- Game Mode minimizes background activity to maintain higher frame rates and significantly improves responsiveness with wireless accessories, such as game controllers and AirPods
Wallet
- Tap to Cash allows you (in countries where it is available) to exchange Apple Cash quickly and privately without sharing phone numbers or email addresses by just bringing your phones close together
- New pass designs have a beautiful new look and fantastic new features, including a new events guide with useful information about venues and smart recommendations from your favorite Apple apps
- New ways to pay with installments and rewards on compatible credit and debit cards when checking out with Apple Pay online and in apps
Journal
- Mood can be recorded directly in the Journal, and emotions or moods logged in the Health app are included in journal suggestions
- The Info view shows your writing streaks, a calendar, and other fun statistics that help you track your journaling goals
- The search allows you to easily find previous entries, and the sort option shows your entries by your preferred order
- The widgets for the home screen and lock screen show your current series or writing suggestions that change throughout the day, so you can reflect on what is happening at the moment
Phone
- The recent calls search helps you find previous calls, voicemails, and contacts using phone numbers, names, or even a transcribed word from a voicemail
- The keyboard search helps you quickly find and call existing contacts by typing their number or name on the alphanumeric keyboard
- The automatic microphone mode selects the most suitable microphone mode for you, switching between voice isolation, wide spectrum, and standard modes depending on the environment
Privacy
- Locked apps allow you to protect your sensitive applications and the information in them, requiring Face ID, Touch ID, or your passcode to open them and hiding their content from search, notifications, and other system locations
- Hidden apps have the same protections as locked apps, in addition to being placed in a new folder of hidden apps that is locked and will not receive notifications or calls from the app
- Improved contact permission allows you to choose which contacts to share with an app
- Enhanced Bluetooth pairing enables developers to offer a seamless pairing experience while protecting your privacy
AirPods
- Hands-free Siri interactions allow you to respond to Siri announcements with AirPods by simply nodding your head for “yes” or “no”
- Voice isolation on AirPods Pro provides clearer call quality for the people you are talking to, even in windy conditions or very noisy places
- Custom spatial audio for gaming with AirPods puts you in the middle of the action with immersive sound, combined with a new API for developers that makes it easier than ever to enable
Apple TV App
- The InSight feature provides real-time information for all Apple TV+ live action movies and shows that complements what you are watching on screen
- The Enhance Dialogue feature makes it easier to hear what is being said on screen, especially when sound effects or music are playing
- More dynamic: Subtitles automatically appear at the right moments, such as when the content’s language does not match the device’s language, when you mute the audio, or when you skip back while watching a show
Notes
- Audio recordings can be started directly from a note and kept with comments, checklists, and related documents
- Live transcriptions are displayed as you record audio, and the transcriptions are fully searchable so you can always find what you need (iPhone 12 and later)
- Math in Notes allows you to enter expressions and equations in your note to be solved instantly
- Foldable sections help simplify and hide text in long notes; just tap next to a section header to lighten notes with more text
- Highlight text in your note with a choice of five colors allows you to make your text stand out
Accessibility
- Eye tracking allows people to control the iPhone just with their eyes (iPhone 12 and later and iPhone SE (3rd generation))
- Music Haptics syncs the Taptic Engine of the iPhone to the rhythm of songs, allowing deaf or hard-of-hearing individuals to enjoy the Apple Music catalog (iPhone 14 and later)
- Voice Shortcuts help people with severe atypical speech to record custom phrases that trigger specific actions
- Vehicle motion suggestions can help reduce motion sickness for passengers in moving vehicles by placing points on the screen that move with the vehicle without interfering with content
This version also includes other features and improvements:
- The live emergency SOS video allows you to share streaming video and recorded content during emergency calls with emergency operators in the US (112) available on iPhone 14 and later
- Math notes in the Calculator allow you to evaluate expressions, assign variables, and even create graphs on the iPhone
- The Calendar allows you to create, view, edit, and complete reminders along with your events
- The Recently Deleted list in Reminders allows you to view and retrieve deleted reminders
- Screen sharing in SharePlay allows you to touch and draw on someone else’s screen or request permission to remotely control that person’s iPhone and perform actions on your own
- Scenes in Freeform allow you to organize your content into sections and then save, tag, and sort them as you wish
- The redesigned Fitness+ makes it easier to look for personalized recommendations or search for something specific
- Guest access in the Home app allows you to grant visitors access to locks, garage doors, and alarm systems based on date and time
- Utility usage information and the rate plan in the Home app is presented to eligible customers when they link their utility account, starting with Pacific Gas and Electric Company in California
- The Repair Assistant asks you to set up genuine Apple parts replaced in your device after a repair (iPhone 12 and later)
Some features may not be available in all regions or on all Apple devices.
The Cupertino company mentioned that some news will be rolled out incrementally and may not be available immediately in all countries.
These are the iPhones compatible with iOS 18 this year:
- iPhone XR
- iPhone XS and XS Max
- iPhone 11
- iPhone 11 Pro and 11 Pro Max
- iPhone 12 and 12 mini
- iPhone 12 Pro and 12 Pro Max
- iPhone 13 and 13 mini
- iPhone 13 Pro and 13 Pro Max
- iPhone 14 and 14 Plus
- iPhone 14 Pro and 14 Pro Max
- iPhone 15 and 15 Plus
- iPhone 15 Pro and 15 Pro Max
- iPhone 16 and 16 Plus
- iPhone 16 Pro and 16 Pro Max
- iPhone SE (2nd generation)
- iPhone SE (3rd generation)
As mentioned, the RC version has also been made available for iPadOS 18, watchOS 11, macOS Sonoma, tvOS 18, and visionOS 2.