Apple officially announced iOS 18, the next version of its iPhone operating system, at WWDC 2024 (check out our WWDC 2024 live blog for a round-up of the key reveals).
The massive software update will bring significant upgrades to key iPhone apps later this year, including Mail, Messages, Photos and Wallet, with many of these upgrades the result of Apple’s commitment to “on-device intelligence”.
Mail, for example, will soon be able to categorize your emails and provide easy-to-read summaries, while the Photos app will be unified into a single view, consisting of a photo grid and a date grid. You can filter photos by themes such as screenshots and groups, without having to organize the content into albums.
In the Messages app, iOS 18 lets you respond to messages with any emoji and schedule messages to be sent at a convenient time in the future. Apple is also adding new text formatting so you can underline, strikethrough, and bold your messages, as well as adding new text formatting such as ripple effects.
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The Messages app will also soon support the RCS standard, which should allow for a richer messaging experience when communicating with someone who doesn’t have an Apple device. Apple is also expanding the satellite capabilities of compatible iPhones, allowing you to send messages via satellite when cellular and Wi-Fi connections are unavailable.
For the first time, iOS 18 also gives users the ability to rearrange app icons and widgets. You can place apps at the bottom or side of the screen, freeing up space for the wallpaper behind them. You can also activate a new dark mode for app icons and add color tints in iOS 18.
Control Center is also being upgraded in iOS 18. Soon you’ll be able to split Control Center into separate feature groups, such as Media and Home, resize Control Center widgets, and edit which Control Center widgets appear on the lock screen.
Wallet, meanwhile, is being upgraded with a new ‘tap to cash’ feature, which should make paying friends easier, while iOS 18 will also introduce optional Face ID authentication for all iPhone apps – not just Notes and banking apps .
Apple also unveiled its own twist on AI at WWDC 2024, called Apple Intelligence, which looks to make iOS 18 an even more powerful upgrade exclusively for the iPhone 15 Pro and iPhone 15 Pro Max. Apple Intelligence helps process and create language and graphics, takes action on behalf of users across a range of apps, and speeds up everyday tasks.
Apple has not yet shared a concrete release date for iOS 18, although the company typically starts rolling out the latest version of its operating system alongside the new iPhones. The iPhone 16 line will almost certainly debut in September this year, so we expect iOS 18 to be available for download on compatible iPhone models then.
By the way, members of Apple’s Developer Program can immediately try out an early version of iOS 18. Read our guide on how to download the iOS 18 beta for an overview of how to do this.
As for which iPhones will be compatible with iOS 18 itself, Apple has confirmed that you’ll need an iPhone XS or newer (in other words, any iPhone with an A12 Bionic chipset or newer).