During the day WWDC 2024Apple showed off some shiny new features heading to iOS 18 and macOS Sequoia (and the other software platforms) later this year, but if you don’t want to wait for these features to become available, you can get quite a few of them now.
Apple is known for adding new features to its software then ‘Sherlock’ functionality is already offered by third-party apps, and that is the case again this year. Sometimes the alternative options remain the best; You might find that with some of these.
Use ChatGPT for AI assistance
Let’s start with one of the most obvious: you don’t have to wait for Apple’s deal with OpenAI and ChatGPT to roll out later this year in iOS 18 and macOS Sequoia, because you can install dedicated ChatGPT apps for the iPhone And Macs straight away.
A few features are only available to paying users, but many of them aren’t exclusive to ChatGPT Plus, including the latest GPT-4o model and voice mode that lets you talk to ChatGPT as you would Siri. More information about what ChatGPT can do for you.
Customize the iOS home screen icons
In addition to switching to Android, you can get custom icons for your iPhone home screen through Apple Shortcuts app. Create a new shortcut, choose Add actionand find the Open app script. Crane App to find the app whose icon you want to change.
Then you need to tap on the drop-down menu at the top and make a choice Add to home screen. This allows you to select a custom image for your new shortcut, which can then be placed on the home screen (the original shortcut will not disappear but can be placed in the app library).
Get AI writing help with Grammarly
While no third-party apps integrate with iOS and macOS, and with the new AI writing tools rolling out as part of Apple Intelligence, there are plenty of alternatives available if you want help drafting and rewriting the text you need to produce. .
An example of such an alternative is the freemium app Grammaticallythat works on virtually any device platform and on the web: it can give you useful feedback on existing text and change its tone, length, or style, and generate brand new text using prompts.
Categorize emails with Gmail
You may already know this one, but just in case: the automatic categorization options heading into Apple Mail on iOS and macOS are something that Gmail already does that. You can train the automatic sorting algorithm as you go, so it should improve over time.
The categories Gmail uses are Primary, Promotions, Social, Updates, and Forums. On the desktop interface, you can choose which ones are displayed: many other email clients with smart email priority, including SaneBox And Spark.
Use Copilot to generate AI images
Apple lets you create your own AI art in iOS 18 and macOS Sequoia – for everything from personalized stickers to custom emojis – but many tools already let you generate these images for free, including Microsoft Copilot.
Just type in what you want an image of, and Copilot will take care of the rest. You can also specify the style of the image, according to the illustration or sketch options Apple gives you, and then further refine your artistic creation with a number of next steps. -up-prompts.
Manage passwords with LastPass
iOS and macOS already do a good job of managing passwords for you. Still, with the software upgrades coming soon, we’ll be getting a dedicated, standalone password manager, just like the many other password managers already available, including LastPass.
LastPass is one of the most comprehensive programs out there, and it obviously works on any kind of device, not just Apple devices. You can use the service for free, but to get the most out of it, you’ll need to sign up for one of the premium plans.
Type to talk to Siri
Apple makes typing Siri prompts more accessible with iOS 18 and macOS Sequoia. Yet you can already do this: it’s just hidden in the Accessibility settings on your device and not something you can toggle back and forth with a tap or click.
If you’re interacting with Siri on an iPhone, open Settings and choose Accessibility And Siri to find the Type to Siri toggle switch. If you’re on a Mac, open System Settings and you’ll also find a Accessibility menu with a Siri entry and a Type to Siri toggle switch.
Organize desktop windows with Magnet
Sequoia will finally catch up to Microsoft’s desktop operating system, allowing you to quickly and easily pin open windows to one side or even a quarter of the screen – very useful if you’re working in multiple apps at once.
You can already do this with several third-party programs, including Magnet. It will cost you $4.99, but it offers a wealth of different options for arranging windows on multiple screens.