iOS 18 is shaping up to be one of the biggest upgrades Apple has released in years, with a host of additional features, upgrades and customization options on the way. It makes other software upgrades, like Android 15, look downright boring in comparison.
Of course, new features aren’t all created equal, and they can range from something as big as Apple Intelligence to something as basic as adding stats to the Journal app. So which iOS 18 features should you be most excited about? Here are our picks for the best iOS 18 features.
Apple Intelligence
The biggest new feature coming to iOS 18 is Apple intelligence, and it’s not even a close call. So much so that we’ll have to bundle everything together to make it fair for the rest of the incoming iOS 18 upgrades. AI will have limited reach on iPhone, as it’s exclusive to the iPhone 15 Pro, iPhone 15 Pro Max, and iPhone 16 series. But that doesn’t make it any less exciting.
Features that are part of Apple Intelligence include image generation (also known as Image Playground), access to ChatGPT, a new image editing tool called Clean Up, custom Genmoji, AI summarization, proofreading, smart replies, and more. The best part is that most of it runs on your device, rather than on some random cloud server. Be sure to check out our list of the Apple Intelligence top features to learn more about all it can do.
All-new Siri
While related to Apple Intelligence, the all-new, AI-infused version of Siri is a major part of the iOS 18 upgrade. And honestly, it’s something that’s long overdue. This new version of Siri will be smarter than ever, able to respond to much more than just individual queries. This new Siri will be conversational and contextual, meaning it can understand follow-up questions and answers, making interactions feel more natural.
Additionally, Siri will be aware of what’s happening on your screen so it can better understand how it can help you, and will let you send commands by typing instead of using your voice. What’s really cool is that Siri will be able to control actions across apps, saving you the trouble of having to do it all yourself. While this will likely be fairly limited at first, Apple is giving developers the opportunity to add this functionality to their own apps as well.
Apple Photos redesign
Apple Photos was never going to win a beauty contest, so we’re glad to see Apple revamp the entire app into something (hopefully) better. Tabs are out, in favor of a new, unified screen that lets you access everything without having to jump back and forth.
Your photo library is now split into Photos and Collections, while a new carousel feature shows you featured and favorite photos at a glance. Essentially, iOS 18 is going to make finding photos a lot easier, and a lot nicer to look at. Apple Photos will also be linked to Apple Intelligence, with features like the Clean Up image editor available in the app. For more information, see our guide to all iOS 18 Photos features.
iPhone mirroring on Mac
Given how tight the Apple ecosystem is, it’s no surprise that Apple is upgrading its Continuity feature to support iPhone mirroring. The feature beams a virtual version of your iPhone to a connected Mac or Vision Pro headset, allowing you to control your mobile device without actually touching it. The phone doesn’t even need to be unlocked for the link to work.
That means you can keep your iPhone in your bag or pocket and still do things from another device — using the keyboard and mouse or visionOS’ gesture controls. Better yet, you can drag and drop content from your iPhone to your Mac and pump iPhone audio through your Mac’s speakers. It’s a wonder Apple hasn’t done this before.
Locked apps
We store a lot of sensitive and private information on our phones, and the last thing we want is for someone to access it when we’re not looking. iOS 18’s Locked Apps feature helps you keep those apps extra safe, just in case someone accidentally stumbles upon your unlocked phone or manages to bypass your lock screen.
And if there are apps you’d rather not know you have, iOS 18 will also include a locked folder to hide those apps from prying eyes. Locked and hidden apps are treated more or less as if they weren’t there, suspending all notifications and preventing details from appearing in search results or Siri recommendations.
Messages via satellite
There are plenty of places where data and phone signals don’t reach, which is why Apple’s Emergency SOS via satellite is so important. But it’s been limited to emergency communications, and that’s something Apple is changing with iOS 18. This time around, anyone with an iPhone 14 or later can send text messages (with emojis, if you like) to anyone else over a satellite connection.
The main difference is that this service is also available in non-emergency situations. So if you’re hiking in the wilderness and need to text your roommate asking to buy eggs on the way home, you don’t have to wait until you get back to civilization. The system works just like regular iMessage, but is limited to text-based communication only. No voice notes or video calling are allowed. (For more information on the changes to the iPhone’s built-in Messages app, check out our guide to iMessage in iOS 18.)
Tap to cash
Apple Pay and Wallet are getting a few minor upgrades with iOS 18, but none are quite as impressive as Tap to Cash. The feature leverages the NameDrop system that debuted in iOS 17, allowing you to send Apple Cash to fellow iPhone users by tapping the tops of your phones together.
This should make it significantly easier to pay bills and other financial bills, even if Apple Cash is the only payment system supported at the moment. Mainly because it doesn’t share any personal information. Although, as with other direct Apple Cash transfers, we assume there will be a fee for this particular service.
Customizable control center
Of the countless personalization options in iOS 18, the customizable Control Center might be our favorite. Because it finally gives you a say in what the dropdown menu ultimately offers. You choose what appears, how big the buttons are and tailor the menu to your personal taste.
Additionally, there are two more screens with revamped media and smart home controls. These are essentially quick-access widgets that you can reach from anywhere on your phone, and offer the same customization options as the main Control Center screen.
RCS messages
After years of resistance, Apple is finally improving the state of iPhone-to-non-iPhone communications by adding RCS. While it won’t be as robust as iMessage, it will mean significant improvements to the way you text and communicate with Android users.
The biggest upgrades are end-to-end encryption and the ability to send photos and videos in full quality — no compression required. It also means having read receipts, the ability to send Tapback-style responses, and adding Android users to group conversations without breaking the whole thing.
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