Despite the launch of the new iPhone 16 range, you don’t have to buy an entirely new phone to benefit from the latest features. iOS 18 is out now, bringing with it a range of functional and cosmetic changes.
Some iOS 18 features, like Apple Intelligence, rely on newer hardware, but most people can still get big updates to apps like Messages, Mail, Photos and more. A lot of the new features favour customisation, while some add promising accessibility and security tools.
As for whether you should download iOS 18 or not, it’s largely dependent on what you prioritise. Read on to find out about the biggest features and if you should rush to hit that download button.
Table of contents
iOS 18 features
More home and lock screen customisation
iOS 18 adds more ways to tweak the way your phone looks while in use. Instead of sticking with apps arranged in a rigid row, you can now place them more deliberately around the screen to frame your wallpaper.
App icons and widgets now support dark mode and colour tinting in addition to more control over size. Apple also redesigned the Control Centre, housing various quick-access features in a new-look hub. Swiping through Control Centre reveals different functions grouped by category, like favourites, media playback, and smart home controls.
As an added security and privacy measure, iOS 18 enables locking and hiding apps. Apps locked or hidden don’t appear in system notifications or searches, shielding private information from prying eyes. Accessing these apps requires authentication, like facial or fingerprint recognition.
Photos app gets a big overhaul
iPhone’s default Photos app looks very different in iOS 18, in what Apple describes as the app’s “biggest-ever update”. Fully customisable, Photos has a new layout, automatically grouping pictures by themes and topics.
As an example, you can rearrange groups to show up first, like people and pets automatically recognised by your phone. It’s designed to support Apple Intelligence once it launches, so you can quickly search your photo library based on specific descriptions.
RCS lets iPhone and Android play nicely together
Thanks to the latest update, your messages get a bit more personality. With the default Messages app, you can write with formatting options like bold and italics to get your point across clearly. iOS 18 adds the ability to send iMessages later, for when you want your message to arrive at a specific time.
Arguably the biggest change to Messages is RCS support. Short for Rich Communication Services, RCS is a protocol that supports better security and higher-quality media sharing. Android phones support RCS, so iPhones on iOS 18 can now send photos between platforms in crisper detail.
Eye Tracking and more accessibility come to iOS 18
Although accessibility may not get the same level of prominence as other features, it’s undeniably one of the most important parts of any iOS update. With iOS 18, Eye Tracking supports controlling an iPhone based on where you look. It’s a feature that’ll help plenty of people with mobility and fine motor disabilities who may otherwise not be able to comfortably use a phone touchscreen.
People who are deaf or hard of hearing also have an additional way of enjoying music via Music Haptics. When enabled, it uses the iPhone’s Taptic Engine to vibrate to match music playback.
Other accessibility features introduced with iOS 18 include Vocal Shortcuts that perform tasks based on specific sounds, and Vehicle Motion Cues to help people who experience car sickness.
Voice Control, Sound Recognition, Colour Filters, and Bold Text are all now supported accessibility features via CarPlay too.
Safari uses Distraction Control for cleaner reading
As the name suggests, Distraction Control lets you hide obtrusive website elements to make articles easier to read via Safari. Safari’s Reader mode also has a fresh look, adding summaries and tables of contents at the top of longer articles.
Standalone Passwords app stores your secrets
Apple’s new first-party app launching with iOS 18 is Passwords. Yes, you could previously save passwords via Keychain in iCloud, but this separate app is more flexible.
It securely stores your passwords and verifications in one place, while supporting Windows too. The Passwords app also notifies you about weak passwords or when anything you’ve used is caught up in a known leak.
What about Apple Intelligence?
After banging the AI drum for months now, Apple isn’t quite ready to launch its new features to the general public yet. Apple Intelligence features, like generative AI writing assistance and custom Genmoji, launch in beta this October.
At first, Apple Intelligence will only support US English. Additional dialects, including Australian English, are due out in December.
iOS 18 release date
Apple launched the public version of iOS 18 on 17 September 2024 in Australia. Keep an eye out for additional updates set to arrive over the next few months, as they’ll add more features not quite ready for the first version.
iOS 18 supported devices
So, which devices are compatible with iOS 18? As a general rule of thumb, if you have an iPhone XR or newer, you’re good to go. Older iPhones don’t get every new feature, though. Live audio transcriptions, for example, only work on devices as far back as the iPhone 12.
Unlike competing phone brands like Samsung and Google, Apple tends not to advertise how many years of software updates its phone receives. Based on previous upgrades, six years is generally Apple’s approach. For comparison, Google and Samsung offer seven years of major operating system updates for their flagship phones.
To check that you’re ready for the latest update, here’s a full list of all iOS 18 supported devices as confirmed by Apple:
- iPhone 16
- iPhone 16 Plus
- iPhone 16 Pro
- iPhone 16 Pro Max
- iPhone 15
- iPhone 15 Plus
- iPhone 15 Pro
- iPhone 15 Pro Max
- iPhone 14
- iPhone 14 Plus
- iPhone 14 Pro
- iPhone 14 Pro Max
- iPhone 13
- iPhone 13 mini
- iPhone 13 Pro
- iPhone 13 Pro Max
- iPhone 12
- iPhone 12 mini
- iPhone 12 Pro
- iPhone 12 Pro Max
- iPhone 11
- iPhone 11 Pro
- iPhone 11 Pro Max
- iPhone XS
- iPhone XS Max
- iPhone XR
- iPhone SE (2nd generation or later)
How to get iOS 18
Once you know you have a compatible phone, downloading the latest update is a straightforward process. Before you do, however, make sure you back up your phone, just in case you encounter any issues and want to roll back the update.
You can do this via Settings, tapping on your name, and selecting iCloud followed by iCloud Backup. From here, follow the prompts to back up your phone’s data.
To download iOS 18, open the Settings app and then select General. Towards the top of this screen, you’ll see Software Update. Tap on this and follow the instructions. If you want to automatically get new updates when they arrive, you can also enable this setting here.
Check back soon as we unpack all the new iOS 18 features.
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