I had low expectations for the next iPhone operating system until Apple unveiled iOS 18 at its Worldwide Developers Conference on Monday. I’ve tested dozens of iOS versions and tons of features, but none of the rumored iOS 18 features had me excited. Also, leaks suggesting the implementation of generative artificial intelligence had me dreading the OS. I was hoping that I’d been wrong about iOS 18 and that it would deliver some useful new features that people had been asking for, and it looks like my wish has been granted.
Apple mentioned some new features that were neither exciting nor necessary for me, as some of them were already viable. But overall, when Apple’s iOS 18 presentation was over, I was impressed, and I’m looking forward to the fall release of this operating system, as I’m sure I’ll be using some of these changes for years to come.
Here are some iOS 18 features mentioned in the presentation that I’m looking forward to, and some that I probably won’t use much.
Customizing your home screen and lock screen
Thank you Apple, but it’s about time. I’ve wanted these two options for a long time, but never thought I’d get them at the same time.
It’s always been weird to have my wife or dog as the background and have Instagram and Spotify icons pasted over their faces. I organize my apps into folders or hide icons in the App Library to keep the background from getting in the way. But in iOS 18, you can align icons to the background, so that’s not an issue.
I’ve also wanted to change the functionality of the lock screen since Android introduced the feature in 2023. I don’t need a camera function on the lock screen if I can access it with just a swipe right. I also don’t need a flashlight that turns on when I put my phone in my pocket. It wasn’t clear what features would be available on the lock screen, but I think a quick note would probably be more useful.
More control with Control Center
Control Center, as an iPhone feature goes, is, at best, shaky. It feels crammed with controls you don’t necessarily need, and you can’t remove or adjust them. Adding controls is a pain, and it just feels like more bloat.
But I was excited when Apple showed me the ability to customize the Control Center layout and add additional Control Center screens in iOS 18. It removes the bloat from Control Center and lets you distribute it across multiple screens. The ease of adding additional controls will likely get me using this feature more in the future, instead of giving up in frustration.
Along with the home screen and lock screen, it feels like Apple is finally listening to people’s desire to customize the display features of their iPhone to suit their needs and desires.
I’m super excited about the Messages upgrade
I never thought I’d be excited about new ways to message people, but here we are. Apple announced that in iOS 18, you can schedule messages to send later, add text effects to highlight words and phrases, and upgrade Tapbacks, Apple’s version of reactions. It’s like Apple read my mind about what I wanted for messages and added a little more.
First, scheduling messages to be sent later has been at the top of my wish list for years. I work shifts and have had an atypical sleep schedule for over a decade, which means I’m in bed while most people are wide awake by 7pm and vice versa at 4am. I don’t want to wake people up with messages and I appreciate people showing me the same courtesy.
Secondly, I never thought I’d need text effects, but I do. I’m an emotional and excitable person, and I want that to come across in my messages. I want words to be bold and italicized for emphasis. I want an on-screen nodding emoji to show my enthusiasm for something. And most of all, I want the person I’m messaging to feel how excited I am about something, and sometimes caps lock just doesn’t cut it.
Finally, we’d welcome more Tapbacks. The current six reactions (heart, thumbs up, thumbs down, “haha,” exclamation point, and question mark) are confusing for some and signal the end of the chat for others. You can use any emoji to react to a message using stickers, but stickers usually block part of the message. More reactions would help communicate people’s feelings more quickly and concisely, leaving less room for interpretation.
Another feature that Apple plans to bring to the iPhone in iOS 18 is satellite messaging, a feature that allows you to send messages to anyone even when there is no signal. While I understand the usefulness of this feature, I don’t see it changing the way I use my iPhone on a day-to-day basis.
Apple also mentioned that iPhones will have RCS, a feature I know many are excited about but it’s one I’m not personally interested in. I know many Android users are excited about this change, but I might not notice for another 5 years if the iPhone doesn’t have RCS.
Journal sentiment
I keep a diary regularly, but I didn’t realize until Apple mentioned this new feature in the Journal app yesterday that I was just recording what I did that day. My diary is mainly for me to remember what I did. But I rarely delved into how I was feeling at the moment I was writing. So I’m excited about this upgrade to Journal that allows me to reflect more meaningfully on my mental state by asking myself how I’m feeling. Admittedly, it’s nothing flashy or intuitive, but I hope it will help me keep track of my inner and outer health.
The game modes were a pleasant surprise
Over the last few years, I’ve been gaming more and more on my iPhone 14 Pro, and with my Apple Arcade and Netflix Games subscriptions, plus an Xbox controller connected to my iPhone, the transition to mobile gaming has been easy.
Game Mode minimizes background activity so you can play a little longer without worrying about your iPhone powering off or being interrupted by a flood of notifications. It also improves frame rates and reduces latency for Bluetooth-connected devices like controllers, making gaming on your iPhone smoother.
We’re not saying the iPhone will become your new favorite gaming console, but if you want to game on the go but don’t have the space for a Switch, Steamdeck, or other handheld console, the iPhone could be a great travel companion.
iOS 18 features you may not use much
Some of the features that Apple announced at WWDC didn’t seem particularly useful to me, but they might be useful to others.
New App Privacy Features
Keeping apps off the home screen feels redundant, since you can remove them from the home screen and find them in the App Library. Locking apps provides an extra layer of security if your iPhone is stolen, but unlocking the phone and then locking the apps can feel like a pain. And while I suppose locking apps is useful for people with kids who want to prevent them from using certain apps, it prevents them from seeing the fun videos of babies running around with their parents’ phones. I’m not about to let go of these apps, which are national treasures.
Other Email Categories
I suppose it’s useful to separate emails into separate categories to keep newsletters, ads, and other messages neatly organized, but since I don’t get a whole lot of email each day, this isn’t a big deal for me. I suppose it would be useful for anyone who has a work phone, though.
Topographical map within the map
If I liked hiking or lived in hilly areas, I’d probably be more excited about this, but my hiking experience is limited to hiking the trails in Gatlinburg, Tennessee once every few years, and my neighborhood is flat. Sure, hiking is fun every now and then, but I like my home, where my belongings are.
Tap to cash
It scares me to think what would happen if someone got hold of my iPhone and immediately transferred money to themselves through Apple Cash. It’s unclear what safeguards are in place to prevent someone from doing this, but hopefully Apple has thought about this and is ahead of me in the process.
Improved Photos app
I don’t take enough photos to be affected by this, but I’m not sure if it was necessary. Users can already create their own albums, the Photos app already creates memories for events and places visited, and the app already organizes photos based on days, months, and years. Apple said it redesigned and rebalanced the app, but it seems like the company just rebranded the app’s features.
Apple Intelligence
I have no intention of using these features other than to try them out once and see what they’re like. Creating Genmoji seems like a novelty to me. I don’t use Siri regularly and don’t plan to. Why would I want my iPhone to summarize messages or generate messages to send? If my job doesn’t make that clear, I like reading and writing.
I hope iOS 18 will be released soon.
Although I’m not too keen on some of the new features in iOS 18, I’m still counting down the days until its release in the fall, and I’m excited to see some of the upgrades to the things I use regularly, and I know I’ll be using those new features for a long time.
I look at my home screen and lock screen all the time, so being able to customize them (not that that’s anything new) will make me feel more in control of my iPhone. I use the messaging app almost daily, so upgrading the app will have a positive impact on how I communicate with others. Game mode is also a nice addition, as I rely a lot on my iPhone for gaming.
Some of the features that are upgraded in iOS 18 are ones that I don’t regularly use myself, but others will likely enjoy and make full use of those features and upgrades.
Here’s hoping iOS 18 lives up to expectations.
For more from Apple, check out everything the company announced at WWDC 2024 and everything coming in iOS 18. You can also find out how to download the iOS 18 developer beta and why you should wait.