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Look, I’m not sayingAppletook its sweet time, but iOS 18 finally lets you customize your iPhone in ways that Android users have been snickering about for years. It’s like showing up late to a party and bringing a potato salad—still appreciated, but everyone’s already tipsy and way past the salad phase.
The Big Kahuna is finally giving you the freedom to slap your icons and widgets wherever the hell you want, which sounds great until you realize your screen now looks like a toddler’s art project. But hey, at least now you can look your smug Android friends in the eye and say, ‘I’m free too, man. I’m free too. Let’s overanalyze every single new thing about it and bore ourselves to death, shall we?
Customization: Your iPhone, Your Way
I think one of the most prominent things they changed with the iOS 18 upgrade is the level of freedom Apple allows its users. Home screen customization has been a bit of a sore spot for a lot of Apple users (and it made them an easy target for Team Android because, well, what kind of phone doesn’t let you play around with the home screen layout). I’m pleased to inform you, though, that with iOS 18, Apple has finally caught up – and in some ways, even surpassed its green-faced rival.
The new home screen layout options are quite the fresh breath of air.iPhone users can now place app icons and widgets anywhere they want on the screen, breaking free from the rigid grid system of previous iOS versions.This means you may create unique layouts that frame your wallpaper or group apps in ways that make sense to you. It’s a level of personalization that iPhone users have been craving for years.
iOS 18 also introduces app icon customization options. You can now choose between light, dark, or automatic modes for your icons, or even apply a tint that complements your wallpaper.Another thing that has been long coming is the option to resize the damn icons. Which means you can finally put in a more streamlined look for your phone. Sure, it probably seems like a small thing, but it’s quite effective in changing the way you’re interacting with your phone. It’s refreshing to see Apple finally embracing user choice in this area.
You know what the messed-up is, though? I actually liked the old layout so much that now, any customization that I try to do on my new 16 Pro just looks so bad. This layout changing option is proving to be quite pointless for me.
Control Center: Power at Your Fingertips
The Control Center has always been a quick way to access essential settings, but iOS 18 takes it up a notch, and in one of the coolest ways possible. The redesigned Control Center is now more flexible and powerful than ever. Again, customization is the name of the game here. You can now resize and rearrange all the controls to your liking. So this way, you can actually sort out your most-used functions and make sure they are always within easy reach.
Apple also sort of introduced this new thing calledcontrol groups – which includes categories like Favorites, Media Playback, Home controls, and Connectivity – makes navigation even more intuitive.Something I really appreciated was the option to include third-party widgets in the Control Center. You can now use all those key functions on your downloaded apps without actually having to open them.
Also, if you have an iPhone with an Action Button (the 15/16 Pro and Pro Max), iOS 18 allows you to link it to any Control Center function. I don’t quite see the use-case here for the everyday Joe but I’m sure there’s some creative out there who really, really appreciates it.
Photos App: A New Way to Relive Memories
Stepping away fro the customization party for a second, the Photos app just got what Apple calls its “biggest-ever redesign” in iOS 18. And I agree. It’s completely different from what we’ve been used to with the previous iterations, and offers a new, improved way to explore and rediscover your photos and videos.The app now features new collections like Recent Days, People and Pets, and Trips, making it easier to find and relive specific memories.
One thing to note is that your entire photo library is now going to be showing up on a single screen. Some people like it, others, well, they might need some time to adjust. The search functionality within the app, however, is what impressed me. I’ve noticed that even typing descriptions of photos finds you exactly what it needs to. S
Something that I really liked, and wasn’t actually expecting at all, is the fact thatiOS 18 somehow scanned my gallery for photos of receipts and then neatly organized everything into different folders.Really useful for when I need to file taxes, honestly. But that’s just a tiny example of how your Gallery has been refined with this upgrade.
Then again, like it is with any major redesign, there’s likely going to be a bit of a learning curve as people familiarize themselves with the new system.
Messages: Enhanced Communication
The Messages app has received several upgrades in iOS 18, making communication more expressive and convenient.Users can now schedule messages to send later, react to messages with more Tapbacks, and format text with various effects (there’s stuff like explosions, ripples, bounces, and more) for emphasis. One of the most anticipated features, though, is the introduction of RCS (Rich Communication Services) support.
This brings iPhone messaging more in line with modern Android messaging, allowing for features like read receipts, typing indicators, and higher quality media sharing when communicating with Android users. Sort of a compromise situation so your homies don’t crap all over you for being Team Apple or Team Android. No one can know now. Or can they?
And if you find yourself in a situation where you have not-so-great cellular coverage, iOS 18 has now come up with Messages via satellite. It’s actually very similar to that Emergency Satellite SOS feature that Apple put out a while ago.It’s a potentially life-saving feature for hikers, campers, or anyone with a hankering to chill in remote areas where things could turn into a slasher-movie-type-of-situation real quick.
Apple Intelligence: The Future of iOS (And The Reason For The Upgrade)
So one of the biggest issues with AI (Apple Intelligence) is the fact that it was not available at the launch. Which is a little disappointing, because most users find it redundant to make a purchase or an upgrade based on the promise of an eventual software update. They want to see it now. But I actually think the gamble here is extremely worth it. This AI-powered system will be deeply integrated into iOS 18, offering features like improved writing tools, personalized image creation, and a more capable Siri (which got a makeover as well, by the way).
The Photos app is also going to get a major boost because of Apple Intelligence,with features like creating custom memory movies based on user descriptions, more powerful natural language search capabilities, and a Clean-Up tool for removing distracting objects from images. These improvements could make managing and enjoying photo libraries a heck of a lot more intuitive and enjoyable experience.
You also have this new feature called intelligent summarization, which will offercondensed versions of various types of content, including emails, group chats, and even audio recordings.Honestly, it’s a massive win for a lot of professionals, or even students who need to take down lecture notes. Now, you could make the argument that most of these features are already available on Android via third-party apps. That one may not necessarily need to go for the upgrade, or even purchase the new iPhone for all of this.
To which I say, it’s Apple. I knowSamsung is capable of going band-for-band with iOS on any given day of the week,but damnit if Apple doesn’t have a certainje ne sais quoiwhen it comes to this stuff. Apple is also providing developers with new App Intents, APIs, and frameworks to integrate Apple Intelligence features into their apps. This opens up possibilities for enhanced functionality across a wide range of applications, potentially leading to a more cohesive and intelligent ecosystem of apps on iOS.
Obviously,the rollout for Apple Intelligence is going to kick off with U.S. English.Thankfully, though, Apple has announced plans to expand their AI to other English-speaking countries and additional languages over time. The feature is going to be supported on all iPhone 16 models, iPhone 15 Pro, and iPhone 15 Pro Max, as well as iPads and Macs with M1 chips or later. Then again, all this is what Appleclaimsit can do. How well the execution is going to be on this - only time will tell.
The Verdict: Should You Go For It?
You know, we’ve barely scratched the surface when it comes to iOS 18’s features and improvements, and the answer to whether it’s worth upgrading is a resounding yes. I mean, just look at the level of customization you’re getting with this, the new control center, every single thing we talked about is more than reason enough for you to go for the upgrade.
Sure, some of these changes may take some getting used to, but the overall package offers substantial improvements to the iOS experience over what we had going on so far. As always, I strongly recommend my readers to back up your device before upgrading. Also, be prepared for potential minor bugs in the initial release. You know, the occasional slight heating up, a lag here and there. It’s part of Apple’s ritual every time they put out a new version of iOS. Don’t worry though, all these issues are going to be patched in the future upgrades anyway. Also, the benefits of iOS 18 far outweigh any potential short-term inconveniences.
FAQs
Can I opt out of Apple Intelligence features if I’m concerned about privacy?
One thing that Apple made very clear during the launch is that they are going to have granular control over the Intelligence features. That, and the fact the whole system has been built in a way to maximize user privacy and not have any data leaks. I understand, however, that it may not necessarily be reassuring enough for some of our readers. So yes, Apple is most likely going to give us the option to disable specific functions (or even the entire system) should you want it. Need to wait for the official rollout to confirm this, though.
Are there any new privacy features in iOS 18?
iOS 18 introduces new privacy features like Locked and Hidden Apps, which allow users to keep certain apps and their content private. You can just use Face ID or your device’s passcode to safeguard your content.
Are there any new accessibility features in iOS 18?
Yep. iOS 18 has come out with some really cool, new accessibility features such as Eye Tracking, Music Haptics, Vocal Shortcuts, and Vehicle Motion Cues. It’s going to go a long way in making technology more accessible for people of all backgrounds and abilities.
