Apple has just unveiled its brand-new iPhone operating system for 2024, iOS 18. Announced at the company's WWDC 2024 keynote on June 10, the next iteration of iOS will power all of Apple's best iPhones in 2024 and beyond, including the upcoming iPhone 16 and iPhone 16 Pro.
iOS 18: The headlines
First up, customization! The latest version of iOS 18 features new look icons thanks to a Dark Mode that works on your Home Screen, as well as a new customization sheet that lets you change the "tint color" on your Home Screen, letting you complement your wallpaper.
Control Center also has a new look, with lots of new customization. There are new groups of controls including media playback and home controls for smart home accessories. A controls gallery lets you add and remove the features that you want. The two quick-access Lock Screen controls can now be swapped out with new controls, and the Action Button also now supports new controls on iPhone 15 Pro!
iOS 18 features new privacy features, including a new protection for sensitive apps that lets you lock an app behind Face ID, Touch ID, or your passcode. Information from protected apps is also kept from Search, Notifications, and more. You can even store multiple apps inside a hidden apps folder, also locked. New controls let you choose which of your contacts on your iPhone certain apps can access, and there are new controls to give you more controls over pairing accessories.
Messages in iOS 18 feature new Tapbacks. Apple has redesigned the existing options, and the app will now let you react with any emoji from iOS. You can also now schedule messages in the Messages app in iOS 18, and there are new text formatting options including italics and bold, as well as new Text Effects that will surface suggested emojis and can be added to any text with your keyboard. Finally, Apple is bringing Messages via Satellite to iPhone using the same technology that powers its Emergency SOS feature, and the messages are end-to-end encrypted. The new Mail app includes on-device categorization and there's a new digest view that can show you lots of different emails from one business.
Maps in iOS features new topographic maps with trails and hiking routes, as well as turn-by-turn voice guidance. Apple is also introducing a new Tap to Cash feature to iOS 18 that lets you move money between iPhones. Apple Pay online will also let users redeem rewards online, and event passes have a new look including event guides.
There's a new insights view for the Journal app, as well as a search feature to let you look up past entries.
Apple has also totally overhauled its Photos app with a new look, including a unified view for the library and grid. There's also a new Recent Days feature, as well as Collections built by time, people, and your favorite memories. Photos also has a new carousel look that shows you favorites, featured photos, and more.
Finally, Apple has confirmed iOS 18 will support RCS messaging for greater interoperability with Android.
Get the latest and greatest ready for iOS 18:
We're covering the WWDC 2024 event as it happens. Follow WWDC 2024 LIVE here. Or check out our roundups for all the latest on the newly announced iOS 18, iPadOS 18, macOS 15, watchOS 11, visionOS 2, and Apple Intelligence.
