Apple has unveiled iOS 18 at its Worldwide Developers Conference (WWDC) 2024 on Monday. The latest update features enhanced customization options and a completely overhauled Photos app. It also brings various improvements, making iPhones more intuitive and user-friendly.

The New iOS 18 of Apple

The new iOS 18 will offer new ways to arrange apps and widgets on the Home Screen. They can now place these elements in any open space, including right above the dock, and customize the buttons at the bottom of the Lock Screen. 

The redesigned Control Center in iOS 18 now offers faster access to frequently used features such as media playback, Home controls, and connectivity options.

According to Apple, users can also include controls from third-party apps. The Photos app also received its most extensive update, showcasing photo libraries in a single, cohesive view.

New collections within the app simplify the process of finding favorite moments, while a carousel view daily highlights key photos and videos. This provides an engaging way to revisit special moments, with autoplaying content enhancing the browsing experience.

Enhancements to Apple Messages App

For communication, iOS 18 brings several enhancements to the Messages app, including new text effects that give letters, words, phrases, and emojis dynamic, animated looks. 

Users can now format their messages with bold, underline, italics, and strikethrough options. Tapbacks have been expanded to include any emoji or sticker, and users can schedule messages to be sent later.

A new addition to Messages is satellite communication support, allowing users to send and receive texts, emojis, and Tapbacks when cellular or Wi-Fi connections are unavailable. This feature prompts users to connect to the nearest satellite through the Messages app, ensuring connectivity in remote locations.

Mail is set to roll out new features later this year, enhancing users' ability to manage their inboxes. Apple said that on-device intelligence will sort incoming emails into categories such as Primary, Transactions, Updates, and Promotions, making prioritizing and organizing messages simpler. A new digest view will also compile relevant emails from a single source, enabling users to scroll for important information.

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Highlights, Redesigned Reader Mode, and New Passwords App

Safari will offer a more streamlined browsing experience with the addition of Highlights and a redesigned Reader mode. Utilizing machine learning, Safari will provide key information about webpages, including summaries and crucial details, to help users understand the content of articles or reviews.

The new Passwords app in iOS 18 builds upon the Keychain foundation. This app lets users manage their passwords, passkeys, Wi-Fi passwords, and verification codes in a single place.

It also alerts users to common password vulnerabilities, such as reused or compromised passwords from data breaches.

"This release also marks the beginning of a tremendously exciting new era of personal intelligence with Apple Intelligence delivering intuitive, powerful, and instantly useful experiences that will transform the iPhone experience, all with privacy at the core. We can't wait for users to experience it," Craig Federighi, Apple's senior vice president of Software Engineering, said in a press release.

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