Though Apple debuted the iOS 18 at WWDC 2024 early this month, it finally updated our phones last week, though only used with iPhones Xs through the iPhone 15 and 16 will get the updates.
Guru By Bangkok Post highlights some of the best features of the new operating system.
Face ID
With the new update, Face ID is available for everything. And yes, it has solved the Hidden Folder Face ID glitch.
The blocking with Face ID ensures that only authorised users can access protected apps. You can even lock your messaging.
iMessaging
Perhaps one of the best new features is that you can schedule messages to be sent at a specific time. Great for birthday and events messages.
Tap back now includes coloured emoticons and any emoji or sticker.
Express your tone in the message with text formatting. Bold, italics, underline or strike through words.
Text effects jazz up the formatting for a more visual look. Express yourself in all-new ways.
Common words and phrases show up as suggested so you can just add them.
Visual intelligence
Capture details, add events from images and even recognise an animal with visual intelligence.
Click and hold the new camera control button and point the iPhone to what catches your eye. Once the image is capture by the iPhone, it will give you a thorough Google search of the image. Learn more with just a tap.
This applies to even posters, restaurants…. basically anything and everything.
If you see a poster for a gig, point and capture and the iPhone will insert it into your phone with date, time and details so you don’t have to set a reminder.
Audio enhancer
The Audio Mix feature separates voices in your video, effectively removing unwanted background noise for a cleaner audio experience.
It lets you choose from three voice options. The in-frame deck isolates the person who’s speaking on camera so you hear them loud and clear.
Studio effects gives the video a professional take.
Cinematic effects records the voices like in movies.
Face blurriness
The face-censoring feature automatically blurs faces for privacy and protection in your videos. Of course, you have to select the faces.
New glow up feature in Siri
The latest update adds a glowing effect to Siri on activation, making interactions more dynamic and visually engaging.
Siri’s voice is now more natural and less robotic and the design is better.
When you resurrect Siri, there's a light that glows around the screen.
You can type to Siri by just double-tapping the bottom of the screen.
If you’ve made a mistake while speaking to Siri, you can correct Siri mid sentence and Siri will respond with the corrected info.
Though there are still snags with Siri that need rectifying, but probably won’t till the launch of Apple Intelligence.
Apple Intelligence (AI)
Written something that you think needs work? Get AI to do it. You can ask AI to change the writing style by making it sound more formal or concise. The Writing Tools are accessible in every app by highlighting the text, then proceeding to tap on the Writing Tools option that appears.
AI can also convert the text to a summary, key points or a table — which isn’t how this article was written. #justsaying.
Try the new Summarize feature in the Mail app and you may just ditch Gmail. The app takes long emails and condense them and highlighted what’s important.
If you’re like me and get buried with emails, AI will highlight the most important message that need responding at the top of your inbox with Priority messages.
In the Notes app, you can now transcribe a voice recording that comes with a summary. If you’re on a call and want to record it, tap the record call icon in the upper left corner. Once the call ends, it will be saved in the Notes app for transcribing.
Despite the chaos that is now Photos, create new Memories with the app. Tell AI what you want to create, select all the photos and it will generate a clip. You no longer have to watch the automatic clips created.
Personalised emojis — Genmoji
Apple's Genmoji feature uses AI to create personalised emojis, allowing you to customise expressions, features, and designs to match your style.
You can also pick someone from your Photos to create a Genmoji of them.
Send Messages via satellite
iOS 18 introduces satellite messaging, enabling iMessage and SMS connectivity without cellular or Wi-Fi, while supporting features like emojis, Tapbacks and end-to-end encryption.
Photos
I am not a fan of the new Photos app. Its chaotic, but I suppose it’s only a matter of getting use to it with time.
At the bottom of the photos, you’ll notice the absence of the navigation bar. To customise all the photos to how you would like them, scroll all the way down and tap the Customise and reorder.
Lock or hide sensitive apps
We have our lives on our phones and with the new update, the best thing is that we can protect all of it.
For example, touch and hold the app icon you want to lock and choose Require Face ID or Require Touch ID (or Require Passcode if Face ID or Touch ID are not enabled) from the menu that appears. Confirm your choice by tapping Require Face ID (or similar).
Calculator
The calculator now comes with a scientific one installed, which means it can also help in solving complex maths problems… another reason why phones shouldn’t be allowed in exam rooms?
Though these maths equations are better suited to a bigger screen like on an iPad.
Home screen
You can customise app icons and widgets on the Home Screen by changing their colour, adding a tint, making them larger or smaller, and removing the app name.
Other smaller features include the level feature for the camera that is a game-changer; the customised control centre, which gives users the ability to add any app to the control centre; and there's a passwords app. But to top all that is the new updated flashlight, where brightness can be adjusted.
Visit Apple.com.
