Specifically, iOS 18 will apparently feature Apple’s first concerted efforts to include AI-powered features on a large scale. “I’m told the new operating system is seen within the company as one of the biggest iOS updates — if not the biggest — in the company’s history,” Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman wrote in an addendum to a January 2024 column detailing what Apple has in store.
While potential AI features certainly fuel much of that feeling, it’s likely that iOS 18 is more than that. The software appears to be getting some interface updates, and you can expect the usual improvements and updates to existing apps.
Generative artificial intelligence
Artificial intelligence is expected to appear in iOS 18 in other ways as well, such as generative AI, which will enable new features in some apps. A Bloomberg report specifically cites examples of AI helping iPhone users automatically generate playlists in the Music app or slides in the Keynote presentation tool. The Spotlight search feature is also reportedly trained on large language models, and we could see how Apple could take a page from Samsung’s Galaxy AI playbook by adding summarization and formatting features to Notes and Safari.
A new version of Siri
There is talk of a Siri 2.0 that will make its debut at WWDC as part of iOS 18. Initially, this update to the virtual assistant was seen as an attempt by Apple to create a chatbot, although later reports dispelled the idea that Apple would offer a chatbot of your own. (These reports leave open the possibility that Apple could use someone else’s chatbot, as there have been reports that Apple and Google are discussing including the latter’s Gemini tool on the iPhone in some way).
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RCS support
Apple said late last year that they would be offering Rich Communication Services (RCS) support via a software update sometime in 2024. We imagine that will happen via iOS 18, and should improve the user experience. exchange of SMS between iPhone and Android users.
Home screen customization
There has been talk that iOS 18 will introduce some significant changes to the look and feel of Apple’s iPhone software, but not many details have been given so far. It seems that iOS 18 will give users the ability to better customize the look of the home screen .
Right now, you can change the wallpaper for your iPhone’s home screen and arrange which apps appear in which order on certain screens. But all this time, you’ve been tied to the 6 x 4 grid where app icons line up in rows and columns.
It looks like the customization features in iOS 18 will give you more control over where you can place app icons, leaving gaps and empty spaces wherever you want.
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Custom routes in Maps and topographical maps
Not all updates coming to iOS 18 will be AI-focused. Some improvements will be old-school — just new features that will be added to existing apps. In Maps you will be able to create a personalized route of your trip.
Topographic maps, a feature already present in watchOS 10, could also come to the iPhone. Moreover, the feature could arrive in the Maps app and macOS and visionOS updates.
Since topographic maps show things like elevation and routes, it makes sense that they should be enabled on the Apple Watch first.
Accessibility features
MacRumors got the first scoop on the accessibility improvements coming to iOS 18. The highlight appears to be Adaptive Voice Shortcuts, where you can use a single phrase to control a specific accessibility setting. This should make operating your iPhone much easier.
But that’s not the only accessibility improvement, according to MacRumors’ sources. A Live Speech enhancement will reportedly add better phrase organizers, while the adjustable text size feature will expand support for apps like Books, News, Stocks, Tips and Weather.
