iOS 18 is now available, bringing iPhone users around the world new ways to personalize their iPhone with deeper customization to the Home Screen and Control Center; the biggest-ever redesign to Photos, making it even easier to find and relive special moments; and major enhancements to Messages and Mail. Starting next month, iOS 18 will introduce Apple Intelligence, the personal intelligence system that combines the power of generative models with personal context to deliver intelligence that is incredibly useful and relevant while protecting users’ privacy and security.1
More Customization Than Ever
In iOS 18, users can customize their Home Screen in exciting new ways by placing app icons and widgets to frame the wallpaper or create the ideal layout on each page. Users can also choose how the app icons and widgets are presented – light, dark, or with a colored tint – or make app icons appear larger for a new streamlined look. Control Center is redesigned to be even more flexible. Powerful groups of controls – including favorites, media playback, Home controls and connectivity, and the new controls gallery featuring options from third-party apps – can be organized so that they’re always just a swipe away. Users can also access their favorite controls from the Action button, and for the first time, users can change the controls on the Lock Screen or remove them entirely.
The Biggest Photos Redesign
The biggest-ever update to Photos makes it easier to find and relive special moments. The beautiful, simplified layout puts the library into a unified yet familiar view. New collections like Recent Days, People & Pets, and Trips automatically keep the library organized with on-device intelligence, so users can spend less time searching and more time enjoying their memories. Users can personalize their experience with a customizable layout that reflects what is most important to them and pin favorite collections to keep them easily accessible.
Powerful Ways to Stay Connected in Messages and Phone
Messages offers major updates to the ways users express themselves and stay connected. Formatting options like bold, italic, underline, and strikethrough let users better convey tone; all-new text effects bring words, phrases, and sentences to life; emoji and sticker Tapbacks give users endless ways to react in a conversation; and users can compose an iMessage to send later. For times when cellular and Wi-Fi connections aren’t available, Messages via satellite connects users to a satellite in space right from the Messages app to send and receive texts, emoji, and Tapbacks over iMessage and SMS.2 When messaging contacts who do not have an Apple device, the Messages app now supports RCS for richer media and more reliable group messaging compared to SMS and MMS.
The Phone app helps users stay organized with the ability to record and transcribe live calls, making it easier to recall important details later.3 Call participants are notified before a recording begins, and transcripts are conveniently saved to the Notes app, allowing users to quickly search and review what was discussed.
Intelligent Categorization in Mail
Available later this year, categorization in Mail organizes messages to help users stay on top of their inbox. The Primary category lets users focus on the messages that matter most or contain time-sensitive information. Transactions, Updates, and Promotions are grouped by sender in a new digest view that pulls together all relevant emails from a business, allowing users to quickly scan for what’s important in the moment.
Distraction-Free Browsing with Safari
Safari is the world’s fastest browser, and with iOS 18, it offers even more capabilities for browsing the web.4