Apple iOS 18 update to bring drastic changes to Photos, Mail and Messages, Best Knowledge

With the upcoming Apple iOS 18 update, users will be able to send or receive messages over satellite

Apple iOS 18 update

Apple unveiled iOS 18 at its WorldWide Developer Conference with a host of new features. The Control Centre gets a new look and feel with users able to customise it more than ever.  Third-party apps will also get access to Control Centre and users will be able to add non-Apple apps. Furthermore, Apple iOS 18 gives quick access to new groups of a user’s most-utilised controls, such as media playback, Home controls, and connectivity. Users can easily swipe between each of the options.

The home screen can be customised where icons can be changed — in terms of size, colours and more. This is the first time Apple will allow users to change the size of the app icons.

Apple iOS 18 will also bring a slew of new features to Messages app.  For starters, tapbacks is getting more reactions, emojis and stickers. Apple has also introduced a new Send Later feature, which as the name suggests, allows users to schedule messages to contacts.

Furthermore, Messages is also getting a lot of new ways to format text. Users will also get new text effects which can be customised to cater to a specific messages. Apple iOS 18 will finally add RCS support, which will certainly make the folks at Google very happy. Apple iOS 18 introduces Messages via satellite for the times when cellular and Wi-Fi connections aren’t available

Photos Reimagined

The Photos app undergoes its biggest transformation yet, boasting a streamlined single-view layout and intelligent “Collections” for effortless browsing. The new carousel view dynamically showcases highlights, breathing life into photo libraries.

Apple is going to replace the Keychain with the new Passwords app to access passwords, passkeys, Wi-Fi passwords, and verification codes.

With Apple iOS 18, users will have option to hide and lock any app.

There will be a Game Mode to enhance the gaming experience with more consistent frame rates, and make wireless accessories like AirPods and game controllers more responsive.

Apple AirPods Pro users can now simply nod their head yes or gently shake their head no to respond to Siri announcements.

The developer beta of Apple iOS 18 is available through the Apple Developer Program, and a public beta from next month.

Apple iOS 18 will be available this fall as a free software update for iPhone Xs and later.

Apple iOS 18 will also allow users to lock apps from prying eyes. This new feature will keep selected apps secure under FaceID, TouchID or a passcode. There is also a new Hidden Apps folder. When an app is locked or hidden, content like messages or emails inside the app are hidden from search, notifications, and other places across the system.

Game Mode improves the gaming experience with more consistent frame rates, especially during long play sessions.

Welcome, ‘Genmojis’

With the help of Apple Intelligence, users will be able to create custom “Genmoji” to match any moment. All users will have to do is provide a description and a Genmoji will appear, along with other options to choose from. Genmojis can also be added inline in messages.

Another feature available in Messages courtesy of Apple Intelligence is users’ ability to create “total original images” of people in sketch and animated forms. Apple used a contact’s birthday as an example, and a custom sketch was created and sent via the Messages app.

Highlights and redesigned reader added to Safari

Safari will be able to make it easier to get the gist of articles or webpages quickly by finding key information and summarizing.

For example, Safari will summarize a long article for users or find the location of a restaurant just by its name appearing on a webpage.

Improved, more organized Mail app

The Mail app will be able to separate emails into sections to make users’ inboxes more organized.

Incoming email is separated into:

• Primary for personal and time-sensitive emails
• Transactions for confirmations and receipts
• Updates for news and social notifications
• Promotions for marketing emails and coupons

Advanced Siri

Due to Apple Intelligence, Siri will be more advanced than ever by being able to:

• Take actions inside apps on users’ behalf.
• Answer thousands of questions when users want to know how to do something on their Apple devices.
• Maintain conversational context so users don’t have to repeat certain things when scheduling events or sending messages.
• Better understand demands, if even users stumble over words.
• Take action when something new appears on the screen, such as updating a contact when a user receives text message containing a new address.

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