Apple has launched the public beta version of iOS 18, giving users the opportunity to try out new features before the final release.
The new updates include many features for iPhone users, such as new customization options for the user interface, new features in the Messages app, and a comprehensive redesign of the Photos app.
How to install iOS 18 beta on your phone?
The user can subscribe to the test program for the versions of Apple operating systems beta via the company's website.
The final version of the system is expected to arrive in the fall, and will be officially launched to the general public by the fourth quarter of 2024, coinciding with the arrival of the new iPhones.
Until then, users should expect to encounter some performance and stability issues when running the public beta on their phones.
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New iOS 18 Features
The new updates include many features for iPhone users, including:
Customize your home screen
iOS 18 adds multiple ways to customize the iPhone home screen. Users can now place app icons and widgets anywhere on the home screen, allowing for leaving spaces and full control over the arrangement of icons and widgets.
The new version of the iPhone iOS 18 operating system comes with multiple options to change the design and colors of the phone's interface, as the user can choose from one of the façade coloring styles and icons, including Light mode, Dark Dark, and Tinted color.
Control Center Updates
The Control Center has obtained a set of updates, as it is no longer limited to one fixed screen, so the user can move between more than one screen of the center, displaying controls according to the content that runs in the background, and resizing the control settings icons is available, in addition to deleting them.
The system also includes a new software interface (API) that allows external applications to add controls to the Control Center. For example, the Ford app can use this interface to add controls such as starting the car and opening the box.
Modify lock screen widgets
The new update also allows the ability to change the shortcut applications that appear on the lock screen, after the choice was limited to the flash on button, and the camera start button, the user can now assign a shortcut to any other applications available from the Controls Gallery.
All of these tools can also be operated via the Action Button on the iPhone 15 Pro.
Messages app updates
The messaging app got new updates, such as controlling the way text is displayed in iMessage messages, crossing words or underline, or adding effects to messages.
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Apple has enhanced the experience of iPhone users by allowing the exchange of SMS text messages and iMessage, and interaction with Tapbacks messages through its new satellite messaging service Messages via Satellite.
Messages now also supports message scheduling, so you can write a message and choose when to send it in the future, such as when the other person is awake.
Support RCS messages
iPhones also got support with iOS 18 for the rich messaging standard RCS, which improves messaging between iPhone and Android phones, after a long criticism of Apple for adhering to the old SMS standard, which made the messaging experience between its phone users and Android users boring and unacceptable, compared to the experience of messaging iPhone users via iMessage.
Support for RCS will vary between carriers around the world, and its reach is expected to expand as iOS 18 approaches the official public launch in a final version in September.
iPhone Mirroring feature
In conjunction with macOS Sequoia (now available in public beta), iOS 18 adds a new iPhone Mirroring feature, enabling interaction with the iPhone interface via Mac. This feature also allows you to receive push notifications and transfer files between the two devices.
SharePlay improvements
iOS 18 updates the screen sharing experience with SharePlay. You can now draw on someone else's screen to see what can be done on their screen, or control their screen and perform actions directly on their phone from another iPhone remotely.
New interface for the Photos app
Apple has also updated its application for photos, so the images are arranged in different forms, either chronologically Unified View, which is the traditional form of arrangement, or in the form of collections according to the time of their capture or according to the content within them, and this is done based on machine learning techniques that are used to analyze the content of images and videos to arrange it logically and comfortably for browsing.
The app includes groups organized by topics, such as recent days, people and pets, trips, sorting photos according to the distribution of their places on the map, and other classification methods.
The app can be highly customizable, so it can rearrange and install different groups, filtering specific types of content such as screenshots.
The search function in the Photos app in iOS 18 has been completely revamped, so you can now search using combinations of people, places, and pink colors ... The app includes groups organized by topics, such as recent days, people and pets, trips, sorting photos according to the distribution of their places on the map, and other classification methods.
The app can be highly customizable, so it can rearrange and install different groups, filtering specific types of content such as screenshots.
The search function in the Photos app in iOS 18 has been completely revamped, so it can now search using combinations of people, places, and the colors of specific items in photos.
A new browsing experience with Safari
The company also added two features to the Safari web browser, the first is Highlights and focuses on displaying important information to the user from within the web page, to save time searching for it, such as displaying the location of a restaurant on the map directly in front of the user.
The second feature is Reader, which simplifies the web interface to facilitate reading and navigating aspects of text content easily through clear subheadings, all based on artificial intelligence models that work locally on iPhones.
New Passwords App
The company was interested in providing a superior level of protection and privacy, as it introduced a new application to organize and manage passwords called Passwords, which is available on iPad, iPhone and Mac devices, and includes passwords for digital accounts, login passwords for wireless Internet networks WiFi and passkeys.
New features for Notes
On iOS 18, Apple also introduced a set of new features to the Notes app, including the Math Notes feature, which allows the user to type math problems in numbers or words, and get to solve them quickly and in real time.
The new update also offers the ability to add subheadings below the headings, along with the ability to shade specific parts of the text, to focus on.
Improvements for games
Apple continues its efforts to make the iPhone a powerful gaming device with iOS 18, through Game Mode that reduces the dedicated processing of applications running in the background, directing the power of the phone's performance to the game, and making the player enjoy a streamlined experience with a high refresh rate of display on his screen, while continuing to play for hours on end.
iPhone users with iOS 18 will also have a unique listening experience with AirPods and joysticks, as the new update will reduce the delay rate of wireless Bluetooth data transfer between headphones, joysticks and the phone, making the experience more synchronized and smooth.
Apple Wallet improvements
The Wallet app is improving significantly with iOS 18 this year, as new features are available, including the Tap to Cash feature, which works simply by bringing the user's phone closer to his friends' phone, to facilitate instant data transfer between their Apple Cash accounts.
The user will also be able to save event tickets within his account on the application, in addition to tickets for many services, such as parking tickets and all related information, in addition to flight tickets, flight booking details and restaurant tables.
Also, a new feature coming to Apple Wallet, the Tap to Provision feature, which will be available later this year, will allow you to add new credit or debit cards to Apple Wallet simply by bringing your card closer to the back of the iPhone.
"Apple bye" on the web and computers
The update also introduces Apple Pay to web browsers and computers with iOS 18, so the user will be able to pay using his balance on his account with the service on websites, by scanning the QR Code, and then be able to complete the payment.
New privacy features
iOS 18 includes a number of new privacy and security features for iPhone users, as Apple added the ability to secure certain applications with Face ID, and the ability to completely hide certain applications from the phone, which are only visible or run through Face Print.
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iOS 18 also includes support for hiding apps, by hiding the app's name and icon on the home screen and in search, and stopping receiving notifications from it, so that the app can only be accessed via the hidden apps folder in the app library, which requires the user's face or finger print or passcode to open them.
The new update allows the user to choose which contacts they want to give a specific app access to.
Advantages for ease of use
Apple has been interested in providing many advantages with iOS 18 to make it easier to use iPhone phones for people with special needs, as well as the rest of the users in circumstances during which it is difficult for them to interact with their phones in the usual way with their hands.
The company added the ability to control the phone and its elements with eye movements only, in addition to providing a feature that makes it easier for users who suffer from deafness or hard of hearing to experience music on the iPhone freely, by making the user's clicks on the music application emit repeated vibrations for sounds, so they can enjoy music.
The company also offers the Voice Commands feature, which enables the user to accomplish many tasks with a single voice command to Siri.
Does iOS 18 work on your iPhone?
iOS 18 is compatible with the following models of iPhones:
- iPhone XR
- iPhone XS and XS Max
- iPhone 11, 11 Pro and 11 Pro Max
- iPhone 12, 12 mini, 12 Pro and 12 Pro Max
- iPhone 13, 13 mini, 13 Pro and 13 Pro Max
- iPhone 14, 14 Plus, 14 Pro and 14 Pro Max
- iPhone 15, 15 Plus and 15 Pro Max
- iPhone SE second and third generation
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