Thanks to iOS 18 and iPadOS 18, you can use a lot of new features and apps on your iPhone or iPad. This includes a new control panel, customizable home screen, extensive calculator, new photos app and more.
But there are still some useful new features in the iOS update that Apple did not discuss during the various announcements or on their information page. Below you will find an overview of all the new iOS 18 and iPadOS 18 features.
Good to know: iOS 18 can be installed on the iPhone Xr, Xs or newer and iPhone SE 2nd generation or newer. iPadOS 18 is supported on iPad 6th generation or later, iPad Air 7th generation or later, iPad mini 5th generation or later, iPad Pro 3rd generation or later, and all 11-inch iPad Pro models.
Apple Intelligence
During WWDC 2024, Apple took an important new step in the field of artificial intelligence, the company Apple Intelligence announced. A personal intelligence system for Mac, iPhone and iPad that combines the power of generative models with the user’s individual context, resulting in AI that is both useful and relevant.
although Apple Intelligence is part of iOS 18, iPadOS 18 and macOS Sequoia, the AI features won’t be available until the end of this year or early next year in English (US) will be added on a limited number of Apple devices. Additionally, the features will initially be in beta. For these reasons, we do not mention the Apple Intelligence functions for the software updates in this overview.
Want to know what AI features you can expect on your iPhone, iPad and Mac? Then view our extensive explanation of Apple Intelligence and discover what innovations await you.
Announced by Apple
Below we list all iOS 18 and iPadOS 18 options that Apple shared during WWDC or on their website.
Home screen
- Personalize the home screen layout with blank spaces
- App icons have support for light and dark mode
- Ability to provide app icons with a color effect
- Show apps larger without text
- Ability to hide and lock apps from access
Remote control
- Remotely control iPhone or iPad using SharePlay for FaceTime
- Draw on someone’s screen or control their screen
- Being able to take actions yourself on someone else’s screen
Control panel
- Redesigned control panel with new controls
- Rearrange and resize the controls
- Multiple pages with extensive controls for music, home and network settings
- Gallery of quick add controls
- More shortcuts for actions and Apple apps
- Developers can create shortcuts for the control panel
- Swap the controls at the bottom of the Lock screen (flashlight and camera)
Home
- Provide specific controls with guest access
- Give guests access to specific accessories
- Possibility to allow guests to operate devices only between certain times
- Unlock door locks hands-free with ultrawideband
- Robot vacuum cleaner support
- View electricity usage per accessory (if data available)
photos
- Renewed interface with only one page
- Access to photo library at the top
- Swipe right from the grid to access the new carousel
- In the carousel you can access favorites, featured photos and more
- The library automatically organizes collections by subject
- Pinned Collections gives you access to the collections or albums that matter most to you
- Additional categories and media formats added
- Ability to view groups in People & Pets
- Custom video player
- Automatically sort email messages into categories
- The Primary category helps you focus on what’s most important, like time-sensitive messages
- View message snippets such as receipts, marketing emails, and newsletters grouped by sender
To inform
- Format text: bold, italics, underlined, and strikethrough
- Add animations on any letter, word, sentence or emoji in iMessage
- Tapback with any emoji or sticker
- Schedule messages to send later
- Support for RCS messages
- Send messages via satellite when there is no mobile network or WiFi (iPhone 14 (Pro) or newer)
Safari
- Introducing highlights and displaying useful information (only in English)
- Safari automatically detects relevant information on a page and marks it as a highlight
- A smarter, redesigned Reader
- Added table of contents to Reader
- Automatically compiled summary in Reader (only in English)
Passwords
- New application with all your login details in one place
- Securely synced between devices and apps
- Easily find passwords
- Filter content by categories such as ‘recently created’
- Ability to automatically regenerate expired Passkeys
Cards
- Topographic maps with detailed hiking networks and walks (USA and Japan)
- Ability to save Topographic maps offline
- Create your own custom walking routes
- Save walks for offline access, including turn-by-turn navigation
Game mode
- Maximize gameplay performance
- Game mode minimizes background activity to maintain consistently high frame rates
- Dramatically reduces audio latency with AirPods Pro 2nd Gen
- Makes wireless game controllers responsive
Wallet
- Bring iPhone devices together to pay privately (US only)
- Support for ‘Rewards’ when paying with Apple Pay (bank must support this)
- Pay in installments with Apple Pay (bank must support this)
- Improved display for event tickets
- Event guide with useful information about the location directly from Wallet
Diary
- Log your mood directly in the Diary app
- Insights gives you an overview of your writing goals within the app
- Sort past entries in the Diary app by categories
- Use the advanced search function to find previous entries
- Widgets to add to the lock or home screen
TV app
- Select InSight in the TV app to learn more about the actors and music as it all plays on screen
- InSight is also available when you use iPhone as a remote control for Apple TV 4K
- Enhance Dialogue helps you hear better what’s being said on the screen, especially when loud sound effects or music are playing.
Privacy and security
- Redesigned privacy and security settings
- Control how you share contact information with apps
- Enhanced Bluetooth privacy
- Developers can use an intuitive new way to connect accessories
Calculator
- Now also on the iPad!
- Redesigned interface
- Access to the brand new and advanced Math Notes calculator
- A new portrait orientation for the scientific calculator
- Instantly convert units and currencies in the Calculator app
- History of all your calculations
Notes
- Record audio sessions in a note
- Generate live audio transcriptions (only in English)
- Search or combine audio transcripts with other comments, checklists or documents
- Simplify and hide text with collapsible section headings
- Highlight text with color and make it stand out
- Support for math assignments in notes that are automatically calculated
- Calculations can be processed by writing or typing
agenda
- A redesigned monthly view
- Create, view, edit and complete reminders right in Calendar
Telephone
- Record a live call directly from the Phone app
- Perform audio transcriptions in the phone app (only in English)
- Improved display and search features for conversation history search
- Make smarter calls and seamlessly switch SIM cards with dual SIM
Accessibility
- Eye tracking on iPad and iPhone
- Tactile feedback for music
- New voice support features
- Directions for moving vehicles for motion sickness
- CarPlay gets voice control
- Magnifier includes a new reader mode
- See all the new accessibility features for iOS 18
Freeform
- Scenes help you organize and present your board section by section
- Send a copy of your board to anyone with just a link
- An improved diagram mode makes it easier to form connections on your canvas
- Align your board content exactly how you want by tapping items on the grid
Other
- SOS emergency notification live video: Share streaming video and recorded media during emergency calls
- In the Condition app you can personalize the ‘Overview’ tab
- The Health app can help users better understand their data during pregnancy by making adjustments and recommendations to reflect changes in their physical and mental health
- iPhone Mirroring in combination with macOS Sequoia
- Forward iPhone notifications to your Mac with macOS Sequoia
Specially for AirPods
All innovations for AirPods 3rd generation, AirPods Pro and AirPods Max
- Personalized spatial audio for gaming
- Voice isolation on AirPods Pro 2nd generation and sound crystal clear during calls
- With Siri interactions on AirPods Pro 2nd generation, you have the option to nod your head yes or gently shake your head no to respond to Siri.
All innovations especially for iPad
All iPadOS 18 innovations especially for iPad
Button bars and columns
- Redesigned tab and button bars
- Navigation columns blend in better with the app
- Button, navigation and tab bars can be customized with items you use most
Smart Script in Notes
- Machine learning recognizes your handwriting style and can use it to supplement or write handwritten text
- Paste typed text into your handwriting
- Remove handwritten text by crossing it out
- Move written text to get more space
- Spell checking of handwriting
iOS 18 innovations that Apple didn’t tell you
All new options, possibilities and minor changes in iOS 18 and iPadOS 18 that Apple didn’t tell.
- Settings has been updated with a clearer overview
- Search within settings has been updated with recent searches and suggestions
- Quickly add widgets from an app by pressing and holding the app icon on the home screen
- Ability to change the 80% charging limit of iPhone 15 (Pro), iPad Air M2, iPad Pro M4 or newer to a value of your choice
- New background sounds: fire and night
- Custom language indicator in keyboard space bar
- Smaller Face ID notification in Dynamic Island
- When pressing the physical buttons, a small black “push” appears on the screen
- Apple ID is now called Apple Account
- New interface for iCloud settings including additional information about features and storage
Update: new discoveries
Discovered new possibilities? Share them in the comments and we will add them.
- Participants in SharePlay Playlist in Music no longer need to have an Apple Music subscription to participate
- SharePlay for music can also be used on a HomePod
- Renewed buttons in the Music app for autoplay and shuffle, among others
- Warning when using a slow charger
- Wind chill appears prominently in view of actual temperature when they differ significantly in Weather app and widget
- Add home and work locations from Contacts to the list of locations in the Weather app
- Ability to rotate WiFi address to limit tracking
- Quickly share WiFi password with QR code
- Will be supplemented later