Apple announced the iOS 18 new update with even more features that would make your iPhone experience more enjoyable. This includes a new layout of the home screen, totally flexible and customized according to your needs, revamped core applications such as Photos and Mail, and new improvements that come in for everyone’s attention.
However, some features like Apple Intelligence are still in development, only said to hit later updates. All these updates made you confused if you should get the iOS 18 updates. Let’s go deep into all these details so you can know what to do.
iOS 18: A Guide to the New Update
What’s New in iOS 18?
iOS 18 is not a visual remake. Game-changing features are changing your iPhone entirely. Here are some of the most exciting new stuff:
Home Screen Customization
A blank iPhone canvas, courtesy of iOS 18, means you can say goodbye to the App Grid for a genuinely personalized home screen: works best with your style. Want a neat layout with specific apps? Go for it.
Splash many different colors across app icons? Yep. Resizing and repositioning widgets also makes possible a layout that works for you. Would you like to change the color of your icons or reorder your folders? Now this is possible. This form of customization brings the user so much closer: an interface on their phone that no one else would have.
Core Apps Redesigned
Photos and Mail-like-friendly applications have been largely revamped in iOS 18. Organization of memories will now be much more intuitive, thanks to cleverly crafted albums that auto-sort pictures by events, locations, and even emotions. The new photo-editing tools are also delightful to those who love tweaking their snaps before posting them online.
Mail, however, will get a sleek, new design with improved navigation and smarter sorting options. Later this fall, an update powered by Apple Intelligence will take Mail to the next level, offering predictive sorting, even stronger spam filtering, and even smarter categorization of emails.
Messaging is even better now.
Messaging on iOS 18 is now funned up and made much more dynamic, allowing you even to schedule texts that you have asked for ages ago, so you can now send your message at a certain time-one great use for that birthday wish or reminder. These are made fun with new effects with confetti and fireworks, so your messages are now more fun.
On top of that, iOS 18 supports RCS, filling a gap between an iMessage and SMS. This just means one can send larger files enjoy higher quality photos to share, and even get read receipts from non-iPhone users. This messaging app is a kind of victory for people frequently chatting with friends across other phone brands.
Safari Improvements
If you browse with Safari, well, it is available for you, and you won’t be disappointed. The cleaner Reader mode of Safari also means long reads will not hurt the eyes of the reader due to unwanted clutter on websites. One other feature that was introduced is the Highlight Cards. These cards would appear on the address bar, presenting a bite-sized summary of news, weather, and sports, among others, without opening another tab. It’s a neat way of knowing what’s going on while one is surfing.
Password Management with the New Passwords App
iOS 18 bears much in large focuses: security. Apple has a stand-alone app it’s introducing that deals with passwords and will make password management much easier for users. This new app can generate strong passwords for new accounts, let you know if your password has been compromised, and this app has a feature for you to safely store your logins.
All your passwords will appear just where you need them. And the Passwords app integrates with every single one of your Apple devices. The application Passwords makes your digital life secure and safe without having to remember the password for everything.
Tap to Cash: Your iPhone as a POS Station
Tap to Cash is just one feature that could be very interesting in iOS 18. The integration of this functionality will render your iPhone usable as a mobile Point of Sale terminal, allowing small businesses and freelancers to receive payments without any additional hardware. Just tap the customer’s card or digital wallet on your iPhone; done is seamless and quick. It is a great addition for that extra business or a cash-only business to have a payment on the go.
Other Amazing Features
There are so many additional features on iOS 18. Everything there is, in terms of power text formatting and organization, will find its way onto the Notes application. Note-taking will therefore never be easier. The Wallet app has also improved things, providing more information histories as well as easy card data management.
So, for example, do you need the upgrade at all?
Of course, there then are all the new features and enhancements beckoning you to click that “Download and Install” button just this very minute. Whether iOS 18 is worth the price of an upgrade, however, really does depend upon need. Excited by things as disparate as a customizable home screen, improved messaging, and new security features, then iOS 18 is a good choice; if you happen to have one of the latest compatible devices, it’s well worth thinking about, too.
However, in case you are fine with the now-activated version of iOS and the new features do not bring something drastically different to your daily uses, then there is no reason to line up for the update right away. Recall that some of the most hyped-up features, such as Apple Intelligence, won’t be included in the first update and will be brought out later with subsequent iOS releases. So if you’re more interested in getting an iOS 18 version that is relatively more stable, then you’ll wait a long time for that to happen.
Compatible Devices with iOS 18
Before downloading iOS 18 on your device, you are compelled to check whether your device is compatible with iOS 18. That is a list of compatible iPhones and iPads, as follows:
Compatible iPhones
iPhones: iPhone 16 series, iPhone 15 series, iPhone 14 series, iPhone 13 series, iPhone 12 series, iPhone 11 series, iPhone XS series, iPhone XR, iPhone SE (2nd generation or later).
iPads: iPad Pro (M4), iPad Pro 12.9 inch (3rd generation or later), iPad Pro 11inch (1st generation or later), iPad Air (M2 and 3rd generation or later), iPad (7th generation or later), iPad mini (5th generation or later).
Installation of iOS 18
Installing iOS 18 is quite straightforward.
Looking for Updates: In Settings, swipe to General > Software Update
Download and Install: If your device states that iOS 18 is ready for installation, just tap Download and Install
Space: Ensure you have ample free space. Unused apps and old files in it can be deleted before proceeding with the installation.
Backup: Before updating, you may want to back up your device to iCloud or your computer just in case something went wrong with the update.
Wrapping It All
So many cool features come with iOS 18, that might change how you interact with your iPhone day-to-day. Be it home screen customization, improved apps, and other added features that bring in more security, all fall under this release. But the value of this update is pretty subjective and depends on your decision, and a device may support it or not. So, if you feel you like these new features, download them, and if not, then just wait for future upgrades when Apple Intelligence and many more improvements will be added.
