Since WWDC, Apple has been talking about new features coming with iOS 18. The time for the updates is here and so are our favourite features (some of them will arrive in the coming weeks).

Call recording

It’s a feature many have been asking for. Record live phone calls or FaceTime audio calls from the Phone app. When you start a recording, the Phone app automatically announces that the call is being recorded, so no one is surprised.

Live caller ID lookup

It will make life easier for apps like Truecaller. New APIs allow developers to fetch information from their servers and provide live caller ID for incoming calls, in a privacy-preserving way.

Writing tools

You can create multiple versions of your text that maintain your tone. Apple Intelligence can help proofread whatever you key in: View suggested improvements to what you’re writing, like grammar fixes and language refinements. Quickly accept all suggestions with a tap or view the explanations to better understand the changes and accept the ones you want. There is also a summerise option that involves selecting any amount of text and generating a high-quality summary. Summarise content of all kinds like documents, articles, or communications to quickly understand the important points.

Image Playground

One of the fun features is Image Playground, which generates cartoon-like illustrations based on a text prompt. We are yet to see a real-world example of an Image Playground character. You can easily create new images, access all the images you’ve previously created, remix previous images, and share your creations with friends and family using your favourite social and communication apps. Create uplifting and playful compositions with stylised and exaggerated characters against minimal backgrounds using a contemporary illustration style defined by simple shapes, clean lines, and flat colour blocking with a diverse colour palette.

iOS 18 lets you place icons and widgets anywhere on your iPhone’s Home Screen grid to create the perfect layout. You no longer have to place icons and widgets by each other

Genmoji

Image Playground and Genmoji are different. The latter allows you to generate custom emoji directly from the keyboard using text prompts.

Siri

With the on-device semantic index provided by Apple Intelligence, Siri can understand emails, messages, photos, calendar events, files, and more, and can provide answers to questions that are personal to you. For example, when you say “What was that movie that Jamie told me I should check out?” Siri will dig up the message from last week. And when you’re filling out a form and say “Add my passport number here,” Siri can extract the number from a saved photo of your passport and drop it in.The digital assistant will be able to understand and take action with things on your screen, so when a friend texts you recommending a new coffee shop in the neighbourhood, you can simply say “How long would it take me to walk there from home?” and Siri will understand just what you mean.

ChatGPT integration

Siri can tap into ChatGPT to help you with certain requests when it determines ChatGPT can provide a helpful answer. You can also ask questions about photos and documents including PDFs and presentations. You will be asked before requests or information are sent to ChatGPT. Siri then presents you with the answer directly.

Transcription summaries

This could be interesting for many users. We often make long voice recordings and then after a couple of days wonder how to get a quick summary. Now you can do just that without going through the entire transcript.

Notifications

It’s a bother and Apple is trying to do something new. Multiple notifications from a single app are grouped in a stack with a glanceable summary on top that lets you know the most important information. What about important notifications? Immediately see the things that may require your attention, like a work message about a deliverable due that day, with priority notifications that are based on what’s most urgent and appear at the top of your notifications.

Photos app

We have written about this before. The Photos app has undergone a major change: Natural language photo and video search Search supports natural language queries and expanded understanding, so you can search for just what you mean. Further, you can create a memory about the specific story you want to see, just by typing a description. And there is a cleanup feature to get rid of unwanted objects in photos. And find your next perfect wallpaper, complete with style suggestions.

Messages

Apple is improving the Messages app, which is secure and has all the features that you need. Text effects Add dynamic, animated effects like Explode or Ripple to any letter, word, or phrase in iMessage to bring your conversations to life. More importantly, you can send messages later: Compose a message now and schedule it to be sent later for the times when it’s late and you don’t want a message to be sent until the morning.

There is also support for RCS (Rich Communication Services). So you can message your friends and family who don’t use iMessage over RCS, which brings support for richer media.

Safari

There are a number of updates but our favourite is distraction control. Hide items on a web page that you find distracting. You can easily revert the changes later if you change your mind.

Passwords app

This is a new app. See all your passwords, passkeys, verification codes, Wi-Fi passwords, and Sign in with Apple credentials for websites and apps in one place.

NotesPacked with updates, you can now capture a phone conversation as text and audio. There are moments you want to record audio from your notes and keep them with related comments, checklists, and documents. You can even edit your notes while recording. Math in Notes is another interesting development. Enter expressions and equations in your note to have them solved instantly.

Hidden apps

There are times when a device is used by several family members and you want to hide certain apps. You can now do that. Besides locking, the app icon and name won’t show up on the Home Screen or when you search. And you won’t receive notifications from the app on the Lock Screen or Home Screen, so the app won’t be inadvertently revealed to others who can see your screen.

Live voicemail

Many have asked me about this feature which I have been using on the developer account. Live Voicemail is coming to more regions. Apple is adding support for English (the UK, Australia, India, Ireland, New Zealand, Singapore, South Africa, and Puerto Rico) and more languages.

Game Mode

You don’t want to be disturbed while playing video games on the mobile. This mode offers a more immersive gaming experience by improving the responsiveness with wireless accessories and minimising background activity to sustain the highest frame rates.

If you get the iPhone 16, there is a Camera Control button

Auto mic mode

When you are in a crowded space, you want the person on the other end of the call to hear you clearly. The Phone app now picks the right Mic Mode for you. If you’re in a noisy environment, Voice Isolation will prioritise your voice and block ambient noises. If you’re in a quiet environment, Wide Spectrum will leave ambient noises unfiltered, allowing your voice and all the sounds around you to be heard.