It’s a weird year for iOS. Usually, the new software version is released all at once. Not so for iOS 18. The core components have arrived, and in a typical year, RCS support and a revamped control center would be sufficient. However, Apple Intelligence, the main feature of iOS 18, is not included in this initial release, and some of its most exciting functions may not be available until well until 2025. The iOS 18 rollout begins immediately and will continue for the foreseeable future.
Even without Apple Intelligence, iOS 18 is a large-scale update. Customization choices are at an all-time high, and with a little tweaking, you’ll be able to personalize your iPhone unlike ever before. It is almost un-Apple-like.
Control Center could morph into a little remote control for my phone
Control Center is an excellent place to start. The quick-access settings panel has remained largely unchanged for the previous decade, but it receives a significant revamp with iOS 18. I believe this is Apple at its best: everything you need is still present, and the vibe is overwhelmingly familiar, but digging deeper reveals a significant change.
Controls are now organized into pages, with common features like connectivity and focus modes on the first page. And each page is completely customizable: you choose which controls to add or remove, where you want them, and what size they should be. It will become even more interesting if third-party programs add their own controls.
It took me a few minutes to adjust to the new layout. Initially, I was swiping too far down the screen, jumping to the second or third page of controls. It takes about a week to retrain that muscle memory, and you may delete the extra pages if you like. Personally, I’m hoping to utilize the new control center as a small remote control for my phone, reducing the number of journeys I make to particular apps.
Another update to iOS 18 will be either a minor one or a major one, with no in-between: the addition of RCS. I fall into the latter camp, and let me tell you, it was exciting to see my first RCS messages reach my Android buddies. After downloading the iOS 18 beta, my communications began to default to RCS rather than SMS, with no input from me. The entire process has worked amazingly well. I see typing indications and read receipts, and tap-backs appear as reactions rather than a separate message.
You can ugly up your homescreen in unprecedented ways
The real test will come when my pals eventually upgrade to iOS 18 and we can message photographs to one other without having to use convoluted side channels. I’ve showed incredible discipline by not urging my iPhone-owning pals to download beta software, but you can guarantee my campaign to convince them all to upgrade to iOS 18 begins today. If you possess an iPhone and routinely message someone on Android, please consider doing the same. This version of RCS on the iPhone will not put a stop to the blue-bubble, green-bubble wars, but it will alleviate the most common pain points in cross-platform communications for users on both sides.
As vital as sharing great moments with my friends? iOS 18 will also allow you to customize your homescreen in previously unheard-of ways. If you’re a weirdo, you can go full Alex Cranz on your homescreen, or you can simply place the icons exactly where you want them for the first time since the iPhone’s inception. Imagine!
Apple has shown us the app icon tinting feature with a number of pretty examples, but I haven’t been able to figure out how to apply it so it doesn’t look too “Material Ew.” But putting icons anywhere I want on the screen already feels so natural; I can’t believe we couldn’t do it before.
This is a significant update when a totally new Passwords app is only the fourth most intriguing thing going on. It’s self-explanatory, and after playing around with it for a while, I’m persuaded that this is an app for your parents who refuse to learn how to use password managers. Passwords may be saved and accessed from iOS, iPad, and macOS devices, just as you would expect. Individual passwords or sets of passwords can, however, be shared with others, which is useful for families and people living together.
Even without AI, there’s a lot to dig into
The catch, of course, is that everyone must be in the Apple ecosystem, and since I regularly switch between iOS and Android, it’s not something I can utilize in the long run. Using a first-party Apple password manager would also make transitioning away from iOS in the future more difficult, which is most likely not by accident. But if my folks were all in on Apple, I’d make sure they used it.
One feature that I am confident I will use in the long run? Transcription of voice memos. This could be for my fellow journalists, but it’s good. For years, I’ve used Pixel phones to record and transcribe interviews, and they’ve consistently been the greatest tool for the task. In iOS 18, Voice Memos will finally transcribe your recordings, either in real time or later, and the quality is comparable to the Pixel Recorder app. It may not be a common feature, but those who know know.
A redesigned control center and a more adjustable app grid don’t seem like much on paper. And most people will probably leave them alone, which is good. However, if you’re willing to put in some effort, iOS 18 will be quite rewarding – no artificial intelligence required.
However, AI is the major missing piece here. I’ve been able to try out some of it in early betas: the new glowing Siri will make you say “Oooh” out loud the first time you use it, and the initial edition of Apple Intelligence will include email summaries, notification digests, and writing tools. I have yet to be completely awed by any of this, but the major stuff — as we have been warned repeatedly — is yet to come. Siri will gain contextual awareness and the capacity to perform tasks for you, which might be a significant development. All of this will be included in a subsequent version; in the meantime, you’ll basically be stuck with the same old assistant.
For now, Apple Intelligence is still slowly coming into focus. But even without the big AI features, iOS 18 is off to a good start. Apple just needs to finish it.
