In less than two weeks, Apple will kick off WWDC with a high-profile keynote that previews all the new features coming to iOS 18 and macOS 15. It’s no surprise that AI is a important component of ads and one of the main new features could be something we all use daily.
According to Mark Gurman’s latest Power On newsletter, one of the “standout” features of iOS 18 will “bring generative AI to emojis.” Gurman says Apple is “developing software that can create personalized emojis on the fly, based on text messages users send.” That means you’ll suddenly have a whole new emoji for every occasion, beyond the catalog of options Apple currently offers on the iPhone and other devices.
We reported last week that the Unicode Consortium was considering a handful of new emoji for its next update, including a face with bags under its eyes, a fingerprint, a harp, a leafless tree, and a splatter mark . Apple is certain to include these emojis in one of next year’s iOS 18 updates, but if Gurman’s report is accurate, we won’t need to wait for them: any emoji to express an emotion will be within reach.
Generative AI is the same technology behind ChatGPT’s conversational chats and Dall-E’s image creation. Gurman doesn’t go into detail, but it looks like you’ll be able to type a word or phrase into Messages and a single emoji will generate an emoji that matches what you want to express. Then we wouldn’t need to wait for Apple to design its own versions of the Unicode Consortium’s annual selections.
According to Gurman, also on deck for iOS 18 is a “revamped” home screen with the ability to “change the color of app icons and place them wherever they want,” scaled “smart summaries.” of the system that will “provide users with summaries of their missed notifications and individual text messages, as well as web pages, news articles, documents, notes and other forms of media”, and a partnership with OpenAI to integrate ChatGPT into the iPhone.
Apple will unveil iOS 18 and macOS 15 during a WWDC keynote at 10:00 a.m. PT on June 10.
