Apple has a controversial relationship with allowing users to choose default apps on iPhone and iPad, and this has been the subject of numerous lawsuits around the world.
So imagine our surprise when the company introduced changes in the iOS 18.2 beta that make it easier to change some of your app’s defaults and even make a few new categories available.
In iOS 18, you can open Settings, then tap Apps at the bottom of the Settings page to view all the settings specific to your app. With the beta version of iOS 18.2, this list is supplemented by a new Default Applications menu.
The menu allows you to choose the default system applications for email, messaging, calls, call screening, your default browser, the default application for passwords and codes, and keyboards .
Foundry
Some of these options existed before but were scattered throughout various other Settings menus. However, the Calls and Messaging categories are entirely new.
There don’t yet appear to be any third-party apps that can be chosen by default in these categories, but that will likely come later as Apple releases new frameworks and app updates to use them.
