Big update for the iPhone: iOS 18 will be released and this is what it brings

The time for speculation is over – Apple recently introduced its new operating system iOS 18, along with the new iPhone 16 models. The new Apple operating system will be released on September 16th and it brings many new features for the following devices:

These models will receive iOS 18

iOS 18 is a comprehensive software update. You can expect a file size of at least 3 gigabytes or more that must be downloaded over the Internet. Accordingly, a stable Internet connection and a full cell phone battery are also mandatory. Ideally, you should connect your smartphone to a power outlet during the update process.

What new features does iOS 18 bring?

With iOS 18, you should have numerous options for redesigning your iPhone’s home screen. You can place your apps and widgets freely on the home screen so that your background image is not unnecessarily covered. You can also color the app icons individually so that they match your style and background image. There will also be a “Dark Mode” for the apps by default.

More customization options: For home screen, control center and lock screen

Your Control Center, which you can access by swiping down from the top right of your iPhone, will also be able to be customized even better to suit your needs. You can add new controls for your favorite apps, adjust their size, and even create your own groups for controls. You will also be able to change the apps on your lock screen in the future.

You will also be able to customize the apps on your lock screen. Would you rather quickly open a note app instead of using the flashlight or camera? In the future, you can place these on your lock screen and access them even faster.

Lock and hide apps

With iOS 18, you will be able to lock an app so that Face ID, Touch ID, or a passcode is required for access. Information from the app will not be displayed in other places in the system, such as search or notifications. This prevents sensitive information from being accidentally seen by others. You can also easily move an app to a locked folder for hidden apps to hide it further.

Photos: “The biggest redesign of all time”

The Photos app, where all your photos are stored, has been completely redesigned. A simplified view shows the familiar grid, and thematic collections allow you to search without albums. Favorites can be pinned. A carousel presents daily updated highlights of favorite people, places and more. You can also organize collections individually and pin frequently used content.

Thanks to iOS 18 and Apple Intelligence, you will also have better image editing options available in the future. A new feature called “Clean Up” gives you the option of subsequently removing objects or reflections from your photos.

News: More individual and never too late – even in emergency situations

iMessage gets new text effects that bring conversations to life – letters, words, sentences and emojis can be animated. Formatting such as bold, underlined, italic and strikethrough help to convey the tone more clearly. Tapbacks, i.e. quick reactions, now support any emoji or sticker.

With the new “Send Later” feature, you can schedule a message to be sent at a specific time – for example, for birthday wishes. This way, you’ll never forget to write on time again.

The well-known Apple functions “Find My” and “Emergency SOS” via the satellite network will also be available in Germany with iOS 18. These can be helpful in areas without sufficient network coverage – especially in emergency situations.

Apple Intelligence

Apple’s AI services, called “Apple Intelligence,” are designed to make your daily activities easier and adapt to your style and habits. With the Writing Tools, you can organize quick notes, change the tone of voice, and make corrections. Emojis can be created using simple descriptions, and with “Image Playground” you can find images or specific places in videos.

It is also possible to create films from your own recordings. There are also summaries of emails and notifications with prioritization of important messages.

Siri: New understanding through Apple Intelligence

With iOS 18 and Apple Intelligence, Siri can now handle things even better when you can’t find the right words right away – even incomplete sentences are enough to get a suitable answer. You can also now write to Siri. Siri guides you step by step through how to use the iPhone.

Thanks to On Screen Awareness, Siri recognizes what’s happening on the screen. If someone sends you a song, you can just tell Siri to “play that.” Siri can also help you find information on your iPhone. The first Apple Intelligence features will be available next month, with more to follow in the coming months.

When is Apple Intelligence coming to Germany?

In its presentation, Apple announced that Apple Intelligence will be available in several regions around the world next month – but only in English. Germany was not explicitly mentioned. It is therefore unclear whether the artificial intelligence will be available here. Apple recently stated that EU regulations could delay the launch of Apple Intelligence or individual features in Europe.

RCS News

With iOS 18, Apple is also introducing the RCS (Rich Communication Services) messaging standard. Messages with the RCS standard allow you to exchange more extensive media content as well as receipt and read receipts for users who do not use iMessage.

Improved gaming mode

The new Game Mode in iOS 18 promises to reduce background activity to ensure consistently high frame rates, so you can keep playing for hours without interruption. Game Mode is also supposed to drastically reduce audio latency on AirPods and make wireless game controllers incredibly responsive.

Safari

Safari, Apple’s browser, now wants to make it even faster for you to find information. It uses machine learning to show the most important details of a web page, for example by summarizing articles or the location of a restaurant. The redesigned Reader offers more options for reading articles without distractions, including a summary and a table of contents for longer texts.

Passwords app

The Passwords app is based on the keychain, which has been available in iOS for some time. With the new Passwords app in iOS 18, you can easily access your passwords, passkeys, Wi-Fi passwords and verification codes. The app also warns you about common vulnerabilities, such as passwords that are easy to guess or used multiple times, as well as those that have appeared in known data leaks.

Journal – Writing a diary becomes easier

The new journal view helps you keep track of your journaling goals. Entries are easy to search and sort, and the time you spend in the journal is tracked as mindfulness minutes in the Health app. Your state of mind can be logged directly. The new widget lets you write quickly from the home or lock screen. Audio recordings are automatically transcribed, and entries can be exported and printed.

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