The much-anticipated iOS 18 update is finally here for all to download, bringing with it hundreds of new features and adjustments for you to explore. Some of these new additions may need a bit of configuration to start using, so we’ve put together this guide to help you discover the key features to try first after updating to iOS 18.
Once you’ve rearranged the icons, press and hold on the Home Screen, select Edit, and then opt for Customize. In this menu, you can enlarge app icons by removing the app names, enable Dark Mode icons, or adjust the icon tint to align with your wallpaper.
Be sure to check out our complete Home Screen guide for a detailed overview of all the things you can do.
Set Up Control Center
The Control Center is now highly customizable, allowing you to rearrange your controls, place them on different pages, and access them from the Lock Screen or Action Button. It also features a full Controls Gallery, including support for third-party app controls.
To set up your Control Center, swipe down from the top-right corner of your iPhone and press any empty space until the grid appears, or tap the “+” button in the top-left corner of the screen.
Once there, simply grab an icon and move it to your desired location. You can rearrange icons on the same page or drag them to a new one. Similar to the Home Screen, you can leave empty spaces if you’d like. You could organize different pages for related controls, such as music and home, or mix everything together. Adjust an icon’s size by dragging its corner.
In this editing view, tap “Add a Control” to open the Controls Gallery, where all your Control Center options are categorized for easy access.
Hide and Lock Apps
If you need to give your unlocked iPhone to a partner, child, or friend, you can now feel secure knowing that apps can be locked and hidden, with Face ID required to open them.
To lock or hide an app on the Home Screen, press and hold the app icon, tap “Require Face ID,” and select either Require Face ID or Hide and Require Face ID.
Choosing the Require Face ID option will simply lock the app, requiring a passcode or facial scan to open it. If you choose to hide the app as well, it will be removed from the Lock Screen and other visible areas on the iPhone, making it accessible only from a locked Hidden Apps folder in the App Library.
Change Your Lock Screen Buttons
You’re familiar with the Camera and Flashlight icons that have been on the Lock Screen for ages? Well, now you can switch them out or remove them entirely.
On the Lock Screen, press and hold, tap Customize, choose Lock Screen, and then tap the “-” buttons next to the Camera and Flashlight to remove them. You can either leave it at that or tap the “+” button to add other Control Center options, such as enabling Dark Mode or starting a Voice Memo.
Organize the Photos App
The Photos app no longer has tabs, as Apple has implemented a new unified design. To access different sections like Memories and albums, simply scroll down within the app.
The Photos app is now arranged into “Collections,” allowing you to customize which collections are visible and where they appear within the Photos app interface. To organize your collections, scroll to the bottom of the Photos app and tap Customize and Reorder.
You can also pin specific content that you want to include in Collections. Simply scroll down to Pinned Collections and tap “Modify” to make adjustments.
Check Out the Passwords App
Apple has introduced a new Passwords app for iPhone, iPad, and Mac, making it easier to access your stored iCloud Keychain logins and passwords. It provides the same features as the Passwords section in the Settings app but has now been relocated to a standalone app.
Passwords are automatically saved to the app whenever you log in to a website, and it will already include all your logins and passwords if you use iCloud Keychain.
The app also provides alerts for weak, reused, or compromised passwords, and it supports passkeys as well as password sharing.
Try Safari Distraction Control
Distraction Control is a new Safari feature designed to minimize distracting elements on webpages, such as sign-in prompts, cookie preference popups, GDPR notices, and newsletter signup banners. While it doesn’t block ads, it effectively removes many other nuisances.
To use it, open any webpage and go to the Page Menu, then select Hide Distracting Items. Tap on any element you want to hide from the page. You can hide anything that remains static. To unhide an item, simply return to the Page Menu and tap Show Hidden Items.
Note: If you don’t see the Hide Distracting Items option, tap the three dots at the bottom of the menu, then select Edit to add it to the Page Menu.
Test Out Math Notes
iOS 18 introduces a clever integration between the Calculator app and the Notes app, called Math Notes. Math Notes automatically solves equations, making it easy to do things like total up your monthly budget, figure out what others owe you for a group trip, or split a restaurant bill.
You can use Math Notes either in the Notes app or in the Math Notes section of the Calculator app, and it even works in apps like Messages. Any equation you type is automatically solved when you add an equals sign, and you can also incorporate variables.
For instance, if you write dinner = $52, movies = $34, and dessert = $28 in the Notes app or Math Notes section of Calculator, you can then input dinner + movies + dessert and add an equals sign to calculate the total. Variables can also be used in equations and graphs, allowing for later adjustments to update the results.
Math Notes also supports unit conversions and can handle the same functions as the scientific calculator.
Schedule a Message
Send Later is a new feature in iOS 18 that allows you to schedule a text message up to two weeks in advance. For example, if you know someone’s birthday is approaching, you can schedule a “happy birthday” message in advance so it will be sent automatically at the right time.
You can use Send Later in any conversation with an iMessage user, whether it’s an individual or group chat. To access it, open a conversation, tap the “+” button, select More, and choose Send Later.
After that, type your message and tap the blue bubble that defaults to Tomorrow 9:00 a.m. You can then use the slider to adjust the date and time. Once you’re ready, tap the blue arrow to schedule your message.
Your scheduled messages will appear at the bottom of the conversation. If you need to edit or delete a scheduled message, simply tap the “Edit” button.
Use iPhone Mirroring
iPhone Mirroring is a new iOS 18 feature that functions when paired with a Mac running macOS Sequoia. The Mac includes a new iPhone Mirroring app, and by clicking it, you can access and control your iPhone directly from your Mac.
You’ll need to authenticate the first time you use it, but afterward, you can choose to allow automatic access to your iPhone whenever you launch the iPhone Mirroring app on your Mac. You can use iPhone Mirroring even if your iPhone is locked, tucked away, or in StandBy mode.
iPhone Mirroring enables you to access all of your iPhone apps and content, including notifications, right from your Mac. In the future, Apple plans to add drag-and-drop functionality between your iPhone and Mac, though that feature is not yet available.
Keep in mind, iPhone Mirroring must be initiated from the iPhone Mirroring app on your Mac and cannot be started from the iPhone.
A Note About Apple Intelligence
At WWDC, Apple unveiled a new collection of Apple Intelligence features, including Writing Tools, Genmoji, and Image Playground. However, Apple Intelligence is not included in the initial release of iOS 18.
The initial Apple Intelligence features will be introduced in the iOS 18.1 beta, which Apple is currently testing. iOS 18.1 will include features like Writing Tools, Siri’s redesigned interface, Smart Replies in Messages and Mail, Memory Maker and Clean Up in Photos, along with enhanced ways to reduce distractions through focus modes and notification summaries.
Apple plans to fully roll out all the Apple Intelligence features showcased at WWDC by next year, but you’ll be able to try some of them when iOS 18.1 is released. We anticipate iOS 18.1 to launch in October.
