iOS 18 is shaping up to be one of the biggest updates Apple has released in years, with a slew of additional features, improvements, and customization options on the way. It makes other software upgrades, like Android 15, look positively dull in comparison.
Of course, not all new features are created equal, and they can range from something as important as Apple Intelligence to something as basic as adding statistics to the Journal app. So which iOS 18 features should you be most excited about? Here are our picks for the top iOS 18 features.
Apple Intelligence
The biggest new feature coming to iOS 18 is Apple’s intelligence, and it’s not even a close race. To the point where we have to put everything together to make it right with the rest of the upcoming iOS 18 improvements. AI will have limited scope on the iPhone, as it will be exclusive to the iPhone 15 Pro, iPhone 15 Pro Max and the iPhone 16 series. But that doesn’t make it any less exciting.
Features that come as part of Apple Intelligence include image generation (aka Image Playground), access to ChatGPT, a new image editing tool called Clean Up, custom Genmoji, AI summarization, debugging, smart replies and more . The best part is that most of it will run on your device, instead of some random cloud server. Be sure to check out our list of key features of Apple Intelligence to learn more about everything it will be able to do.
All new Syria
While tied to Apple Intelligence, the new AI-infused version of Siri is a key part of the iOS 18 upgrade. And frankly, it’s something that’s long overdue. This new version of Siri will be smarter than ever and capable of answering far more questions than individual questions. This new Siri is conversational and contextual, meaning it can understand follow-up questions and answers – making the interaction seem more natural in the process.
In addition, Siri will be aware of what’s happening on the screen to help it better understand how to help you, and will let you send commands by typing instead of using your voice. What’s really cool is that Siri will be able to control actions in different apps, saving you the effort of doing all the work yourself. While this will likely be quite limited at first, Apple is giving developers the option to add that functionality to their apps as well.
Apple Photos redesign
Apple Photos was never going to win any beauty contests, which is why we’re glad Apple is revamping the entire app into something (hopefully) better. Tabs are out, in favor of a new unified screen that gives you access to everything without having to jump back and forth.
Your photo library is now divided into Photos and Collections, while a new carousel feature lets you see featured and favorite photos at a glance. Basically, iOS 18 will make finding photos a lot easier, and a lot more fun to look at in the process. Apple Photos will also connect to Apple Intelligence, with features such as the Clean Up image editor available in the app. For more, see our guide to all iOS 18 Photos features.
iPhone Mirroring on Mac
Given how tight the Apple ecosystem is, it’s no surprise that Apple is improving the Continuity feature to support iPhone mirroring. This feature streams a virtual version of your iPhone to a connected Mac or Vision Pro headset, allowing you to control your mobile device without having to touch it. In fact, the phone doesn’t even need to be unlocked for the connection to work.
That means you can keep your iPhone in your bag or pocket and get things done through another device — using either a keyboard and mouse or visionOS’ motion controls. Better yet, you can drag and drop content from iPhone to Mac and pump iPhone audio through your Mac’s speakers. It’s a wonder Apple didn’t do this sooner.
Locked applications
We store a lot of sensitive and private information on our phones and the last thing we want is for someone to have access to it when we’re not looking. iOS 18’s Locked Apps feature lets you keep those apps extra secure, in case someone stumbles into your unlocked phone or manages to get past your lock screen.
Plus, if there are apps you’d rather people not know you had, iOS 18 will also include a locked folder to hide those apps from prying eyes. Locked and hidden apps are pretty much treated as if they’re not there, suspending all notifications and not showing any details in search or Siri recommendations.
Sending messages via satellite
There are many places where data and phone signals don’t reach, which is why Apple’s Emergency SOS via satellite is so important. But it was limited to emergency communication only, and that’s something Apple is changing with iOS 18. This time around, anyone with an iPhone 14 or newer will be able to send them text messages (with emoji if they wants) to anyone via a satellite link.
The main difference is that this service is also available in non-emergency situations. So if you’re hiking in the desert and need to text your roommate to buy eggs on the way home, you won’t have to wait until you’re back in civilization. The system works just like regular iMessage, but is limited to text-based communication only. No voice notes or video calls allowed. (For more on the changes to the iPhone’s built-in Messages app, see our guide to iMessage in iOS 18.)
Tap to Cash
Apple Pay and Wallet are getting a bunch of small improvements with iOS 18, but none of them are as impressive as Tap to Cash. This feature uses the NameDrop system that debuted in iOS 17, allowing you to send Apple Cash to other iPhone users by tapping the top of your phones together.
This should make it significantly easier to pay bills and other financial results, even if Apple Cash is the only payment system supported right now. Especially since it doesn’t share any personal information. Although, like other instant Apple Cash transfers, we’d assume there will be fees associated with this particular service.
Customizable Control Center
Of the plethora of customization options in iOS 18, the customizable Control Center is definitely our favorite. Because it finally lets you have a say in what the dropdown can finally offer. You choose what’s displayed, how big the buttons are, and adjust that menu to suit your personal tastes.
Additionally, there are two more screens that feature revamped media and smart home controls. These are essentially quick-access widgets that you can get to from anywhere on your phone and with the same customization options as the main Control Center screen.
RCS message
After years of resistance, Apple is finally improving the state of iPhone-to-non-iPhone communication by adding RCS. While it won’t be as robust as iMessage, it will mean significant improvements to the way you text and communicate with Android users.
The biggest improvements include end-to-end encryption and the ability to send photos and videos in full quality — no compression required. This also means you should have receipt reading, the ability to send Tapback-style feedback, and you can add Android users to group chats without the whole thing breaking.
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