iOS 18 was unveiled at Apple’s annual Worldwide Developers Conference (WWDC) event on Monday, along with several new features and capabilities with artificial intelligence, as well as Home Screen customisation options. The latest version of iOS will add support for vastly improved control centre options along with support for controls from third party apps, according to the company. iOS 18 also takes advantage of Apple’s processors to deliver new features that will be available on eligible iPhone models later this year, when the iOS 18 update rolls out. 

Apple is also improving privacy features on iOS 18 including the ability to control how data is shared with apps. With iOS 18, users will be able to share specific contacts with apps instead of providing access to their entire contact list. Meanwhile, users will also be able to lock certain apps from their home screen, preventing unauthorised users to access these apps without biometric authentication or the device’s passcode.

The Messages app will gain support for new features with iOS 18, including support for RCS messaging, text formatting, and using emoji in Tapback responses. RCS messaging means texting between iPhone and Android smartphones will finally be on par with iMessages — at least in terms of image quality and group chats. Text formatting is already available in rival messaging apps, and will allow users to send messages in four different formatting methods — bold, italics, underlining, and strikethrough.

Siri on iOS 18 is getting an upgrade to make the assistant more conversational, alongside a new interface and app icon. Apple says the virtual assistant will allow users to Type to Siri alongside using voice commands, depending on where they are. Siri is also set to get On-Screen Awareness features powered by Apple Intelligence, the company’s privacy focussed artificial intelligence (AI) system that will be rolled out later this year.

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