It could be an exciting year for your iPhone’s operating system, as iOS 18 will apparently be “ambitious and compelling”, with some “major new features and designs”, according to the typically reliable Mark Gurman.
And while we won’t know anything for sure about iOS 18 until it’s unveiled – likely at WWDC 2024 on June 10 – we have a good idea of some possible features.
Below then, you’ll find the five best features tipped for iOS 18. These are things we’ve heard in leaks and rumors, so there’s a chance they won’t all happen, but it’s likely that many will.
1. An AI upgrade for Siri
Whether you’re using iOS or Android, you’re likely to get a big taste of AI this year, and when it comes to iOS 18 specifically we’ve heard that Apple might be planning a major, AI-powered overhaul for Siri.
A leaker claims that this will turn it into the “ultimate virtual assistant,” but that this upgrade might only work on the upcoming iPhone 16 line and beyond, due to it needing dedicated hardware. So sadly, simply downloading iOS 18 on to your existing phone might not be enough.
The upgrades to Siri might include more natural conversation abilities and increased user personalization, according to leaker yeux1122 (via MacRumors). So it could turn a currently rather lacking digital assistant into one of the best.
2. An AI App Store
Many – or perhaps all – of iOS 18’s native AI features will be handled on device according to leaks, which could improve the speed and privacy of these features, but might also limit their capabilities, as they can’t tap into the cloud.
However, a wide selection of third-party AI tools might also be offered, and some of these probably will be cloud-powered. Intriguingly, Apple is reportedly planning to launch a whole new App Store for these AI apps, so you’ll easily be able to find AI tools.
If this happens, then it’s likely we’ll see a large number of AI apps created for iOS 18 too, since they’ll be able to make use of this dedicated store.
3. Better home screen customization
With iOS 18 we might finally get more freedom in customizing our home screens, as reputable leaker Mark Gurman claims that exactly this is coming.
More specifically, users will apparently be able to “arrange icons more freely on iOS 18” according to MacRumors, and will have “the ability to create blank spaces, rows, and columns between app icons.”
This should allow for far more interesting and personalized home screen layouts, and we hope it will also come with some tweaks to the way apps are added to folders, so that you won’t accidentally move the folder half the time instead.
Either way, this should be the biggest change we’ve seen to the iPhone’s home screen in years.
4. A visual upgrade
As well as a home screen overhaul, iOS 18 will reportedly also get a big visual upgrade – though not one that brings it in line with visionOS (used by the Apple Vision Pro) as had been previously rumored.
Still, some aspects of the visionOS design may be incorporated, and while we’re not clear on exactly how iOS 18 will look, it’s sounding like it could really freshen up the interface, making it feel new in a way that other recent iOS releases haven’t.
5. Improved accessibility
Making tech accessible to as many people as possible is vital, and iOS 18 could be making big strides in that area, thanks to some new and improved accessibility features.
A leak suggests that iOS 18 will have an Adaptive Voice Shortcuts feature, which will let users toggle existing accessibility features (such as Zoom or Voice Control) with a custom spoken phrase.
Live Speech (which allows you to type a phrase and have your phone read it aloud) is also apparently being improved, with a new ‘categories’ section that lets you organize saved phrases into categories. You can already save commonly used phrases (so in future you just need to tap on them rather than type them), but with the categories system you should be able to more quickly find them.
