These are my three favourite iOS 18 options to date

I’ve been working the iOS 18 beta since a couple of hours after WWDC final month. Now that the general public beta is accessible for everybody, I figured I’d share some early ideas on a couple of of my favourite iOS 18 options to date.

iPhone Mirroring

It’s uncommon after I use a brand new know-how and genuinely discover it magical. Just a few years in the past, Common Management elicited that response, as did Imaginative and prescient Professional after I tried it at WWDC 2023 (for very completely different causes, in fact). iPhone Mirroring in iOS 18 and macOS Sequoia is one other instance, letting you mirror your iPhone’s show in your Mac.

This characteristic might sound primary on paper, however there’s extra to it than you’d suppose. I feel probably the most spectacular a part of it’s the notifications integration. While you get a notification in your iPhone, it additionally seems in your Mac. While you click on the notification in your Mac, it immediately opens iPhone Mirroring and takes you on to the app.

This characteristic works even should you don’t actively have iPhone Mirroring enabled. While you click on the notification in your Mac, it’s going to routinely connect with iPhone Mirroring.

One different iPhone Mirroring tidbit: there are keyboard shortcuts! When utilizing iPhone Mirroring in your Mac, urgent CMD+1 takes you to the Residence Display screen, CMD+2 opens the app switcher, and CMD+3 brings up Highlight Search.

I hope Apple makes it potential to entry Management Middle and Notification Middle in your iPhone by way of iPhone Mirroring sooner or later, however this can be a nice begin.

Redesigned Management Middle

That is one thing that feels prefer it’s been rumored each single yr, however by no means truly got here to fruition – till now. iOS 18 provides a very overhauled Management Middle expertise.

There are a number of elements to this. First, you’ve gotten full management over the format of Management Middle. In prior years, you may add and take away toggles with the Settings app, however there wasn’t actually any customization out there. With iOS 18, the world is your oyster. Your complete expertise might be personalised, you may have a number of pages of controls, completely different sizes for every management, and extra.

Notably, this consists of the Residence app. Now you can have full management over which HomeKit equipment present up in Management Middle, which wasn’t beforehand potential. This alone is a big quality-of-life replace afforded by iOS 18.

Utilizing the brand new Management Middle comes with a studying curve. The method of arranging controls could be a bit painstaking, and it’ll take some time to re-learn a very new format. After a couple of days, nevertheless, I used to be used to all the things.

I’m tremendous desperate to check out controls from third-party apps. At WWDC, Apple showcased Ford’s plans to combine with the brand new Management Middle, and as somebody who drives a Ford, I’m trying ahead to this.

One other spectacular a part of this new ecosystem is that something out there to Management Middle may now be assigned to the iPhone 15 Professional’s Motion button. This offers you a bunch extra choices for customizing your Motion button.

Messages app enhancements

I spend loads of my life in Messages, each for work-related communication and private communication. With iOS 18, Apple’s technique appears to have been: “conquer the low-hanging fruit,” and that’s precisely what they did.

The flexibility to make use of Tapbacks with any emoji is a very long time overdue, however I’m already loving it. Scheduled ship is a helpful characteristic, particularly for texting with individuals throughout vastly completely different time zones. The brand new textual content results characteristic is one other enjoyable method so as to add some persona to your messages.

I haven’t forgotten about RCS. There are only some individuals I discuss to who don’t have iPhones, and one in every of them has an Android telephone (or perhaps a provider?) that doesn’t assist RCS. Nonetheless, it was fairly jarring and shocking – in a great way – to see learn receipts and typing indicators whereas chatting with a inexperienced bubble good friend over the weekend.

Once more, these new Messages options in iOS 18 are revolutionary. Actually, most of them actually ought to have been right here years in the past.

Different small tidbits

• This one isn’t working for me but, however I very a lot sit up for with the ability to set my most well-liked Residence Hub for HomeKit. Discuss a “lastly” characteristic.
• Talking of “lastly,” the brand new Passwords app is nice. I depend on AutoFill in Safari for nearly all the things, but it surely’s good having a devoted place to go to handle my logins, manually copy and paste passwords, and see Wi-Fi community info.
• There are some good tweaks to the CarPlay expertise, together with contact footage for notifications, bolder colours and icons for Apple Maps, and integration with sports activities scores from Siri.
• You’ll discover I didn’t point out the brand new Residence Display screen customization options in iOS 18. Whereas I’m actually glad these choices exist, they aren’t for me (apart from darkish mode).
• I actually like the brand new Pictures app design. It’s an adjustment for positive, however the brand new customization and format choices are wonderful for arranging issues simply the best way I’d like.

Wrap up

There are loads of adjustments, large and small, in iOS 18 to date, however these are some things which have stood out to me to date. One other factor I hold reminding myself is that that is solely the primary a part of the iOS 18 story. We’re nonetheless ready on the primary Apple Intelligence options to roll out, and a number of the extra superior options received’t be prepared till subsequent yr.

Are you working the iOS 18 beta? What are a few of your favourite options to date? Tell us down within the feedback.