iOS 18 Rumored to 'Overhaul' Notes, Mail, Photos, and Fitness Apps
Bloomberg's Mark Gurman today said that iOS 18 will "overhaul" many of Apple's built-in apps, including Notes, Mail, Photos, and Fitness.
Gurman did not reveal any specific new features planned for these apps. It was previously rumored that the Notes app will gain support for displaying more math equations, and a built-in option to record voice memos, but this is the first time we have heard about updates planned for the Mail, Photos, and Fitness apps.
Gurman also corroborated our exclusive MacRumors report last week about Apple finally planning a Calculator app for iPadOS 18.
A recap of iOS 18 rumors:
- Smarter Siri: iOS 18 is rumored to include new generative AI features for Siri, Spotlight, Shortcuts, Apple Music, Messages, Health, Keynote, Numbers, Pages, and more. These features are expected to be powered by Apple's on-device large language model (LLM), but Apple has reportedly also discussed partnerships with companies like Google, OpenAI, and Baidu.
- More Customizable Home Screen: One of the design changes rumored for iOS 18 is a more customizable Home Screen, including the ability to place app icons anywhere on the Home Screen grid. This change will allow for blank spaces, rows, and columns between app icons.
- Improved Texting With Android Users: Apple announced that it will support the cross-platform messaging standard RCS in the Messages app on the iPhone starting "later" in 2024, so it will likely be an iOS 18 feature. Compared to SMS, RCS support will improve the texting experience between iOS and Android devices by allowing for higher-resolution photos and videos, audio messages, typing indicators, read receipts, Wi-Fi messaging, and more.
- Calculator Revamp: iOS 18, iPadOS 18, and macOS 15 are expected to feature a revamped Calculator app with several new features, including a sidebar that lists recent calculations, an improved interface for converting units, integration with the Notes app, and more. Yes, this means that Apple will finally be making its Calculator app available on the iPad.
- Math in Notes App: With iOS 18, the Notes app is expected to gain support for displaying mathematical notation, allowing users to include more types of algebraic equations and formulas in notes.
- Custom Routes in Apple Maps: At least two new Apple Maps features are expected on iOS 18, including custom routes and topographic maps. Custom routes would allow users to choose specific roads to travel on while navigating, while topographic maps include details such as trails, contour lines, elevation, and points of interest for hiking and other outdoor uses. Apple already introduced topographic maps on the Apple Watch with watchOS 10.
- Safari Browsing Assistant: Another new generative AI feature potentially coming with iOS 18 is a browsing assistant in Safari, but no specific details are known yet. There are already multiple iPhone web browsers with AI tools, such as Microsoft Edge and its GPT-4-powered Copilot, and Arc Search, which can summarize web pages to provide concise information.
- AirPods Pro as Hearing Aid: iOS 18 will reportedly include a so-called "hearing aid mode" for AirPods Pro, but it is unclear how it would differ from Apple's existing Conversation Boost feature that launched in 2021.
- Next-Generation CarPlay: Apple's website says the first vehicles with next-generation CarPlay will arrive in 2024, so the platform might debut alongside iOS 18 later this year. However, it is possible that next-generation CarPlay will also be compatible with some iOS 17 versions.
- Freeform Scenes: iOS 18 is rumored to add a new "Scenes" option to Apple's drawing app Freeform. This feature would allow users to select specific sections or "scenes" on the canvas for easier navigation.
For additional rumors and expectations, read our comprehensive iOS 18 roundup, which we routinely update with the latest information.
Apple will announce iOS 18 during its WWDC keynote on June 10, and the update should be widely released in September.
Popular Stories
Apple has ordered 22 million OLED panels from Samsung Display for the first foldable iPhone, signaling a significantly larger production target than the display industry had previously anticipated, ET News reports.
In the now-seemingly deleted report, ET News claimed that Samsung plans to mass-produce 11 million inward-folding OLED displays for Apple next year, as well as 11 million...
Apple is about to release iOS 26.2, the second major point update for iPhones since iOS 26 was rolled out in September, and there are at least 15 notable changes and improvements worth checking out. We've rounded them up below.
Apple is expected to roll out iOS 26.2 to compatible devices sometime between December 8 and December 16. When the update drops, you can check Apple's servers for the ...
Apple is actively testing under-screen Face ID for next year's iPhone 18 Pro models using a special "spliced micro-transparent glass" window built into the display, claims a Chinese leaker.
According to "Smart Pikachu," a Weibo account that has previously shared accurate supply-chain details on Chinese Android hardware, Apple is testing the special glass as a way to let the TrueDepth...
Apple today seeded the second release candidate version of iOS 26.2 to developers and public beta testers, with the software coming one week after Apple seeded the first RC. The release candidate represents the final version iOS 26.2 that will be provided to the public if no further bugs are found.
Registered developers and public beta testers can download the betas from the Settings app on...
Google Maps on iOS quietly gained a new feature recently that automatically recognizes where you've parked your vehicle and saves the location for you.
Announced on LinkedIn by Rio Akasaka, Google Maps' senior product manager, the new feature auto-detects your parked location even if you don't use the parking pin function, saves it for up to 48 hours, and then automatically removes it once...
Apple's chipmaking chief Johny Srouji has reportedly indicated that he plans to continue working for the company for the foreseeable future.
"I love my team, and I love my job at Apple, and I don't plan on leaving anytime soon," said Srouji, in a memo obtained by Bloomberg's Mark Gurman.
Here is Srouji's full memo, as shared by Bloomberg:I know you've been reading all kind of rumors and...
Apple's iPhone development roadmap runs several years into the future and the company is continually working with suppliers on several successive iPhone models at the same time, which is why we often get rumored features months ahead of launch. The iPhone 18 series is no different, and we already have a good idea of what to expect for the iPhone 18 Pro and iPhone 18 Pro Max.
One thing worth...
Apple and Google are teaming up to make it easier for users to switch between iPhone and Android smartphones, according to 9to5Google. There is a new Android Canary build available today that simplifies data transfer between two smartphones, and Apple is going to implement the functionality in an upcoming iOS 26 beta.
Apple already has a Move to iOS app for transferring data from an Android...
Apple today announced that Fitness+ is expanding to 28 new markets on December 15 in the service's largest international rollout since launch, accompanied by new language dubbing and a K-Pop music genre.
Apple Fitness+ will become available in Chile, Hong Kong, India, the Netherlands, Singapore, Taiwan, and additional regions on December 15, with Japan scheduled to follow early next year....
Apple's senior vice president of hardware technologies Johny Srouji could be the next leading executive to leave the company amid an alarming exodus of leading employees, Bloomberg's Mark Gurman reports.
Srouji apparently recently told CEO Tim Cook that he is "seriously considering leaving" in the near future. He intends to join another company if he departs. Srouji leads Apple's chip design ...
