iOS 18 Beta Available Next Week With These 25 New Features Expected
iOS 18 is just days away, with Apple set to unveil the software update during its WWDC keynote on June 10. Many new features and changes are expected for the iPhone, with more details outlined in our rumor recap below.
The first beta of iOS 18 should be made available to members of the Apple Developer Program immediately after the WWDC keynote, and a public beta will likely follow in July. The update should be widely released to all users in September, and it is rumored that it will be compatible with the same list of iPhone models as iOS 17.
Here are some of the key new features and changes rumored or previewed for iOS 18 so far:
- Apple Maps: Custom routes and topographic maps.
- Apple Music: Auto-generated playlists and smarter song transitions.
- Apple News: AI-generated news article summaries.
- Calculator: Several new features, including a sidebar that lists recent calculations, an improved interface for converting units, integration with the Notes app, and more. The app will finally be available on iPads.
- Calendar: Deeper integration with the Reminders app.
- CarPlay: New accessibility features, including Sound Recognition.
- Control Center: Updated interface, including a revamped music widget and improved controls for HomeKit accessories.
- Fitness: The app will be "overhauled" on iOS 18.
- Freeform: A new "Scenes" function.
- Health: New features powered by AI, but no specific details are known yet.
- Home Screen: Place app icons anywhere on the grid and change colors of app icons.
- Keynote and Pages: AI-powered features for auto-generating slides in Keynote, writing faster in Pages, and more.
- Magnifier: A new Reader Mode, and the option to easily launch Detection Mode with the Action button on newer iPhone models.
- Mail: Suggested replies to emails.
- Messages: RCS support, per-word effects, suggested replies, custom emoji, message recaps, and new Tapback icons.
- Notes: A built-in audio recording tool, audio transcriptions, and the ability to display mathematical notation.
- Notifications: AI-generated notification summaries.
- Photos: AI-powered photo retouching.
- Safari: Browsing assistant that can summarize web pages, and a "Web Eraser" tool.
- Settings: A revamped interface with improved search, and new accessibility features.
- Shortcuts: Automate complex tasks more easily.
- Siri: A smarter ChatGPT-inspired version of Siri with more per-app controls (in 2025).
- Spotlight: More intelligent search results and improved sorting.
- Voice Memos: Audio transcriptions.
For even more rumors, read our iOS 18 roundup.
Popular Stories
Update 10:06 a.m.: iOS 26 is rolling out now, though it may take a bit for all users to see it, so keep checking!
Today's the day! Apple is about to release iOS 26, which will deliver the biggest redesign since iOS 7 and bring a range of new features and improvements to iPhones worldwide. It's Apple's biggest software update of the year, and Apple announced at last week's iPhone event that...
Apple's annual September event is now in the rearview mirror, with the iPhone 17, iPhone 17 Pro, iPhone 17 Pro Max, iPhone Air, Apple Watch Series 11, Apple Watch Ultra 3, Apple Watch SE 3, and AirPods Pro 3 set to launch this Friday, September 19.
As always, there is more to come. In his Power On newsletter today, Bloomberg's Mark Gurman said Apple plans to release many products in the...
In the iOS 26 release notes, Apple is warning iPhone users that installing the new software might have a temporary impact on battery life, which is normal.
A new support document explains that major iOS updates require background setup like indexing data and files for search, downloading new assets, and updating apps.
Further, Apple says that new features could require more resources,...
Apple today released updated firmware for the AirPods Pro 2 and the AirPods 4, introducing support for the new AirPods features that are included in iOS 26, iPadOS 26, and macOS Tahoe.
The firmware has a build number of 8A356, and it replaces the current 7E93 firmware.
With Apple's new software updates, the AirPods Pro 2 and the AirPods 4 support better audio quality for phone calls and...
Apple will launch its new iPhone 17 lineup and ultra-thin iPhone Air in stores on Friday, September 19, and the company has already shown off the new devices at its fall event, which ran with the the tagline "Awe dropping."
The iPhone 17 series brings a host of new features and enhancements. Here's a rundown of the biggest upgrades and changes:
iPhone 17
Display Changes
The iPhone...
The latest iPhone 17, iPhone 17 Pro, iPhone 17 Pro Max, and iPhone Air models are equipped with Apple's all-new N1 chip for Wi-Fi 7, Bluetooth 6, and Thread connectivity. However, the chip has a Wi-Fi 7 bandwidth limitation.
According to FCC documents reviewed by MacRumors, the N1 chip in all of the new iPhone models supports up to 160 MHz channel bandwidth for Wi-Fi 7, short of the...
T-Mobile President Jon Freier today shared real-world photos of Apple's boxes for the iPhone Air, iPhone 17 Pro, and iPhone 17 models, which launch on Friday.
Image Credit: Jon Freier
Apple has typically included iPhone box renders in its product environmental reports, but it did not do so for the latest models. However, Apple's iPhone Upgrade Program page does offer some images of the boxes, ...
