Five iOS 18 features I’m most excited about at WWDC 2024 – and AI is just the start – ZDNet

Adam Breeden/ZDNET

We're just a night away from Apple announcing itsiOS 18 updateat its annual Worldwide Developers Conference (WWDC).

Over the past several months, rumors have swirled about Apple's plans for the next iteration of its mobile operating system. Many reports suggest that artificial intelligence will play a critical role in the software, helping Apple to reimagine how iOS operates and interacts with users. Although Apple hasn't confirmed any of those reports, considering how important AI has become in Samsung's Galaxy UI and Google's Android, it stands to reason that AI will be fully baked into iOS 18 this year.

Also: What to expect from WWDC 2024: Apple Intelligence, Siri, iOS 18, VisionOS, more

AI may not, however, be Apple's only focus with iOS 18. According to reports, there's a good chance that a new level of customization could come to the operating system, enabling you to do far more than before. Plus, with several outlets suggesting that Siri could become truly useful this year, there's plenty to look forward to in iOS 18.

Read on for more about Apple's upcoming operating system and the five rumored features I'm most looking forward to seeing in this year's iOS 18.

Apple is planning to fully bake AI into iOS 18, according to several reports.

For one, Apple is planning to offer AI-generated emojis that show up in text messages as users type, according to Bloomberg's Mark Gurman. Apple's AI features in iOS 18 could also retouch photos automatically, help you find websites more easily using an intelligent search feature in Safari, and help you find content on your device using Spotlight. Even Apple Music could get a boost by creating AI-generated playlists automatically based on your song preferences.

Also: Apple Photos app is getting an AI-powered editing feature to wipe out photobombers

Here's the big question: Which AI provider will Apple partner with to power iOS 18's AI features? Some reports have said that Apple is nearing a deal with OpenAI; other reports have suggested the iPhone maker is also talking to Google about using Gemini, as well as to Anthropic. Which provider Apple chooses could significantly impact how AI features work in iOS 18.

One of the hallmarks of Apple's design philosophy over the years has centered on not allowing you to customize its operating system experience all that much. That's now changing.

According to Gurman's sources, Apple will allow full iOS 18 customization this year. The feature would enable you to change the colors of app icons and -- perhaps most remarkably -- to ditch the grid layout of apps in favor of a free form option of your choosing. Apple's iOS has lagged behind Google's Android in enabling home screen customization, so it's nice to see the company consider opening things up.

Although it's already been announced, Apple this year will adopt the Rich Communication Standard (RCS) for messaging. When iOS users have text exchanges with Android users, they'll all have the same features available in Apple's iMessage, including the ability to send photos and videos, hold group chats, and more.

Also: Here's every iPhone model that will support Apple's upcoming AI features (for now)

Apple said earlier this year that it would launch RCS support for Android communication later in 2024. Chances are, it'll launch on iOS 18, and finally, communicating with Android users will be streamlined for iPhone users.

According to several reports, Apple is planning a pretty big update to Apple Maps in iOS 18, and I'm all for it.

For one, Apple is reportedly planning to offer users the opportunity to create custom routes, so they can decide for themselves if they want to take the scenic route or try to get to their destination in the fastest time possible. The company may also add a topographical mapping feature, but it's the ability to create a custom route -- a feature Google Maps has long offered -- that could be the most compelling improvement.

Trying to stay on top of everything during the day is extremely difficult. And too often, we're inundated with notifications.

Also: The best iPhone models of 2024: Expert tested and reviewed

In iOS 18, Apple is trying to address that with a rumored Smart Recaps feature. According to reports, Smart Recaps will give you a full overview of all the notifications -- emails, texts, app updates, and more -- that you may have missed. Apple's AI smarts will then offer you the option to respond to those notifications with AI's help, or ignore them. Either way, maybe you won't need to tap through apps and waste time when AI can give you the updates with ease. Nice.

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Five iOS 18 features I'm most excited about at WWDC 2024 - and AI is just the start - ZDNet