iOS 18 update to start rolling out today – eligible devices, features and more

• Apple will start rolling out the iOS 18 update today globally.
• The iOS 18 update brings several new features, including AI features, customisation options and more.
• Here are the new features with iOS 18 and the eligible devices.

Apple at the Worldwide Developers Conference (WWDC) 2024 announced iOS 18, the latest version of its operating system for the iPhone. The Cupertino tech giant will start rolling out the iOS 18 update today for eligible devices.

The iOS 18 update brings several major updates, including a host of artificial intelligence (AI) features with Apple Intelligence, improved privacy controls, a customisable home screen, a new theme engine and more.

iOS 18 release date and time in India

The iOS 18 update is expected to be available from 10:30 PM today, September 17, 2024.

iOS 18 eligible devices

• iPhone 16
  
• iPhone 16 Plus
  
• iPhone 16 Pro
  
• iPhone 16 Pro Max
  
• iPhone 15
  
• iPhone 15 Plus
  
• iPhone 15 Pro
  
• iPhone 15 Pro Max
  
• iPhone 14
  
• iPhone 14 Plus
  
• iPhone 14 Pro
  
• iPhone 14 Pro Max
  
• iPhone 13
  
• iPhone 13 mini
  
• iPhone 13 Pro
  
• iPhone 13 Pro Max
  
• iPhone 12
  
• iPhone 12 mini
  
• iPhone 12 Pro
  
• iPhone 12 Pro Max
  
• iPhone 11
  
• iPhone 11 Pro
  
• iPhone 11 Pro Max
  
• iPhone XS
  
• iPhone XS Max
  
• iPhone XR
  
• iPhone SE (2nd gen and later)
  

iOS 18 features

Apple Intelligence

Apple has announced new AI features, which Apple has dubbed Apple Intelligence. The company has said that its AI will be able to understand you and your context better than other AI services available in the market.


With iOS 18, users will be able to generate images in the Messages app, notifications will be priortised to show notifications that the device thinks are more important, and more.

Siri, the company’s virtual assistant will offer more natural conversations and be able to answer a wide range of questions. The voice assistant will also get On-Screen Awareness features.

Siri will also be able to perform a lot more actions, including taking action with apps on your iPhone.

Customisable home screen

Apple has announced improved home screen customisation features. Users will now be able to easily move around app icons as per their preferences. Additionally, the app icons will now be in a darker tone when the dark mode is enabled.

Apple has also announced a new theme engine that will allow users to universally apply a chosen colour across the app grid for improved personalisation.

The Control Center gets an update

The Control Center has received a significant overhaul, offering users the ability to customise the layout and functionality of their quick access controls. Users will now be able to easily swipe between multiple pages of controls and toggles.

Not just this, third-party apps will now be able to offer control centre integration with their apps.

Users will be able to replace the camera and flashlight icons on their lock screen with other control centre toggles with iOS 18.

Improved privacy controls

iOS 18 also brings improved privacy controls. Users will now be able to enable authentication for any particular app, similar to app locks provided in some Android devices. Users will also be able to hide particular apps, which will only be revealed after the user provides authentication. This is again similar to what Android smartphone makers like OnePlus and Xiaomi already offer.

Another privacy feature that has been announced is the ability to share certain contacts with apps instead of sharing all the contacts.

Messages app

The Messages app will get Rich Communication Services (RCS) with iOS 18. Apart from this, users will now be able to use any emoji in a Tapback response, along with new text formatting features. Like email, Apple will now allow you to also schedule messages.

Apple’s satellite communication feature will now also allow users to send messages.

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