iOS 18: Everything we know about the next big iPhone update

iOS 18, Apple's next big annual update, is expected to roll out with some major AI-powered updates.

Yes, rumors are already flying around about iOS 18, the theoretical follow-up to last year's iOS 17 update. I say "theoretical" because Apple has yet to publicly talk about it, but you can rest easy knowing it'll almost certainly come out at some point this year. And when it does, it may or may not be a total overhaul of the iOS experience (more on this later).

Here's everything we know about iOS 18 so far.

Latest iOS 18 news:

• iOS 18 will reportedly make it easier to schedule texts — perfect for 'good morning, beautiful' messages
• iOS 18 Mail app rumored to get 3 new features, including a 'Smart Replies' perk
• iOS 18 is getting Settings, Control Center updates, according to new rumor
• iOS 18 rumored to bring AI to Siri, Messages, Notes in new report
• iOS 18: A mysterious new audio feature is reportedly coming to Apple Music

iOS 18 release date

Even with no confirmation from Apple, we can safely assume iOS 18 will launch in September, around the same time as the also-unconfirmed iPhone 16.

That's because every new version of iOS launches in September, around the same time as the new iPhone. Unlike MacBooks and iPads, iOS release dates are easy to pin down.

iOS 18: Everything we know so far, including AI features

Bloomberg's Mark Gurman, a well-known Apple prognosticator, reported in January that iOS 18 will "one of the biggest" updates in iOS history. And as mentioned, AI will be at the forefront of those updates. While some of the AI features will run on-device, there will be others that will rely on cloud servers.

According to MacRumors, Apple won't be making its own chatbot. Instead, it will reportedly lean on a popular existing chatbot — and it will likely be OpenAI's ChatGPT. Speaking of assistants, let's kick this iOS 18 rumor recap off with Siri.

Siri

Siri is expected to have some AI integration that will allow it to, according to Gurman, "take command of all of the features within apps for the first time."

Credit: Apple

In other words, Siri, thanks to a new large language model (LLM) powering it, will reportedly allow the assistant to do the following:

• open individual files
• move notes to other folders
• send emails
• delete emails
• launch a specific publication in Apple News
• email a web link
• summarize articles
• transcribe voice memos

This would be a big deal because Siri is known for having its functionality limited to broader, macro-level commands (e.g., playing music playlists, controlling smart-home devices, and more). However, with this new AI-powered update, Siri can get more granular in fulfilling users' requests.

However, according to Gurman, this new-and-improved Siri is expected to hit iPhones, and by extension, iPads, some time next year.

RCS messaging standard

Aside from that, the best prediction we can make regarding iOS 18 is that texting with Android users will probably be a better experience.

Credit: Apple

That's because Apple already confirmed it will adopt the Rich Communication Services (or RCS) messaging standard starting this year.

As MacRumors pointed out, this means that the following should see improvements between iOS and Android devices:

• Wi-Fi messaging
• Read receipts
• Typing indicators
• Audio messages
• Resolution of photos and videos

We're also expecting to see improvements to group chats between iPhone and Android phones.

Messages

According to Gurman, the Messages app is expected to automatically suggest replies to texts. (The Mail app will reportedly get the same functionality.)

Plus, users may also get AI-generated emojis.

Credit: Apple

In other words, instead of being limited by the current portfolio of emoji, you can generate your own based on your conversations. It's also worth noting that we may see a new crop of emoji head to iOS 18, including a baggy eyes character.

Also, Apple is revamping the trigger effects feature. For the uninitiated, this effect lefts you send fireworks, for example, to iPhone users you're texting. However, with the new update, you will now be able to send effects to specific words — not just the entire message.

Tapbacks, the feature that lets you send quick reactions to messages (e.g., an exclamation point), will have more options to choose from.

Safari

Safari will have two standout features Intelligent Search and Web Eraser, according to Forbes.

• Intelligent Search - Based on an LLM, Safari will reportedly be able to identify key phrases and topics within a web page, according to Forbes, allowing Safari to summarize it.
• Web Eraser - An ad-blocking feature built into the Safari browser

Forbes noted that publishers may be concerned about Web Eraser because it may hinder their ad revenue.

Mail app

According to an exclusive report from AppleInsider, the iOS 18 Mail app is expected to deliver three key AI-powered features:

Better search results

According to rumors, the Mail app will deliver more useful and diverse search results due to Apple's on-device large language model (LLM) codenamed "Ajax," which will include data from Contacts and locally stored documents.

A new 'Smart Replies' feature

According to Appleinsider, the iOS 18 Mail app will feature "Smart Replies" powered by Ajax, enabling users to benefit from instant AI-generated responses. This feature is also rumored to be available in Messages and Siri.

Similar to Google Gemini and Microsoft Copilot, the AI-powered Mail app will allow users to adjust the tone of a message. For instance, you can choose to make a text sound more professional.

Better email categorization

Leveraging machine learning to analyze email contents, Mail on iOS 18 is expected to see significant enhancements in email categorization, similar to Gmail. According to sources from AppleInsider, emails will be classified under the following categories:

• News
• Commerce
• Promotions
• Social
• Transaction
• Other

For instance, email notifications about replies to your X post would be categorized as "Social," whereas your New York Times subscription emails would be classified under "News."

Accessibility: Eye tracking, music haptics, and more

When it comes to accessibility features, which includes settings that better support your vision, mobility, hearing, and cognitive needs, iOS 18 is reportedly getting some enhancements.

First up is Live Speech. This perk, which lets you type what you want to say before it gets read aloud, is getting a new "Categories" feature, according to MacRumors.

With this new functionality, you'll now have the option to organize frequently used or favorite phrases into categories of your choice.

Secondly, there was a rumor that Apple is rolling out "Adaptive Voice Shortcuts," which lets you map custom phrases to a specific accessibility feature. As such, if you say a specific custom phrase, you should be able to launch the accessibility feature that you linked it to.

Credit: Apple

As it turns out, this rumor is true. On May 15, Apple rolled out a new post in Newsroom that talks about the new "Vocal Shortcuts" perk, the official name for the aforementioned feature.

However, one of the most mind-blowing features is eye tracking.

Yes you read correctly: eye tracking. In other words, users will now have a way to control their iPhone with their eyes. This feature is powered by AI and is designed for users with disabilities. "Eye tracking uses the front-facing camera to set up and calibrate in seconds," Apple said.

It's worth noting that this feature uses on-device machine learning, so your data is kept secure — and not shared with Apple.

Apple is also introducing something called "Music Haptics" to iOS 18.

Credit: Apple

For users who are hard of hearing, Music Haptics add taps, textures, and vibrations that coincide with the audio, allowing users to experience music in an elevated, new way.

Settings and Control Center

In a late May tweet, Gurman said that Settings is getting a redesign that makes the app more organized and easier to navigate.

Plus, Control Center is getting an update, too, Gurman reports that Apple is redesigning its interface to let users rearrange shortcut buttons within the Control Center and spread them across multiple pages. Plus, the Control Center is set to have a "new music widget," Gurman said, as well as an updated UI for controlling smart home devices.

Apple Maps

According to MacRumors, iOS 18 will bring two new features to Apple Maps:

• Custom routes
• Topographic maps

Custom routes allows users to select roads of their choice before navigating from point A to point B, a feature Google Maps already supports.

Credit: Apple

Topographic maps, which already debuted on Apple Watch via watchOS 10, allow users to see maps with more detail, including contour lines, trails, elevation, and more.

Photos app

To compete with the likes of Samsung and Google with their glitzy photo-editing features, Apple will unleash some AI-based editing perks.

Credit: Apple

However, Gurman warns that Apple fans should temper their expectations: "None of these features will impress people who have used AI in Adobe Inc.'s apps for the last several months," he said.

Notes app

According to an exclusive from AppleInsider, the Notes app will have two new features in iOS 18:

• Built-in audio recording support
• "Math Notes," a feature that leverages Apple Calculator

Diving a little deeper into these new features, the Notes app in iOS 18 is reportedly getting an audio recording perk in the app. Users will likely have the option to add images and texts to these voice notes. For example, a student can record a lecture and add screenshots of their lecture to the audio capture.

There's also an alleged new "Math Notes" feature. "The update is likely to usher in support for displaying mathematic notation, an essential shorthand for academic, science, and engineering applications," AppleInsider said.

More customizable Home Screens

Historically, Apple hasn't really let iPhone Home Screen customization roam free, aside from giving users the ability to move icons around. But according to MacRumors, Apple could roll out a Home Screen refresh with iOS 18, with users reportedly to be given more freedom with icon arrangement — and per Bloomberg's Mark Gurman, more customization could also be coming for Lock Screens too.

AirPods 'hearing aid mode'

Alongside the release of iOS 18, Gurman claims that the AirPods Pro will get a new "hearing aid mode."

Credit: Stan Schroeder / Mashable

Keep in mind that the AirPods Pro already have a Conversation Boost feature, which increases the clarity of speakers directly in front of the user. However, what Apple has planned for its earbuds is reportedly a slight upgrade.

iOS 18 is expected to be revealed at WWDC 2024 in June. Stay tuned for Mashable's coverage on the highly anticipated Apple event.