iOS 18 Features: The Ultimate Mega Guide

During the iOS 18 beta testing process that took place from June to September, we here at MacRumors put together a series of in-depth feature guides and how tos that walk you through all of the new features in the latest update.

iOS 18 Ultimate Mega Guide Feature
This comprehensive guide includes all of our coverage, and it is a great resource for iPhone and iPad users who haven't had a chance to test out ‌iOS 18‌ and those who might not remember all of the new features. Everything is organized by app or feature to make it easy to find what you're looking for, and we'll be adding to it over time as we publish new guides and how tos.

Home Screen Updates

Apple overhauled the Home Screen, introducing new options for personalization and customization. You can put icons where you want, change their size, change colors, and even hide apps.

iOS 18 Home Screen Feature 1

Control Center

The Control Center can be rearranged to put your most used controls front and center, plus you can set up multiple pages for improved organization. Third-party app developers can create Control Center controls for the first time, and as part of the Control Center tweaks, you can swap out the Flashlight and Camera icons on the Lock Screen with other quick access buttons.

iOS 18 Control Center Guide 1

Passwords App

Apple added a dedicated Passwords app in ‌iOS 18‌, where logins and passwords stored in iCloud Keychain can be accessed. It's essentially the Passwords section that used to be located in the Settings app, but in a dedicated app that makes it easier to find your stored login information.

Generic iOS 18 Passwords Feature

Safari

Safari adds a Highlights feature that surfaces the information you most want to know on a website, such as driving directions and hours.

iOS 18 Safari Feature

Messages

The ‌iOS 18‌ Messages app has a long list of new features, from Send Later for scheduling messages to support for using any emoji when you send a Tapback response. There's RCS support that improves texts with Android users, and support for sending messages via satellite when you don't have a Wi-Fi or Cellular connection.

iOS 18 Messages Feature 1

Phone

You can record, transcribe, and summarize phone calls for the first time (with consent from everyone on the line), plus there are some other useful changes in Apple's Phone app.

iOS 18 Phone App Guide Feature

Photos

Apple redesigned the Photos app and gave it a unified design that gets rid of all of the navigation tabs. There's a new focus on Collections, plus improved search, new utility albums, and more.

iOS 18 Photos Feature Chromatic

Notes

Along with the aforementioned Math Notes feature, the Notes app has support for transcribing and summarizing any audio recording (Apple Intelligence required for that last part), and there are several other quality of life improvements worth checking out.

iOS 18 Notes Feature

Calculator

Apple overhauled the Calculator app in ‌iOS 18‌, adding a new Math Notes feature that's useful for solving equations and making conversions in Notes, the Calculator app itself, and across the operating system. There are also a few other notable changes.

iOS 18 Calculator Feature

Maps

Maps on the ‌iPhone‌ has support for detailed topographic maps, including maps that cover all of the U.S. national parks, plus support for custom routes.

Generic iOS 18 Maps Feature

Camera

There are some minor new features in the Camera app, the most notable of which is an option to continue having music playing while recording video.

AirPods Pro

If you have the AirPods Pro 2, you're in luck because there are a handful of new ‌AirPods Pro‌ features in ‌iOS 18‌ like head gestures for controlling Siri.

iOS 18 and AirPods Pro Feature

Accessibility

Every iOS update adds new Accessibility options, and iOS 18 is no exception. There's an Eye Tracking feature for navigating with just your eyes, a Motion Sickness reduction tool, and Vocal Shortcuts that let you change the wake word for activating ‌Siri‌. You can also set up all kinds of special phrases that can activate ‌iPhone‌ features.

vehicle motion cues

Read More

We have a complete overview of all of the new features in ‌iOS 18‌ in one handy place in our iOS 18 roundup, which is also well worth checking out for all of the little details that didn't make it into our guides and how tos.

Related Roundups: iOS 18, iPadOS 18
Related Forums: iOS 18, iPadOS 18

Popular Stories

iCloud General Feature Redux

iPhone Users Who Pay for iCloud Storage Receive an All-New Perk

Thursday February 6, 2025 11:21 am PST by
If you pay for iCloud storage on your iPhone, Apple has a new perk for you, at no additional cost. iCloud+ is the official name for Apple's paid iCloud storage plans, which range from 50GB for $0.99 per month to 12TB for $59.99 per month in the United States. iCloud+ plans already come with multiple perks for free, such as Hide My Email and HomeKit Secure Video, and now there is another one...
iOS 18

iOS 18.4 Will Include These New Features for Your iPhone

Wednesday February 5, 2025 7:15 am PST by
iOS 18.3 was released last month, so the first iOS 18.4 beta should be coming soon. iOS 18.4 is expected to be a more substantial update for the iPhone, with several new features and changes related to Apple Intelligence and beyond. Apple's website suggests that iOS 18.4 will be released in April, following beta testing. Below, we outline what to expect from the update so far. Apple...
iPhone SE 4 Single Camera Thumb

iPhone SE 4 Launching as Soon as Next Week

Thursday February 6, 2025 3:30 pm PST by
Apple's next-generation iPhone SE could debut as soon as next week with a launch to follow later in February, reports Bloomberg's Mark Gurman. Apple isn't expected to hold an event for the iPhone SE 4, and will instead unveil the device through a press release. The iPhone SE 4 is expected to have an iPhone 14-style design, with Apple eliminating the thick bezels and Touch ID Home button of...
iCloud General Feature Redux

Apple Ordered by UK to Create Global iCloud Encryption Backdoor

Friday February 7, 2025 2:37 am PST by
The British government has secretly demanded that Apple give it blanket access to all encrypted user content uploaded to the cloud, reports The Washington Post. The undisclosed order is said to have been issued last month, and requires that Apple creates a back door that allows UK security officials unencumbered access to encrypted user data worldwide – an unprecedented demand not before...
2007 iPhone

Apple Discontinuing This 18-Year-Old iPhone Feature

Saturday February 8, 2025 3:51 pm PST by
The end of an 18-year era is on the horizon for the iPhone. Apple reportedly plans to announce a new iPhone SE as soon as next week, and the device is expected to feature a full-screen design with Face ID, instead of a Touch ID home button. That means Apple will no longer sell any new iPhone models with a home button, for the first time since the original iPhone launched. The home button...
iOS 18

iOS 18.3.1 Update Coming Soon for iPhones

Thursday February 6, 2025 7:31 am PST by
Apple is internally testing iOS 18.3.1 for iPhones, according to our website's analytics logs, which have been a consistently reliable indicator of upcoming iOS versions. The software update should be released within the next few weeks. iOS 18.3.1 should be a minor update that addresses software bugs and/or security vulnerabilities. Apple Intelligence notification summaries for news and...
Apple Leak Feature

Apple Leaker Issues Apology: 'Profound and Expensive Mistake'

Friday February 7, 2025 9:21 am PST by
Last year, we reported that Apple sued its former software engineer Andrew Aude for providing journalists with confidential information about the company's future plans, including details about the Journal app, Vision Pro headset, and more. As reported by 9to5Mac, the Superior Court of Santa Clara County on Thursday dismissed the lawsuit after Apple and Aude reached an agreement to resolve...
maxresdefault

An Apple TV Refresh is Coming in 2025 - Here's What You Should Know

Wednesday February 5, 2025 10:17 am PST by
Apple hasn't refreshed the Apple TV since 2022, but rumors suggest that we're finally going to get an update in 2025. We don't have a full picture of what to expect yet, but we have some hints on what's coming. Subscribe to the MacRumors YouTube channel for more videos. Updated A-Series Chip The current Apple TV 4K uses the A15 Bionic chip that was in the iPhone 13 lineup, and it's time for...

Top Rated Comments

WinstonSmyth Avatar
21 weeks ago
So none of the more interesting new features are actually available. We need to wait some time in the fall or winter for them. Why does Apple always release software that isn't finished or ready. Why not just skip the September launches if the thousands of workers at Apple can't get their jobs done on time, and release the software at the end of the year?
Score: 16 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Anonymous123 Avatar
21 weeks ago
Ultimate Mega Guide Pro Max Plus?
Score: 10 Votes (Like | Disagree)
daniesy Avatar
21 weeks ago
Not a very long guide ? The post should be called "iOS 18: The complete 30-second guide".
Score: 8 Votes (Like | Disagree)
jz0309 Avatar
21 weeks ago
Thank You MR for putting this together, very helpful!!
Score: 8 Votes (Like | Disagree)
3rdiguy Avatar
21 weeks ago
I’ll hold off this time until about 18.1. Let the bugs get ironed out first
Score: 5 Votes (Like | Disagree)
jimbobb24 Avatar
21 weeks ago
Why do they keep screwing with the photos app? Other things look cool.
Score: 5 Votes (Like | Disagree)