Apple releases iOS 18 for free download with several striking features

Apple has released iOS 18, available for free download, bringing a host of new personalisation options to iPhone users globally.

The update includes enhanced customization for the Home Screen and Control Center, a major redesign of the Photos app to simplify the retrieval of memories, and significant upgrades to Messages and Mail.

Next month, iOS 18 will debut Apple Intelligence, a personal intelligence system that merges generative models with personal data to offer highly relevant and useful information while safeguarding user privacy and security, as stated by Apple.

The update allows users to personalise their Home Screen by arranging app icons and widgets around their wallpaper or creating custom layouts for each page. Users can now choose how app icons and widgets are displayed—light, dark, or tinted—and adjust their size for a streamlined appearance.

Additionally, users can access their preferred controls from the Action button and, for the first time, customize or remove controls on the Lock Screen.

The Photos app receives its largest update yet, featuring a simplified layout that unifies the library and introduces new collections like Recent Days, People and Pets, and Trips to help organize photos using on-device intelligence.

In Messages, new formatting options such as bold, italic, underline, and strikethrough allow for better tone expression. Enhanced text effects animate words and phrases, while emoji and sticker Tapbacks offer more reaction choices. Users can also schedule iMessages for future delivery.

For connectivity in remote areas, the Messages app now supports satellite connectivity, allowing users to send and receive texts, emojis, and Tapbacks via iMessage and SMS without cellular or Wi-Fi connections.

The Phone app now includes the ability to record and transcribe live calls, aiding users in retaining important details.

Mail will soon feature categorisation to help manage and organize the inbox.

iOS 18 is a free update available today for iPhone Xs models and newer.