Apple launched iOS 18 for all iPhone customers this week, however a few of us have had entry to the brand new software program for a bit of longer. In truth, we have been testing out iOS 18 for months through the developer and public beta phases, and we have discovered a couple of hidden methods that we wager will improve your iPhone expertise.
The newest providing from Apple brings large adjustments to the iPhone, together with extra customization to the lock and residential display screen, new options to the textual content messages, a devoted app for passwords and a totally redesigned photograph album.
That is solely what’s on the floor, although.
As all the time, Apple makes an enormous deal of some options and never a lot about others. And yearly, we undergo the most recent iOS and search for any hidden options that are not solely hidden, however that can also and can have an effect on how we use our iPhones every single day. Should you’re working iOS 18, these are a couple of of the hidden options and settings that Apple did not actually speak about, however that you must positively know.
For extra, listed here are seven iOS 18 settings you wish to change straight away, the way to again up your iPhone the suitable approach and why you would possibly wish to wait earlier than you replace.
Restart your iPhone from the brand new management middle
You do not have to press any bodily buttons to restart your iPhone for those who’re working iOS 18. The redesigned management middle options all of the basic controls you are used to, like brightness, quantity, orientation, Bluetooth and Wi-Fi, however there are a number of new controls, together with one to restart your iPhone.
All it’s essential to do is swipe down from the top-right of your iPhone and press and maintain down on the brand new energy button within the top-right of the management middle. You’ll be able to’t simply faucet it although, it’s a must to maintain it down for a second or so, after which the slider to energy off your iPhone will seem.
To show your iPhone again on, you will nonetheless have to press and maintain the bodily aspect button.
On iOS 17 and earlier, the one strategy to restart your iPhone is to press and maintain both quantity button and the aspect button.
Use a QR code to share your Wi-Fi password
There are a couple of methods you possibly can share a Wi-Fi community and password with individuals by way of your iPhone, and there is a new strategy to do it on iOS 18. Utilizing a QR code fills in a couple of gaps for methods to rapidly share your Wi-Fi data:
- Share with a number of individuals directly. As a substitute of individually sending out your Wi-Fi password, you possibly can have everybody scan the QR code out of your cellphone.
- Share with somebody not saved as your contact. Close by share for Wi-Fi does not work until that individual is in your contacts.
- Share with somebody that has Android. Close by share and AirDrop do not work with Android units.
So for those who meet any of these eventualities and you do not wish to textual content the Wi-Fi password to them, you should use the QR code. Go to the brand new Passwords app, go to the Wi-Fi part, faucet on the community you wish to share after which hit Present Community QR Code. If the opposite individual scans the QR code with their digital camera, they’re going to be linked to the Wi-Fi community.
This solely works for Wi-Fi passwords, not common passwords.
Modify the beam width of your flashlight
The flashlight on the iPhone is getting an enormous improve. Whilst you’ve lengthy been capable of change the depth of the flashlight, on iOS 18 now you can additionally modify the beam width of the sunshine, so long as you’ve gotten a appropriate mannequin. You’ll be able to go broad, to cowl extra space with much less mild, or go slim, to make use of extra intense mild over much less space, and in all places in between. It is a enjoyable function to mess around with for lighting individuals for images.
To make use of the brand new function, flip in your flashlight (use the lock display screen or management middle), and a brand new person interface will seem within the dynamic island. You’ll be able to change the sunshine depth by swiping up and down, however to vary the beam width, you will have to swipe left and proper. Should you faucet wherever within the dynamic island, you possibly can flip the flashlight on and off.
A large flashlight beam (left) and a slim beam (proper).
Be aware: This function solely works on iPhone fashions with the dynamic island, together with the iPhone 14 Professional, iPhone 14 Professional Max, iPhone 15, iPhone 15 Plus, iPhone 15 Professional and iPhone 15 Professional Max.
Transcribe Voice Memos and make them searchable
The Voice Memos app is extremely handy for capturing concepts or track snippets, however they’ve all the time been obfuscated. You may give them a descriptive title, however that does not assist if you wish to discover that one memo you recorded that accommodates the phrase “porcupine.” In iOS 18, although, the app can create transcriptions of your voice memos and seek for phrases that had been beforehand out there solely as audio waveforms.
Within the Voice Memos app, faucet one in all your memos to disclose its controls after which faucet the Edit Recording button, which seems like a waveform. Or, faucet the three-dots button to the suitable of a memo and select Edit Recording.
Subsequent, faucet the Transcribe button to create the transcription (or view the textual content if it is already been transcribed). Faucet Executed.
Take an current voice memo (left) and create a transcript of the recording (proper).
Now, if you use the Search discipline, the app seems by the transcripts along with the titles for outcomes. The textual content can be out there all through iOS – if you carry out a search from the house display screen, you will see Voice Memos as a class with the memos that embody the search time period (you could have to faucet Present Extra Outcomes to disclose it).
With transcripts made, voice memos are extra simply searchable.
Conceal app labels for a cleaner house display screen
Is your own home display screen feeling a bit of too cluttered? In that case, this new function may assist. Now with iOS 18, you possibly can eliminate app labels, or the names of the apps that you simply see beneath every app icon on your own home display screen. Should you can acknowledge an app from simply the icon, who wants the label?
On your own home display screen, press and maintain down on any clean area, till you enter jiggle mode, after which hit Edit > Customise. A menu will seem on the backside of the display screen; select the Giant choice, which can make your app icons barely bigger and take away the app labels.
This can even take away the app labels from the folders within the App Library.
Change an app to a widget with out leaving the house display screen
Not each iOS app has a widget in your house display screen, but when it does, you needn’t dig by the widget edit web page to search out it. Should you’re working iOS 18, and there is an app that you simply wish to flip right into a widget, you are able to do so in a short time proper from your own home display screen.
On a supported app, press and maintain down on the icon on your own home display screen to deliver up the short actions menu. If the app has a widget, you will see an app icon subsequent to a wide range of widget icons (as much as three). Faucet on any of the widget icons to vary the app to a widget. If you wish to return from the widget to the app, go to the short motion menu and hit the app icon on the left.
This solely works for apps which have widgets on iOS.
Secretly determine songs utilizing the Motion Button
No lie, it is satisfying when somebody asks, “What track is that this?” to have the ability to activate Music Recognition on the iPhone and get a solution rapidly. However to get the reply means very noticeably asking Siri to run Shazam or activating Music Recognition within the management middle. Would not it’s enjoyable to let your folks assume you’ve got been blessed with an encyclopedic information of pop music?
In iOS 18, you possibly can come shut utilizing the Motion Button (at the moment out there simply on iPhone 15 Professional fashions). Go to Settings > Motion Button and swipe by the choices till Acknowledge Music is chosen.
Assign the Acknowledge Music function to the Motion Button after which determine songs by simply holding the button.
To make it work, simply press and maintain the Motion Button for a few seconds. Shazam seems within the dynamic island to take heed to what’s enjoying and identifies the track. Should you’re sneaky about activating Shazam and peeking at your cellphone, nobody must know you bought some assist from a supercomputer within the cloud.
Discover photographs with handwriting and illustrations within the Images app
So much is altering within the Images app in iOS 18, from the way in which issues are organized to the flexibility to make use of generative AI to take away objects in photographs (coming subsequent month). Apple has additionally tucked a couple of surprises into the app that can assist you kind by your library.
Scroll down previous the primary library itself to view classes comparable to Individuals and Pets and Reminiscences till you attain Utilities. Faucet it to view the total checklist – however observe {that a} new function of this interface is the flexibility to swipe left to view further panels. Previous to iOS 18, Utilities included choices to view hidden, just lately deleted and duplicate images.
Now, it contains many extra choices. Faucet Handwriting to view photographs with handwriting in them. On the lookout for photographs which are illustrations and never pictures? Faucet Illustrations (although in our testing this appears to seize lots of screenshots, too).
View photographs that include handwriting in your Images library in iOS 18.
Share a selected part of a podcast
Did the hosts of your favourite podcast say one thing particularly humorous or considerate that you simply wish to share with somebody? Within the Podcasts app in iOS 18, you possibly can ship an episode to a buddy with the playback superior to that second — however the functionality is not simple to search out.
Faucet the Now Enjoying bar within the app on the backside of the display screen to view the playback controls and pause the episode. Use the progress bar to return to the beginning of the part you wish to share.
Subsequent, faucet the Extra (…) button and select Share Episode. Within the sharing choices that seem, faucet From Begin under the episode title, after which choose From [the current time]. Faucet Executed.
Begin by sharing the episode itself.
Lastly, select the tactic of sharing, comparable to by way of Messages or Mail. When the recipient receives the shared episode and opens it within the Podcasts app, they’re going to see the choice to Play from [the time].
Specify that the shared episode begins on the time you selected.
