iOS 18: Best New Features, you can't miss.

iOS 18 is officially available, and in this article, we’ll cover all the new features you need to know before you update.

Home & App Icon Customization iOS 18 takes home screen customization to the next level, allowing users to place app icons freely across the screen and customize them. To move an app, simply long press it until it starts jiggling, then drag and drop it wherever you want. You can also leave blank space to showcase your wallpaper. To customize your icons, tap the plus icon in the top left corner and select "Customize." You’ll find several options: standard light icons, dark mode icons that switch automatically based on the time of day, or tinted options where you can select any color to match your icons and widgets. You can also adjust the icon size from small to large, with large icons removing the text.

Redesigned Control Center The Control Center has been redesigned and now features additional pages for media controls, smart home controls, and connectivity. To add custom controls, long press and tap the plus icon at the bottom. Third-party app developers can also add custom controls for their apps. If your iPhone has an action button, you can set one of these controls as your action button command in the settings app.

Lock Screen Customization You can now customize the controls on your lock screen beyond the standard flashlight and camera icons. Select from any controls available in the controls gallery or remove them entirely for a minimalist look.

New Photos App The Photos app has been redesigned to feature more of what matters to you. Swipe down to access your entire library, with quick filtering options at the bottom, including years or months. Scroll up to see categories like recent days, people and pets, pinned collections, and more.

Messages Features Messages now allow you to react to messages with any emoji or sticker, not just the limited options available before. You can also schedule texts to be sent up to two weeks in advance and edit them before they’re sent. RCS (Rich Communication Services) is now available, enabling better messaging with non-iPhone users, sending messages over Wi-Fi if cellular service isn’t available, and maintaining photo and video quality.

Passwords App The password section of the Settings app is now its own full-fledged Passwords app. From here, you can save new passwords, create new ones, manage Wi-Fi passwords, create verification codes, and share passwords easily with family and friends. It’s a much faster way to handle all your password-related needs.

Lock & Hide Apps You can now lock any app using Face ID or Touch ID by long pressing on the app and selecting the lock option. Alternatively, you can hide the app, which locks it and places it in a special hidden apps folder.

Distraction Control Safari now includes Distraction Control, allowing you to hide static content on a page. Note that this is not an ad blocker and cannot permanently hide ads. Distraction control settings are device-specific and won’t sync between devices. To view hidden elements, use the “Show Hidden Items” option in the Safari search field.

Additional Features There are also new Apple intelligence features rolling out over the coming months, including new emoji, an improved Siri, and more. We’ll have separate videos showcasing these and other iOS 18-centric features, so be sure to subscribe so you don’t miss them.

That’s a rundown of the features you should try right now with iOS 18. Let us know in the comments what your favorite feature is!