iOS 18: How to customize your iPhone lock screen and control center
Apple’s iOS 18 update lets you customize your lock screen and home screen and expand the features of your iPhone’s Control Center.
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Starting today, iPhone users can take the next step in customization with the new iOS 18 update.
Monday’s iOS 18 update gives users several new options for customizing the look of their lock and home screens, as well as changes to how Messages works.
“Messages play a central role in how we communicate with the most important people in our lives,” said Ronak Shah, Apple’s director of Internet technologies and product marketing. “That’s why in iOS 18 we’re giving you all-new ways to express yourself and stay connected.”
Here are some of the new features.
When will iOS 18 be available?
iPhone users can download the update now. According to the technology company, Apple made it available on Monday, September 16, at 10:00 a.m. PT (1:00 p.m. ET).
Which iPhones can receive the iOS 18 update?
Owners of an iPhone Xs and later models can download it for free.
What features are included in iOS 18?
Some of the features that iOS 18 and Apple Intelligence bring, according to Apple and USA TODAY, include:
- More customizable home screens. You can place app icons and widgets anywhere on the home screen grid, switch iPhone to dark mode, and change the home screen tint color.
- Genmojis, artificial intelligence-generated emojis that users can create with a description.
- Schedule a message.
- Redesigned Photos app that allows users to browse photos by month or year taken, among other features.
- Image Playground: Here users can create images or receive concept suggestions in messages related to their conversations.
- Rewrite, proofread, and summarize text in emails, notes, Pages, and third-party apps.
- Transcription services in Notes and Phone app.
The story continues after the gallery.
Users can also schedule iMessage and use Emoji Tapbacks and Text Effects. Text Effects allow users to visually enhance their messages, while Emoji Tapbacks allow them to respond to text messages more expressively.
Another feature, Rich Communication Services (RCS), is designed to enable smoother text messaging between iPhone and Android users.
Once Apple Intelligence is introduced with iOS 18.1, there will be even more updates.
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What upgrades can iPhone users expect?
Apple is introducing several artificial intelligence tools called Apple Intelligence, which the company unveiled during the Worldwide Developers Conference in June this year.
The new AI will include writing tools that can analyze a user’s emails and essentially rewrite them to sound friendlier, more professional, or more succinct. According to a promotional video, Apple Intelligence will also include a feature called Genmojis, which will let you type in a short image description and create your own emojis.
According to Apple, Siri is also getting an upgrade. The AI assistant will better understand questions and requests, allowing people to speak more naturally.
When is Apple Intelligence coming out?
iPhone users are getting iOS 18 now, but Apple Intelligence will not be a part of this update. Users will learn more about Apple Intelligence when iOS 18.1 rolls out next month, Apple said in a press release about upcoming AI features.
“Apple will lean on its hardware, software and platform integration to launch a cohesive AI focus, and we expect advertising and marketing for these products to focus heavily on safe AI use cases within Apple’s ecosystem,” said Emarketer analyst Gadjo Sevilla.
USA TODAY contributed to this report.
