iOS 18 Speculation Thread

[Bubble99]

I certainly hope so. But the key is for Apple to make widgets more appealing so developers will want to create them. So they need to have more functionality than they do now.

The problem is that the more things become “widget-ized”, the less brand goodwill a particular app will have (as people will interact with the app less and less and the widgets more and more).

I think we are drifting that way … to a world where app intents (which is how widgets are “powered”) are more significant than the apps themselves. But this results in a loss of control and monetization opporunities by developers, so they are highly resistant, i would imagine.

Well yes compared to android there is lot more widgets to choose from there where Apple not many to choose from.

 

[gwhizkids]

I remember when I went to set up desktop with widgets when macOS Sonoma came out, and I discovered there are no widgets for the Mail app! What?!!! This is such an obvious miss, I have no idea why there’s no widget for Mail on my desktop, yet there’s a widget for Mail on my iPhone and iPad. Hopefully they catch up on some widgets this go around! 👍🏻

Yeah, the inconsistency in this - particularly for Apple's own apps - is pretty annoying. With the ascendance of Mac Catalyst, we've grown used to feature parity across the entire Apple platform-verse. This is one of the exceptions.

 

[Kal Madda]

Here’s my early-stage wishlist for iOS/iPadOS 18. Some of these may be unlikely to happen. But some of these I think make a lot of sense and are fairly likely. Most of these are for iPadOS, but some would also be applicable for iOS as well.

iPadOS 18 Wishlist:

• Better app icon customization and theming.
• A more capable Status Bar, and/or an improved Control Center that could house Control Center applets, similar to macOS Menu Bar applets.
• A File Edit View menu that doesn’t require an attached keyboard to access. This wouldn’t have to take up the entire Status Bar, but could be expanded from a small button or activated by a swipe gesture. It would also likely be similar to the one that opens when hold-pressing the command key.
• Formatting options for external drives.
• App sideloading with the Alternative App Marketplaces system Apple just introduced in the EU.
• Clamshell mode for Stage Manager.
• Use an iPad as a secondary display for another iPad, similar to SideCar and Universal Control.
• Updated Settings app with more of the features from the macOS System Settings app, including more glyph symbols like on the Mac.
• Better theming options for things like highlight color in apps.
• Save backups to trusted and encrypted external drives like Time Machine.
• Save shortcuts to files, folders, playlists, notes, etc. to the Home Screen. And add more options for app icon and widget arrangement on the Home Screen to make it more similar to the desktop.
• More Apple apps such as Journal, Calculator, and possibly Font Book, Activity Monitor, and/or Disc Utility?
• Better integration of system apps in the Files app, such as accessing iCloud Photos library from the Files app.
• Improved photo editing features in the Photos app, with AI enhancements.
• Catalyst 2.0 or similar for easier porting of Mac apps to iPad. This could use AI tools to automatically replace portions of code that are incompatible, and refine the UI layout for better touch optimization.
• Multiple audio streams support.
• iPad as AirPlay Receiver for devices other than just Vision Pro such as iPhones and other iPads
• Battery health section in Settings to see battery health of iPad.
• Button for ejecting external drives in Files app (though I don’t think this is actually necessary).
• Better breakdown of iPad Storage in Settings app that includes exact numbers for how many GBs of storage each category is using.

Here’s my wishlist again! 👍🏻 Looks like one of these things already came with the Battery Health on the new iPads! 👍🏻. (Also, I’m not sure where I fall on sideloading at this point, I keep going back and forth on it).

 

[Realityck]

iOS 18's AI will summarize notifications, articles and more

Apple's next-gen operating systems will feature Project Greymatter, bringing a multitude of AI-related enhancements. We have new details on AI features planned for Siri, Notes and Messages.

appleinsider.com

In pre-release versions of Apple's operating systems, the company has been working on a notification summarization feature known as "Greymatter Catch Up." The feature is tied to Siri, meaning that users will be able to request and receive an overview of their recent notifications through the virtual assistant.

Siri is expected to receive significantly updated response generation capabilities, through a new smart response framework, as well as Apple's on-device LLM. When generating replies and summaries, Siri will be able to take into account entities such as people and companies, calendar events, locations, dates, and much more.

This ultimately means that Siri will be able to answer queries on-device, create summaries of lengthy articles, or transcribe audio as in the updated Notes or Voice Memos applications. This would all be done through the use of the Ajax LLM or cloud-based processing for more complex tasks.

We were also told that Apple has been testing enhanced and "more natural" voices, along with text-to-speech improvements, which should ultimately result in a significantly better user experience.

Apple has also been working on cross-device media and TV controls for Siri. This feature would allow someone to, for instance, use Siri on their Apple Watch to play music on another device, though the feature is not expected until later in 2024.

Note
Project Greymatter is the code name for a host of AI capabilities said to be coming to iOS 18 and macOS 15. Supposedly Greymatter focuses on using AI for “practical benefits” to users of Apple’s operating system.

 

[gwhizkids]

We are going to be very busy beta testers

Apple Plans AI-Based Siri Overhaul to Control Individual App Functions

Apple Inc. is planning to overhaul its Siri virtual assistant with more advanced artificial intelligence, a move that will let users control individual app functions with their voice, according to people with knowledge of the matter.

www.bloomberg.com

 

[Kal Madda]

We are going to be very busy beta testers

Apple Plans AI-Based Siri Overhaul to Control Individual App Functions

Apple Inc. is planning to overhaul its Siri virtual assistant with more advanced artificial intelligence, a move that will let users control individual app functions with their voice, according to people with knowledge of the matter.

www.bloomberg.com

Yeah, I just saw the latest rumors about Siri being able to trigger individual app functions. That looks like it would be very interesting! I wonder if that will also mean big improvements for the Shortcuts app! 👍🏻

 

[Kal Madda]

I’m really excited about the rumored app icon customization. Some of the things I’ve read seem to imply that the App Icon customization will possibly go beyond just the color, but also allow for changing out the icons with different ones. I hope that is the case. Unless if they go with the macOS neumorphic icons with iOS and iPadOS 18, and then I would just stick with the default icons. 👍🏻

 

[gwhizkids]

Yeah, I just saw the latest rumors about Siri being able to trigger individual app functions. That looks like it would be very interesting! I wonder if that will also mean big improvements for the Shortcuts app!

I would assume that it’s all part of a massive expansion in App Intents Framework. So yes!

App Intents | Apple Developer Documentation

Make your app’s content and actions discoverable with system experiences like Spotlight, widgets, and enhanced action capabilities of Siri, powered by Apple Intelligence.

developer.apple.com

 

[Tagbert]

I'm with @LogicalApex: the typing suggestions (and even more, the autocorrection) are horrific, particularly when using slide-typing, i.e., GlidePath (with any keyboard). I have tried resetting keyboard settings and it didn't help. Of particular annoyance is the tendency to try to correct words to people's names. This HAS to get better.

I used to have the problem where it would correct “have” to “Jane”. No idea why. I don’t know any Janes and probably haven’t typed that name in years. That was pre-17. I haven’t noticed auto-correct problems. The typing suggestions are much more useful now.

I’m sorry it isn’t working for you. Not sure what has gone wrong there.

 

[xxFoxtail]

I'm with @LogicalApex: the typing suggestions (and even more, the autocorrection) are horrific, particularly when using slide-typing, i.e., GlidePath (with any keyboard). I have tried resetting keyboard settings and it didn't help. Of particular annoyance is the tendency to try to correct words to people's names. This HAS to get better.

I've found an annoying typing bug as well. If I have a bluetooth keyboard connected, but I'm using the software keyboard. I can start typing a sentence as normal, the first letter of the first word will be capitalized as normal, then I get to the second word and it will autocorrect that first word with a lowercase first letter. Maybe this is expected behavior and there's a setting to fix this somewhere, but it sure is annoying.

 

[gwhizkids]

I used to have the problem where it would correct “have” to “Jane”. No idea why. I don’t know any Janes and probably haven’t typed that name in years. That was pre-17. I haven’t noticed auto-correct problems. The typing suggestions are much more useful now.

I’m sorry it isn’t working for you. Not sure what has gone wrong there.

lol. Just about 2 years ago now I posted my running list of words that iOS would autocorrect to proper names. It is a long list so I just linked to it here rather than reproducing it.

I’ve reset my iOS dictionary and done a clean install via IPSW and it still does this (though perhaps not as aggressively as before).

iOS 15.6 Beta 2 ― Bug Fixes, Changes, and Improvements

Here’s my running list of words QuickPath/autocorrect “corrects” to proper names (mostly).

forums.macrumors.com

 

[Kal Madda]

Only 10 days left ‘till WWDC24!!! 👍🏻

 

[Populus]

Only 10 days left ‘till WWDC24!!! 👍🏻

This year, the expectation is higher than others. I’m not sure if I say this every year, but this year seems to be a major shift on the philosophy of iOS, iPadOS and macOS.

And even tho I’ll be expecting those nice changes to the Home Screen on iOS 18, and being able to change the color of the icons, my main focus will be on iPadOS. I think it’s now or never. Either the iPad Pro keep being an expensive iPad, or Apple really listens all the voices claiming for a more detailed, nuanced, versatile operating system. At the very least, we need a more powerful Files app.

Depending on what Apple shows, I’ll either keep my current M2 iPad Pro, or sell it to get the latest M4 model. We’ll see if Apple really convinces me to spend ~300€ in the upgrade. I’m really curious about what path iPadOS takes.

 

[Kal Madda]

This year, the expectation is higher than others. I’m not sure if I say this every year, but this year seems to be a major shift on the philosophy of iOS, iPadOS and macOS.

And even tho I’ll be expecting those nice changes to the Home Screen on iOS 18, and being able to change the color of the icons, my main focus will be on iPadOS. I think it’s now or never. Either the iPad Pro keep being an expensive iPad, or Apple really listens all the voices claiming for a more detailed, nuanced, versatile operating system. At the very least, we need a more powerful Files app.

Depending on what dapple shows, I’ll either keep my current M2 iPad Pro, or sell it to get the latest M4 model. We’ll see if Apple really convinced me. I’m really curious about what path iPadOS takes.

It seems to me like Apple is definitely taking the iPad Pro more seriously, and wants to push the software further. It was interesting watching the iPad Pro announcement event last month, because they emphasized pro software and with the M4 debuting in the iPad Pro, it seems they are signaling that the iPad Pro and the Mac are peers, not the iPad Pro as a lesser platform. It’s also interesting seeing the rumors about a folding iPad or “MacBook” depending on who you ask. I’m pretty convinced these rumors describe a folding iPad rather than a folding MacBook. I think the lines between the iPad Pro and the MacBook are about to become very blurred. The rumors coming from Gurman seem to support that, and while Gurman was less than accurate last year, he seems to have been more accurate so far recently. And if the rumors about OLED touchscreen MacBooks in 2026 are accurate, then the iPad Pro will need to offer more to avoid getting cannibalized by the MacBooks.

To be honest, I’m very happy with where iPadOS is currently. But I think iPadOS will continue to gain more macOS functionality and features, and I’m looking forward to seeing iPadOS continue to grow and become the true hybrid OS it’s meant to be. I think Microsoft did things wrong by trying to shoehorn Windows into the tablet form factor, but Apple has a significant advantage here, because they can incorporate macOS features into iPadOS more effectively, especially now that they share the same chips, and iPadOS could even potentially run Mac apps as an additional option. iPadOS can gain the features and functions of macOS, while retaining all the optimizations which make it better suited for a tablet, with a library of millions of apps that are fully touch optimized (even if they allow the additional option of running Mac apps), where Windows couldn’t with Microsoft’s “one software for everything” approach. I think it’s going to be exciting times for iPadOS! 👍🏻

Also, I think, while it’s a small detail, Apple is being more deliberate about differentiating iPadOS from iOS. Even though they moved to iPadOS 4 years ago, it still didn’t differentiate itself as much as it could and possibly should have. With iPadOS 17, I notice that iPadOS finally got its own wallpaper, not just a copy of iOS’s wallpaper. That’s not a big change, but it is a small visual cue that tells us “these are separate platforms”. And I appreciate that. 👍🏻

 

[Populus]

It seems to me like Apple is definitely taking the iPad Pro more seriously, and wants to push the software further. It was interesting watching the iPad Pro announcement event last month, because they emphasized pro software and with the M4 debuting in the iPad Pro, it seems they are signaling that the iPad Pro and the Mac are peers, not the iPad Pro as a lesser platform. It’s also interesting seeing the rumors about a folding iPad or “MacBook” depending on who you ask. I’m pretty convinced these rumors describe a folding iPad rather than a folding MacBook. I think the lines between the iPad Pro and the MacBook are about to become very blurred. The rumors coming from Gurman seem to support that, and while Gurman was less than accurate last year, he seems to have been more accurate so far recently. And if the rumors about OLED touchscreen MacBooks in 2026 are accurate, then the iPad Pro will need to offer more to avoid getting cannibalized by the MacBooks.

To be honest, I’m very happy with where iPadOS is currently. But I think iPadOS will continue to gain more macOS functionality and features, and I’m looking forward to seeing iPadOS continue to grow and become the true hybrid OS it’s meant to be. I think Microsoft did things wrong by trying to shoehorn Windows into the tablet form factor, but Apple has a significant advantage here, because they can incorporate macOS features into iPadOS more effectively, especially now that they share the same chips, and iPadOS could even potentially run Mac apps as an additional option. iPadOS can gain the features and functions of macOS, while retaining all the optimizations which make it better suited for a tablet, with a library of millions of apps that are fully touch optimized (even if they allow the additional option of running Mac apps), where Windows couldn’t with Microsoft’s “one software for everything” approach. I think it’s going to be exciting times for iPadOS! 👍🏻

Also, I think, while it’s a small detail, Apple is being more deliberate about differentiating iPadOS from iOS. Even though they moved to iPadOS 4 years ago, it still didn’t differentiate itself as much as it could and possibly should have. With iPadOS 17, I notice that iPadOS finally got its own wallpaper, not just a copy of iOS’s wallpaper. That’s not a big change, but it is a small visual cue that tells us “these are separate platforms”. And I appreciate that. 👍🏻

Fully agree with what you said, and I share the same wishes 🙌🏻

Let’s see what Apple shows us Monday 9th! 🤞🏻

 

[gwhizkids]

It seems to me like Apple is definitely taking the iPad Pro more seriously, and wants to push the software further. It was interesting watching the iPad Pro announcement event last month, because they emphasized pro software and with the M4 debuting in the iPad Pro, it seems they are signaling that the iPad Pro and the Mac are peers, not the iPad Pro as a lesser platform. It’s also interesting seeing the rumors about a folding iPad or “MacBook” depending on who you ask. I’m pretty convinced these rumors describe a folding iPad rather than a folding MacBook. I think the lines between the iPad Pro and the MacBook are about to become very blurred. The rumors coming from Gurman seem to support that, and while Gurman was less than accurate last year, he seems to have been more accurate so far recently. And if the rumors about OLED touchscreen MacBooks in 2026 are accurate, then the iPad Pro will need to offer more to avoid getting cannibalized by the MacBooks.

To be honest, I’m very happy with where iPadOS is currently. But I think iPadOS will continue to gain more macOS functionality and features, and I’m looking forward to seeing iPadOS continue to grow and become the true hybrid OS it’s meant to be. I think Microsoft did things wrong by trying to shoehorn Windows into the tablet form factor, but Apple has a significant advantage here, because they can incorporate macOS features into iPadOS more effectively, especially now that they share the same chips, and iPadOS could even potentially run Mac apps as an additional option. iPadOS can gain the features and functions of macOS, while retaining all the optimizations which make it better suited for a tablet, with a library of millions of apps that are fully touch optimized (even if they allow the additional option of running Mac apps), where Windows couldn’t with Microsoft’s “one software for everything” approach. I think it’s going to be exciting times for iPadOS!

Also, I think, while it’s a small detail, Apple is being more deliberate about differentiating iPadOS from iOS. Even though they moved to iPadOS 4 years ago, it still didn’t differentiate itself as much as it could and possibly should have. With iPadOS 17, I notice that iPadOS finally got its own wallpaper, not just a copy of iOS’s wallpaper. That’s not a big change, but it is a small visual cue that tells us “these are separate platforms”. And I appreciate that.

I disagree. I think Apple has decided that the iPad is what it is. For years now, they’ve given it way more power than it needs for whatever the current iteration of iPadOS is. And every time the tech bloggers and podcasters say “this is the year!”, but it never is.

There may have been a time before the successful debut of Apple Silicon Macs that Apple considered deprecating the Mac and replacing it with the iPad or a touchscreen hybrid. However I don’t see that happening now.

I hope I’m wrong but I’ve had too many years of waiting for the iPad to be a truly useful device for document production and management that I’m tired of waiting for it. It’s great for consumption but only meh for production.

 

[Kal Madda]

I disagree. I think Apple has decided that the iPad is what it is. For years now, they’ve given it way more power than it needs for whatever the current iteration of iPadOS is. And every time the tech bloggers and podcasters say “this is the year!”, but it never is.

There may have been a time before the successful debut of Apple Silicon Macs that Apple considered deprecating the Mac and replacing it with the iPad or a touchscreen hybrid. However I don’t see that happening now.

I hope I’m wrong but I’ve had too many years of waiting for the iPad to be a truly useful device for document production and management that I’m tired of waiting for it. It’s great for consumption but only meh for production.

I think you might be misunderstanding what I’m saying. I’m not saying the iPad Pro is going to replace the MacBooks. And I don’t think the iPad Pro will run macOS either. But I do think iPadOS and macOS will become more convergent in features and functionality. This doesn’t mean that the iPad will replace the Mac.

But I could be wrong. I know some have been calling for these things for a while. But I think that there are several signs now that indicate Apple is pushing iPadOS in that direction. iPadOS is still only four years old, and it started actually differentiating itself and incorporating more macOS features more with iPadOS 16. 👍🏻

 

[mikelets456]

I speculate that iOS 18 will be one S/W version higher than iOS 17...

 

[Populus]

I still have hopes, but if we don’t see further advances, I’ll lose most of my hope. I’ll share my thoughts on June 11th.

Let’s not forget that it’s not just a few nerds on a forum wanting to take the 120% out of their powerful tablet, but also big tech media figures like MKBHD, and others, demanding more capabilities from a limiting software.

Apple truly started that path on iPadOS 16, like @Kal Madda said, with the introduction of external monitor support, a new window UI that felt pretty experimental back then (and, to some extent, still does), and let’s not forget about adding swapping to the memory management, also on iPadOS 16. So, we know that for Apple it takes time to implement big changes to their UI, and the evolution of iPadOS isn’t an easy task, for sure. So if they keep implementing features and refining the interface, maybe by iPadOS 20 we’ll know if they did it or not.

 

[Kal Madda]

Looks like the same macOS Settings app update is coming to iOS and iPadOS as well! I wonder if this will mean they will also share more settings in common as well?

Get ready for a redesigned Settings app in iOS 18 and iPadOS 18 - 9to5Mac

Apple plans to redesign its Settings app across several major platforms: iPhone, iPad, and Mac. The changes should be unveiled at WWDC.

9to5mac.com

 

[dannyyankou]

Here’s an idea. Move incoming notifications to just below the status bar. It’s really annoying when I try to tap the status bar to jump to the top of the page and a notification comes in at the same time, and it takes me away from what I was doing to that other app.

 

[Kal Madda]

I still have hopes, but if we don’t see further advances, I’ll lose most of my hope. I’ll share my thoughts on June 11th.

Let’s not forget that it’s not just a few nerds on a forum wanting to take the 120% out of their powerful tablet, but also big tech media figures like MKBHD, and others, demanding more capabilities from a limiting software.

Apple truly started that path on iPadOS 16, like @Kal Madda said, with the introduction of external monitor support, a new window UI that felt pretty experimental back then (and, to some extent, still does), and let’s not forget about adding swapping to the memory management, also on iPadOS 16. So, we know that for Apple it takes time to implement big changes to their UI, and the evolution of iPadOS isn’t an easy task, for sure. So if they keep implementing features and refining the interface, maybe by iPadOS 20 we’ll know if they did it or not.

I agree. I wouldn’t expect iPadOS 18 to be the fix-all update, but I think it will definitely continue working in that direction. iPadOS 17 was a pretty minor update, but even iPadOS 17 added external web cam support, stage manager improvements, external storage rename and erase options, and Apple’s pro apps Final Cut Pro and Logic Pro were released at about the same time. And on the later point, the 2nd versions of these apps seem to incorporate most of the desktop functionality, as well as some brand new AI-powered features. It seems clear to me that Apple is attempting to improve iPadOS and add more macOS features and fun functionality.

 

[P_Watt]

We are going to be very busy beta testers

Apple Plans AI-Based Siri Overhaul to Control Individual App Functions

Apple Inc. is planning to overhaul its Siri virtual assistant with more advanced artificial intelligence, a move that will let users control individual app functions with their voice, according to people with knowledge of the matter.

www.bloomberg.com

I cannot read that without paying $ but I understand (via Brandon Butch) that much of the powerful onboard AI will require iPhone 15 Pro or better, or ipad with M1 or better.
So my beta testing will not be so busy.

 

[gwhizkids]

I agree. I wouldn’t expect iPadOS 18 to be the fix-all update, but I think it will definitely continue working in that direction. iPadOS 17 was a pretty minor update, but even iPadOS 17 added external web cam support, stage manager improvements, external storage rename and erase options, and Apple’s pro apps Final Cut Pro and Logic Pro were released at about the same time. And on the later point, the 2nd versions of these apps seem to incorporate most of the desktop functionality, as well as some brand new AI-powered features. It seems clear to me that Apple is attempting to improve iPadOS and add more macOS features and fun functionality.

As I said, I hope you guys are right. I’m typing this right now on my M2 11” iPad Pro. I would love to be able to use this device for more than simply forum browsing and video watching.

And I don’t disagree that Apple has grudgingly provided some more laptop-like features in recent years. But its still painful to use for document-type work. The Files app, as you mentioned, is not good. In fact, its awful. No smart search. Limited Quick Actions. Etc…. I hate using it. iCloud Drive is much better than it used to be but still feels like an amateur effort vs Google Drive and MS OneDrive.

If Apple is going to make a move in the direction you suggest, I’d say its quite possible it may not be this year. They are consumed, it would appear, with getting AI embedded into iOS, which has to have been a titanic effort. So it might happen next year, as things with iPadOS tend to follow a year after their introduction with iOS.

So, if they haven’t done it by WWDC 2025, I’d say its ever going to happen.

 

[gwhizkids]

I cannot read that without paying $ but I understand (via Brandon Butch) that much of the powerful onboard AI will require iPhone 15 Pro or better, or ipad with M1 or better.
So my beta testing will not be so busy.

I cannot read that without paying $ but I understand (via Brandon Butch) that much of the powerful onboard AI will require iPhone 15 Pro or better, or ipad with M1 or better.
So my beta testing will not be so busy.

Sorry about the paywalled article. Forgot about that. Here’s the part you referred to

Hopefully most of the features will be usable on-device.