Apple's iOS 18, which has been in beta since June, has been a stable experience since its initial release at WWDC. With less than 24 hours to its public release, unless Apple decides to delay it, here are my top features so far. Note that Apple Intelligence, a new feature, will not be included in iOS 18.0 but will be released in iOS 18.1 next month.
Messages
The new features in the Messages app, particularly the Send Later feature, are my favorites. This feature allows you to schedule messages for later, which is great for those times when you need to send a message but want to wait for the right time to send it. Additionally, the expanded Tap Back feature now offers a wider range of emojis, including color options, making it easier to express yourself in messages.
Choose your own emoji as Tap Back reaction
Passwords
Apple has finally given us access to our iCloud Keychain passwords through its own dedicated application, Passwords. This free password manager app may replace your third-party password manager, but I still recommend using a backup third-party password manager for added security. So, use Passwords and a backup third-party password manager for the best protection.
Safari
As with every new iOS update, Safari has come with improvements, both major and minor. The new Hide Distracting Items feature is quickly becoming a favorite. This feature allows you to hide pop-up windows that can be distracting while browsing the web. While some pop-up blockers may work, they can be ineffective in certain cases, like when visiting certain websites. Hide Distracting Items provides a solution to this issue by allowing you to block these pesky windows. It is not limited to pop-ups, though, you can hide any element that you see rendered on Safari.
Contacts
One of the new privacy controls is now available. I've had experiences with third-party applications that require you to link your Contacts before granting full access (remember Clubhouse?). Similar to Photos, which allows you to select which ones you want to share with a third-party application, and Contacts takes it a step further by enabling you to choose which specific information to share.
Homescreen
Another exciting feature introduced is the ability to lock an application, which triggers an authentication when it's launched. Additionally, you can hide the application, which automatically requires authentication to be unhidden. While I haven't had a chance to use these features yet, I wish Apple would add them to Shortcuts so that I could automatically lock my Photos and game apps when I'm at work.
I have other new features that I like, but they require other Apple devices like the AirPods Pro and Apple TV. And you, what are your favorite new iOS 18 features?