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Apple will release software updates for its iPhone, iPad, Mac and smartwatch on Monday, adding new features and designs for compatible devices.
Announced at the company’s developer conference in June, iOS 18, iPadOS 18, watchOS 11, and macOS Sequoia add extensive new customization options for the Home Screen and Control Center, smart handwriting and math tools for Notes, and new watch faces, among other new features.
Here’s what you need to know about the updates.
When can I get it?
Update downloads for iOS, iPadOS, watchOS, and macOS typically begin at around 6pm UK time (1pm in New York; 3am in Sydney). Unlike other manufacturers, all eligible Apple devices will be able to download and install the update as soon as it’s released, rather than in a phased manner.
What devices can get it?
All Apple smartphones from the 2018 iPhone XS or newer can install iOS 18. All tablets from the 2018 iPad Pro or 2019 iPad Air (3rd generation), iPad mini (5th generation), or iPad (6th generation) and newer can install iPadOS 18. All Apple Watch Series 6 from 2020 or newer can install watchOS 11. All 2020 MacBook Air, 2018 MacBook Pro, 2018 Mac mini, 2019 iMac, 2022 Mac Studio, 2017 iMac Pro, and 2019 Mac Pro or later can install macOS Sequoia.
How do I get it?
Open the Settings app on an iPhone or iPad, then go to General > Software Update. Tap Install if it’s available for download, check, then restart to install. You can also install the update through a Mac or iTunes on a Windows computer.
To install WatchOS 11, you first need to have an iPhone XS or later running iOS 18. Next, open the Watch app on your phone and go to General > Software Update to begin the installation. You’ll need to place your smartwatch on its charger to complete the update.
Macs are updated in System Settings, navigate to General > Software Update.
How much will it cost?
Updates are free on Apple. If they ask you to pay for an update, it’s a scam.
Apple Intelligence is not yet available
Apple’s new AI tools, such as its writing and language tools, summarization, AI photo editing and improved Siri, are not yet available and will not be added to any of its products until later this year in beta starting in October for the US and December for the UK.
iOS 18
Customizing the Home Screen and Control Center
Apple has finally let you place app and widget icons on the home screen in any pattern, not just filling in from the top left corner. App icons can now be made larger and can be tinted to match dark mode or a color.
The control center has been revamped and you can now add a variety of quick settings in different sizes and shapes, with additional pages that you can swipe through, so you can have a page dedicated to music or another with smart home controls. You can also change the quick controls on the lock screen.
Redesigned Photos app
The Photos app has been revamped with featured photos and carousels. It now automatically creates photo collections based on themes like recent days, travel, or people and pets. You can create your own collections and pin your most important collections or albums for quick access, or rearrange the app to make it just the way you like it.
Messages
Apple has finally added RCS support to the Messages app, which will make sending texts easier for Android users, particularly with media and read receipts. You can now schedule and send messages at a later date, which is useful for sending birthday greetings. Text can now be animated in iMessages, and reactions can now include any emoji or sticker.
Notes, passwords and maps
The Notes app can now record audio and create live transcripts, which can be searched or combined with other documents. It can now also solve mathematical expressions and calculations for you.
Apple Keychain has become a full-fledged password manager with the new Passwords app, available on all Apple and Windows devices.
Apple Maps can now save topographic maps offline and create custom routes for hikes and walks.
iPadOS 18
The iPad has the same personalization features, photos, messages, passwords and maps, along with some key tablet-only updates.
Notes and calculator
The Notes app gets a major update for handwriting with Apple Pencil. It can automatically smooth out less legible handwriting, correct spelling, move written words around as if they were printed text, and even paste text as if it were a copy of your own handwriting.
The Calculator app has finally been released for the iPad, but with a new feature: it can perform calculations from handwritten expressions, including algebraic variables, and even plot graphs.
The same “Math Notes” capability to instantly solve expressions is also available in the Notes app for online calculations.
watchOS 11
Face Photos
The updated Photo Face is a new watch face for watchOS 11, creating faces from your photos with smart framing and time location. You can choose from a selection of photos or have it automatically pick the best ones from your library.
Flux is a new oversized digital watch face with bold colors that change over time, while Refactions is a new analog watch face that reacts to your movements.
Vital parts
The new Vitals app gives a new, more useful home to the data recorded overnight while you sleep. It includes your heart rate, respiratory rate, wrist temperature, blood oxygen and sleep duration, and shows when any of this data varies from your usual range, which can highlight issues and provide an overview of what might have caused the variation, such as alcohol consumption.
Training load
The Activity app can now track and display your training load for workouts and whether your body is recovering enough between each session. You can also track your effort level or the intensity of each workout calculated from your pace, elevation, heart rate and other biometric data.
Live activities, double tap and pregnancy tracking
Live activities, such as running timers, music playing, Uber rides, or similar, are now visible in the smart stack for quick access. The double-tap gesture can now scroll through most apps, so you can switch between apps by pinching your index finger and thumb together twice. The watch can now track pregnancies, showing gestational age, as part of its cycle tracking for women.
macOS Sequoia
MacOS gets most of the new features common to the iPhone and iPad, plus some computer-specific additions.
iPhone Screen Mirroring on Mac
The big new feature is the ability to wirelessly mirror and control your iPhone from your Mac, allowing you to open apps, view notifications, and generally use a virtual version of your phone with your keyboard and mouse.
Easy window tiling
MacOS can now automatically tile windows on the screen, for example by dragging them left or right to fit them to half the screen. Hover over a window’s green button to see a drop-down menu with tiling options.
