iPadOS 18

While iOS 18 and iPadOS 18 officially launched in September 2024, Apple has continued refining the experience with frequent updates — and development isn't slowing down anytime soon. Four major updates have already been released, introducing over 160 new features and changes, and there's still more on the horizon. If you want early access to the latest tools and improvements, the iOS or iPadOS 18 beta is your gateway.

Editing out unwanted objects, people, and distractions from your photos just got a lot easier on your iPhone, iPad, or Mac. Before, you would have to use apps like Google Photos or Snapseed to erase background distractions or perform spot healing, but it's now a native feature in Apple's Photos app for iOS, iPadOS, and macOS.

Safari is always evolving, but most of its improvements happen behind the scenes, making the web feel faster, more secure, and more polished without you even noticing. There aren't any flashy new browser UI changes in iOS 18.4 and iPadOS 18.4, but it does upgrade what Safari is capable of in small but meaningful ways.

Apple's iOS 18.4 update for iPhone is finally available, and it brings some exciting new tools, smart refinements, and deeper Apple Intelligence integration that make your iPhone experience even better. Whether you're looking for ways to stay more organized, enhance your daily workflow, or enjoy new forms of entertainment, this update has something for everyone.

In an era where cybersecurity threats are constantly evolving, knowing whether a website is secure is more important than ever. Apple has finally addressed a long-standing limitation in Safari for iPhone and iPad, allowing us to view SSL/TLS certificate details in iOS 18.4 and iPadOS 18.4 — something we could already do on macOS for over a decade.

Apple introduced a new Ambient Music feature for iPhone and iPad designed to enhance user well-being through curated soundscapes. This option offers four distinct categories — Chill, Productivity, Sleep, and Wellbeing — each providing a curated auditory experience to suit various moods and activities.

Apple has released and continues to test 2024's major software updates for iPhone, iPad, Mac, Apple Watch, Apple TV, and Apple Vision. But are your devices compatible? Will you need to upgrade a device or two to get all the latest features? Find out here.

Safari has a hidden feature for your iPhone that will change how you share, receive, and interact with links — and barely anyone knows about it. The feature works on the latest iOS software, as well as the latest iPadOS and macOS versions. Still, you won't find any information about it in Safari's app or settings, so it's pretty hidden if you haven't seen it by accident yet.

There are plenty of ways to personalize your iPhone or iPad, right down to how it responds when you open an app. With a quick setup, you can have it play a custom sound every time you launch your favorite apps, adding a unique touch to your daily routine.

One of the most significant changes to iPhone that came with iOS 18 lets you text Android users in the Messages app with iMessage-like features such as typing indicators, read receipts, large file sharing, high-quality photos and videos, and even emoji reactions.

Although your iPhone does not offer an option to upgrade internal storage space using a memory card, as some Android phones do, there are plenty of things you can do to clear up storage so you can put everything you want on your device and stop getting those Storage Almost Full alerts.

Apple Intelligence has followed a predictable path so far, bringing plenty of AI features designed for everyday users. But even with new AI updates in every iOS release since iOS 18.1, iPadOS 18.1, and macOS Sequoia 15.1, there's still plenty of room for growth — especially in generative AI (gen AI). And Apple seems to be leaning into that, as shown by its recent updates enabling Apple Intelligence by default and expanding language support.

Apple's Freeform app levels up with iOS 18 and iPadOS 18, offering you new features to enhance creativity, collaboration, and organization. While some updates, like the new Scenes feature, are prominent, others are more subtle but just as powerful. This incredible app's versatile features work equally well on iPhone, iPad, and Mac.

Apple Maps keeps getting better and better for all the hikers in the world. With iOS 18, iPadOS 18, or macOS Sequoia 15, you can access thousands of detailed trail maps within U.S. national parks and topographic views, but you can also create your own walking and hiking routes.

In today's digital world, where inboxes are often inundated with endless emails, the latest updates to Mail in iOS 18 are nothing short of game-changing.

Voice Control has long been a cornerstone of hands-free convenience on iPhones, but for users with unique speech patterns or atypical speech, standard recognition systems often fall short. Apple's solution? Vocal Shortcuts. While this innovation is a game-changer for those with speech differences, it's also a versatile tool for anyone looking to streamline tasks.

Apple has introduced a valuable new tool for Safari that lets you export or import browsing data such as bookmarks, history, extensions, credit card information, and usernames and passwords. This makes it easy to move your data between Safari and other browsers like Brave or Orion, create a backup archive, or even sync Safari passwords with third-party managers like Proton Pass.

Growing up, I was told that hard work could get me anything I wanted. But with Apple's Image Playground, I can create almost any illustration or drawing imaginable just by typing or selecting a suggestion. This groundbreaking feature in Apple Intelligence lets you generate images from simple prompts, opening up exciting possibilities for creativity.

There are thousands of emoji characters, but finding the right one can feel like a wild goose chase. Want a red panda? You can have a black-and-white one. Need a crying heart? You're out of luck. With Apple Intelligence, finding the right emoji for any occasion is now a reality.

Drawing in Apple Notes can be fun, but our sketches may not always turn out as polished as we'd like (cue the "my 5-year-old can draw better than that" jokes). Thankfully, Apple's new Image Wand feature in iOS 18.2 and iPadOS 18.2 aims to make creating professional-quality visuals a breeze, even if you lack artistic skills.

Previously, losing an AirTag or Find My network accessory meant relying on tech-savvy strangers to contact you via phone or email if they found it. With a new Find My update, you can ditch the passive approach and be more proactive about recovering your tracker by sharing its information with trusted contacts and even airlines, allowing them to track your tracker for you.

A new iPhone and iPad setting gives you control over how loud your device's built-in speakers get, which can help you avoid being startled by loud auto-playing videos, waking up someone sleeping nearby, hurting your ears, or degrading your speakers' quality and performance.

Apple's iOS 18 update brings powerful new features to your iPhone's Camera app, but some tools are easy to overlook yet incredibly useful once you find them. From new shooting modes to expanded preserve settings, iOS 18 adds more ways to capture and manage your shots exactly how you want.

If you can't always see what you're typing very well on your iPhone, iPad, or Mac, you no longer have to adjust the font size for the app or entire system just to read your writing more easily. One of Apple's newer Accessibility features gives you a customizable, magnified view in a floating window so you can see every character with crystal-clear clarity in real time.

Apple has finally given Control Center the love that it needs with an updated interface design and more customizations than ever before. Taking the more customizable overhaul one step further, iOS 18 and iPadOS 18 have elevated controls beyond Control Center, so you can use controls from other places on your iPhone or iPad for even faster access to your most-used shortcuts.

Apple's official feature list for the Music app on iOS 18 and iPadOS 18 may highlight only one update, but there's much more happening under the surface than that. Whether you subscribe to Apple Music, the latest version brings hidden gems that enhance your up-next queue, playlists, and overall experience.

The biggest update to arrive since iOS 18 and iPadOS 18 just came out, and it's packed with new features and changes for your iPhone or iPad. From new Apple Intelligence capabilities to Game Center improvements and new calling tools, there's a lot going on in iOS 18.1 and iPadOS 18.1.

With Apple's Photos app, you no longer need a third-party tool on your iPhone, iPad, or Mac to blur or pixelate faces in your photos, helping you safeguard identities when sharing online.

From time to time, you may need to locate the version and build number for a particular app on your iPhone or iPad, but it's not at all obvious where you can find the information. Well, there's more than one place to look on iOS 18 and iPadOS 18, but none are perfect solutions. Knowing each method will ensure you can always find any app's real version number.

With iOS 18, you get better note-taking capabilities in the revamped Notes app, advanced features like conversions and results history in the more powerful Calculator, and interactive Math Notes, a feature in both apps that's a game changer for students and professionals dealing with complex equations. But Apple didn't forget about Reminders, which has become more than a simple to-do-list app.

Jumping right into the most captivating part of a podcast episode can make all the difference when sharing episodes with others. But this functionality has never been available in Apple Podcasts — until now.

In the ever-evolving world of podcasting, Apple has once again turned up the volume with new upgrades to its beloved Podcasts app. As the go-to platform for millions of listeners worldwide — thanks to its seamless integration with iOS, iPadOS, and macOS — Apple Podcasts continues to refine how we discover, enjoy, and manage our favorite shows.

The updated Messages app for iPhone, iPad, and Mac has some really cool new features, but the one you may end up using the most is something you're already familiar with: Tapbacks. With iOS 18, iPadOS 18, and macOS Sequoia 15, Tapbacks are improved and contain even more reactions to choose from.

At first glance, Apple's Messages app has always seemed pretty basic when it comes to text formatting options. However, there were and still are hidden ways to format text in your messages. But Apple's latest software updates give us even more ways to dress up text in messages, including more text effects.

Apple has completely redesigned its Calculator app for iPhone, and it's now powerful and practical enough to replace any third-party calculator you've been using.

The updated Messages app for iOS, iPadOS, and macOS has creative new ways for you to format and send messages, from standard text formatting to fun text effects. But Apple also includes another way to make your messages appear precisely as you want: more control over how links appear for you and your recipients.