iOS 18: Making iPhones as customizable as Android and send Messages over satellite

Customizable shortcuts, private apps, and so much more

Apple just announced iOS 18 as an exciting update for all iPhone owners. The newest version of the iPhone OS promises to open major customization options for users including being able to move your apps anywhere on the home screen and changing the color of the icons. iOS 18 also adds customizable shortcuts on the home screen and action button, as well as in the control center. Users will be able to send iMessages and SMS text over satellite and that’s just the tip of the iceberg – read on for all the changes coming with iOS 18.

📱Move apps wherever you want. Finally, later in 2024, you’ll be able to move your apps wherever you want on your iPhone home screen. Thus far, apps have always piled onto your home screen from top to bottom without any gap unless you added another screen of apps or filed them into app folders. But on iOS 18 you’ll be able to place them anywhere on your screen.

🖤 Dark mode tiles for app icons. Apple is also making dark mode on iPhones a little more pleasing by adding dark mode tiles for their icons. Basically apps with a white background like calendars and photos will switch to a dark gray to black tone background. You can toggle dark mode onto any existing Apple apps on iOS 18 and third-party app developers are sure to follow suit.

🌈 Choose any color for your apps. Apple is also extending theme colors to app icons. Similar to how users could match the color of their clock and other widgets to their phone screen background with iOS 17, users will soon be able to apply a matching color to all their app icons on iOS 18. Beyond that, users can also jump into the new theme engine to choose a color to apply across all your apps.

🎛️ Control Center pages. Control Center has been getting a little bloated and so Apple is now separating how different preference panes based on general settings, music controls, homekit shortcuts, and more. Third-party apps will also be able to add control center toggles for the first time as well.

🏠 Customizable home screen shortcuts. Apple is also finally allowing users to pick the home screen shortcuts they want. Since forever ago iOS home screen shortcuts have always been camera and flashlight, but now users change them out for timers, remotes, calculators, and more.

🔴 Customizable action button. Apple is also extending shortcut customizations to the action button on iPhone 15 models. By default, the action button has only been used to trigger the camera, but users can now customize the key to activate timers, remote, calculator, and more just like the home screen shortcuts.

📡 Messages via satellite. iPhone 14 and iPhone 15 users will soon be able to send messages via satellite whenever they don’t have access to cellular service or Wi-Fi. Basically, if you can see the SOS satellite image you’ll still be able to send out texts via iMessage or SMS.

🗯️ Text styles and emphasis in texts. Texts are about to get more interesting with text formatting like bold, italics, underlines, and strikeouts. What’s more, users can add text effects like bouncing, waving, explosions, and more.

⏲️ Send a message later. And in case you don’t want to send a message at 4am and reveal what a nightowl you are you can schedule messages to send later just like emails.

😌 Message Tapbacks with any emoji. Message tap-backs (or reactions) won’t be limited to just five little reactions anymore. Soon iOS 18 users will be able to tap back with any emoji they want.

💚 RCS support. Apple didn’t quite say it out loud, but iOS 18 will finally add RCS support. This means green message bubbles from your Android friends will finally show high-resolution images, video, link previews, typing indicators, read receipts and more.

💰 Tap to Cash. iOS 18 is adding the option to AirDrop Apple Cash to another iPhone user. Just hold your phone with the Apple Wallet open near another iPhone and you can send money instantly without having to share your number or other contact information.

🎮 Game mode. Playing games on the iPhone, well the new Game Mode promises to reduce background activities to ensure you get the highest frame rates. This new game mode also reduces latency with Bluetooth-connected accessories like a DualSense Edge controller and the AirPod Pros.

🥷 Private apps. Users can lock any app to prevent others from accessing them without their password or FaceID scan. And if you really want to hide your risque apps you can throw them into a hidden folder just like you can for hidden photos.

🖼️ Revamped Photos app. Lastly, Apple has completely revamped the Photos app on iPhones to help organize our ever-growing photo albums. There’s a new collections feature to help organize your recent days and create suggested collages. You can also easily hide screenshots, receipts, and other images clogging your image libraries.

Kevin Lee is The Shortcut’s Creative Director. Follow him on Twitter @baggingspam.