Installing iOS 18 On Your iPhone? Tweak These Settings Right Away

Apple has launched iOS 18 for iPhone, and it comes packed with notable changes. Noticeably absent is the much ballyhooed Apple Intelligence, however. If you are updating to iOS 18, there are a few tweaks that you may want to do. This will apply to both current models, as well as those receiving their new iPhone 16 that will be arriving today. 

Apple leads the charge for iOS 18 with the slogan "Yours. Truly." This brings us to the first tweak that Apple hints at, and that is Home Screen customization. By doing a long-press on your home page background, you can enter into the configuration mode. Select edit on the upper left, customize, and options on the bottom will appear.

You can choose either small or large icons, to make them visually change size. When choosing large, folder and app names disappear with the enlarged apps. To the left you can also toggle on a darker or lighter background, and keep app icons the same. This is the sun symbol, and differs from the light and dark modes available below. When choosing dark mode, the background will dim and icons will also go into a darker mode. 

You can also choose automatic, which will vary with the time of day. Those wanting a more unique look can choose tinted, which lets you play with a large swath of possibilities that can drastically change the Home Screen appearance. 

Another cool feature is the ability to hide individual apps in a special folder, where you need to authenticate yourself to be able to access. This can keep private apps more secure if others have access to your device. Building on that privacy, you can now also use Face ID to lock certain apps. This means that even if someone sees the installed app, you will need to authenticate it via FaceID for access. A long-press on the app you would like to protect will reveal the "Require Face ID" option. 

Apple Intelligence is notably missing from iOS 18, but there is a way you can still test it out. Caution is needed, as you will be required to install the iOS 18.1 developer beta to gain access to the early Apple Intelligence features. These have interesting benefits such as summaries of messages and emails, for starter. Apple Intelligence also has plenty of writing tools that help you change the tone of text, and summarize the contents therein. 

Apple Photos app now has the "Clean Up" feature with Apple Intelligence that allows you to remove objects in photos, too. 

If you rather wait for the finalized iOS with Apple Intelligence, iOS 18 still offers plenty to tweak. For example, the Control Center is now more customizable than ever. It now has the ability to enter edit mode after swiping down, and selecting the plus icon on the upper left. You can resize the different sections, and even add a new control. Rearranging the screen is also possible, allowing you access to the options that you plan to use the most day-to-day.