There was a lot Apple needed to cram into its WWDC 2024 keynote that some options have been unnoticed of the highlight. Right here on the firm’s campus, I’ve had the possibility to talk with varied executives, in addition to get deeper dives into iOS 18, iPadOS 18, Apple Intelligence, watchOS 11 and extra. In these periods, I have been in a position to study extra about how particular issues work, like what steps precisely do you’re taking to customise your iPhone’s house display and management middle. I additionally acquired to see another updates that weren’t even briefly talked about throughout the keynote, like new help for mountain climbing routes in Apple Maps and what coaching load insights appear to be on watchOS 11. Of all of the unmentioned options I’ve come to find, listed here are my favorites.
Maps: Create and share customized routes
I’ve at all times been a Google Maps lady, partially as a result of that app had superior info in comparison with Apple Maps in its early years. Nowadays, I stick with Google Maps as a result of it has all my saved locations and historical past. After I discovered that iOS 18 would convey updates to Apple Maps, notably to do with mountain climbing and routes, I used to be intrigued.
Mainly, in iOS 18, while you go into search in Maps, you will see a brand new choice underneath “Find Nearby” referred to as hikes. It’s going to present you beneficial hikes, and you may filter by the kind of hike (loop, for instance) and specify a size. You will discover choices within the neighborhood and tapping into one will present you a topographical view with the elevation particulars, how difficult it needs to be in addition to estimated period. You possibly can faucet to avoid wasting every route and retailer it for offline reference later and add notes too. There is a new Library view and you will find it in your profile in Maps.
You will additionally be capable of create new routes in Maps by tapping anyplace to start out defining your route. You possibly can hold tapping so as to add waypoints, which is able to trigger the path to proceed to attach them, then hit a “Close loop” button to complete your path. These routes may be shared, although it is not but clear when you can share it to, say, your pal or driver to have them take your most popular path to your vacation spot.
The hikes that Apple will serve up in Maps are created by its personal staff, which is working with US Nationwide Parks, in order that they’ll solely be obtainable for the 63 nationwide parks within the nation to start with. In different phrases, it is not porting info from AllTrails, for instance. In a press launch, Apple stated hundreds of hikes will likely be obtainable to browse at launch.
As a metropolis dweller who solely generally hikes, my pleasure is much less about mountain climbing and extra concerning the potential of sharing my customized routes to point out folks how they need to stroll to my constructing or favourite restaurant from the prepare station. It is a compelling characteristic, and arguably a cause I would select Apple Maps versus Google’s.
Calendar integration with Reminders
Frankly, the Maps replace is likely to be my favourite out of all the pieces that wasn’t proven off throughout the WWDC 2024 keynote by an enormous margin. However among the new instruments coming to Calendar tickle my fancy too. Particularly, the brand new integration with reminders makes it simpler to not simply schedule your duties proper into your daybook, but additionally test them off from the Calendar app. You possibly can quickly transfer reminders round by lengthy urgent and dragging them, in order that observe to name you mother may be positioned on a slot at 5pm on Wednesday, as a substitute of sitting in your Reminders app. As well as, Calendar is getting new views that higher element your stage of exercise every day in a month, just like how the Health app exhibits your every day rings progress rapidly within the month-to-month view.
Tapback insights exhibiting who precisely responded with what emoji
This is not one wasn’t talked about in any respect throughout the keynote, however there are particulars about how Tapback works that weren’t described at yesterday’s present. In the event you’re like me, you won’t even have remembered that Tapback refers to these reactions you possibly can ship in Messages by double tapping on a blue or grey bubble. With iOS 18, you will get extra choices than the restricted choice of coronary heart, thumbs up, thumbs down, “Haha,” exclamation factors and query mark. They’re additionally going to point out up in full shade with the replace, as a substitute of the present (boring) grey.
What I discovered in a while, although, is that while you double faucet a message that already has reactions connected to it, a brand new balloon seems on the prime of your display exhibiting who has responded with which emoji. This could make it simpler to lurk in a bunch chat, but additionally might double as an unofficial polling software by asking your mates to react with particular emojis to point totally different solutions. That ought to make Messages a bit extra like Slack, and I want Whatsapp and Telegram would take observe.
Others: Math Notes in iPhone, updates to Journal and Safari
There are numerous options coming to iOS 18 that did not get a lot love on the WWDC stage, just like the Journal app’s new widget for the house display, which exhibits prompts for reflection and allows you to create new entries. Journal additionally has a brand new insights view that shows your writing streaks and different historic knowledge, plus a brand new software that permits you to add your mind-set to every entry from inside the app.
In the meantime, Safari is getting a brand new “Highlights” button within the search (or URL) bar, and tapping it’s going to present a machine-learning-generated abstract of the webpage you are on. Tapping into this brings up a panel with extra info like navigation instructions to a restaurant talked about on the web page, for instance, or a cellphone quantity to name up a enterprise. You may as well rapidly launch the reader view from this pane.
I wasn’t tremendous obsessed with both of these, largely as a result of I do not use the Journal app a lot and I do not want Safari summarizing a web site for me. However another buried updates that I actually wished to shout out. For instance, Math Notes for iPad and utilizing Apple Pencil definitely acquired numerous time, but it surely wasn’t until I checked out Apple’s iOS 18 press launch that I discovered the iPhone’s Notes app can also be getting a model of it. In keeping with the screenshot Apple included, it appears to be like like you possibly can tally up and break up bills between a bunch of pals by writing a listing of bills and the way a lot every merchandise value, then add the names of every expense to a method with plus and equal indicators, then get that divided by the variety of folks in your group. Not fairly Splitwise, however I might see this turning into extra highly effective over time.
I used to be additionally intrigued by among the Good Script options on iPadOS 18, particularly after I realized which you could simply transfer your handwritten phrases round by dragging your handwritten phrases additional away from one another, and the remainder of your scrawled textual content strikes in tandem. That is onerous to explain, and I will have to attend until I can strive it for myself to point out you an animated instance. Nevertheless it was spectacular, even when it is not extraordinarily helpful.
Lastly, the Passwords app and different privateness updates acquired a shout out throughout the keynote, however I discovered extra about how issues like accent setup and contacts sharing with apps work. Apple is releasing a brand new accent setup equipment in order that gadget makers can undertake a pairing interface just like the way you’d join your AirPods or Apple Watch to your iPhone. If the builders do not use this strategy, the brand new Bluetooth setup interface will likely be a lot clearer about what different Bluetooth units are in your native community and what you are truly granting entry to while you conform to let an app see different units in your community. Although this wasn’t completely skipped throughout the keynote, the Passwords app is one thing that makes me comfortable, since I am completely sick of getting to dig by means of settings to discover a technique to get codes for particular apps I exploit my iPhone’s authenticator to unlock.
There are many options that have been talked about that I am excited by and discovered extra concerning the workings of, together with the brand new dynamic clock type within the Pictures face in watchOS 11, pinned collections within the redesigned Pictures app and iPadOS mirroring for simpler distant tech help. Oh, and that new Airplay characteristic that’ll allow you to ship cash to pals by holding your telephones collectively? Sure! Having the ability to pause and regulate your Exercise rings in watchOS and that Coaching Load perception? Hallelujah!
And although I can see the enchantment of locked and hidden apps, I am undecided I would discover a lot use for that and it might most likely exacerbate my already prone-to-suspicion nature.
I am additionally a bit of cautious of issues like Genmoji and Picture Playground, that are each Apple Intelligence options that will not hit all iOS 18 units. There will likely be metadata info indicating when pictures have been generated by Apple’s AI, and guardrails in place to stop the creation of abusive and exploitative content material.
Clearly, there are many updates coming to Apple’s telephones, tablets, laptops and wearables later this 12 months, and I am unable to wait to strive them out. The general public beta needs to be prepared across the finish of summer time this 12 months, which is when most individuals (who’re keen to threat an unstable platform) can test them out.
Catch up right here for all of the information out of Apple’s WWDC 2024.
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