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This week is WWDC, the developer’s conference where Apple lets us know what’s in our future for the rest of the year. In the keynote address, Apple revealed major updates to its operating systems for iPhones, iPads, Mac computers, Apple Watches and Apple TVs.
These updates from Apple will offer new features and improved performance making your existing devices seem like new. As with all recent software updates from Apple, the updates announced this week will be free.
Apple will be releasing these updates in the fall.
iOS 12
Apple will be updating its mobile operating system for iPhone, iPad and iPod Touch to iOS 12 in the fall. The company proudly informed us that the overall satisfaction for iOS 11 is 95%, which is especially remarkable because that update rendered many older apps unusable.
Don’t miss => Why Your Favorite iPhone Apps May Not Work in iOS 11
So the bar is set high for iOS 12, putting pressure on Apple to deliver a superior operating system update again this year.
Good news — every device that was eligible for the update to iOS 11 will also be eligible for iOS 12. Apple is not making any iPhones, iPads or even iPod Touches obsolete with the iOS 12 update. So if your current device works with iOS 11, it will also work with iOS 12.
Improved Performance
The first revelation Apple made about iOS 12 is that it will improve performance to make existing devices faster and more responsive. Apps will launch up to 40% faster, keyboards can appear 50% faster, and the camera can open up to 70% faster. Devices also will perform better when multiple apps are running at the same time.
Augmented Reality
iOS 12 will add Augmented Reality (AR) features that will let users put virtual objects in the real world on their screens. Apple gave the example of designing a guitar in an app, then seeing a virtual 3D image of that guitar in the real world.
Check out => Augmented Reality vs. Virtual Reality – What’s the Difference?
You’ll also be able to use AR in iOS 12 to measure objects in the real world with a new app from Apple called Measure.
Augmented Reality will also be expanded to offer multiple users a shared experience. Each participant sees the same scene from a unique perspective, for multiple player games or projects.
Apple showed an example of people building a Lego village using AR on their iPads. Up to four people can add to the village and see what others are doing. Users can even view the insides of the Lego buildings they create.
Photos
The Photos app will offer advanced searches in iOS 12. When you open the app, Photos will suggest searches such as people, places or key moments. You’ll be able to search by business name, such as the name of a museum, or categories or events.
Photos will also have a For You section with an On This Day photo from the past and suggestions for effects on your photos. For You will also offer sharing suggestions for photos you’ve taken based on people appearing in the photos.
Siri
Shortcuts
Siri will be getting smarter so you’ll be able to teach it to do multiple things at once in the new Shortcuts app. In Shortcuts, you can create shortcuts to have Siri perform multiple tasks with one command. For example, when you say, “Siri, good morning” it can tell you the weather, what is on your calendar for the day, start your Smart Home coffee maker and turn on your bedroom light.
Siri Shortcuts can also work with third-party apps. A demonstration was shown with a Shortcut using the Tile app that helps you find lost objects. After the Shortcut is created, a user can say, “Siri, I lost my keys” and the Tile app will open to show where the keys.
Users will be able to build their own Siri Shortcuts in the app by dragging and dropping actions, then telling Siri what the command phrase is. Shortcuts will also work on Siri on the Home Pod and Apple Watch.
Check out => Apple HomePod: A Siri-ous Speaker with Potential
Siri Suggestions
Siri can learn your daily habits and suggest actions to help you. If you use an app at the same time every day, such as listening to a podcast on your drive to work, Siri can suggest that the app be opened at the time you’re ready to leave.
Siri can also suggest that you text someone when it detects you’re running late for a meeting.
Apple Apps
Apple’s News app is also getting an update to help users find news that is interesting to them. Stocks will be getting an update to bring Apple News into the Stocks app. You’ll be able to see stories from Apple News about the companies you’re following without leaving the Stocks app.
The Books app will be updated and no longer called iBooks, but Apple Books instead.
Apple CarPlay
In iOS 12, third-party navigation apps will be supported which is great news for Waze fans who have been wishing for this for a while.
Do Not Disturb During Bedtime
While you might have Do Not Disturb set to turn on each night to silence your phone when you sleep, notifications will still appear on the screen when you check your phone.
In iOS 12, you will be able to set Do Not Disturb During Bedtime so notifications will not appear on your screen until Do Not Disturb is turned off. That way if you check your phone in the middle of the night, you won’t be distracted by notifications that may make falling back to sleep more difficult.
Learn more at => Do Not Disturb – The iPhone Feature You Should Be Using
Notifications
Notifications will be able to provide more information on the lock screen so you can better decide whether you want to open the app based on that notification. Siri will also suggest turning off notifications for apps you haven’t used in a while.
iOS 12 will also offer grouped notifications so all notifications from an app or a category will appear together.
Screen Time
Apple is trying to address phone addiction with a new feature in iOS 12 called Screen Time. You’ll be able to set time limits for using your phone or an app in Screen Time. When that time is up, you’ll see a notification on your screen your time is over.
Screen Time will also provide Reports with a weekly activity summary of how much time you’ve spent on your phone and what you’ve been doing on it. You’ll also see how many notifications an app has sent you during the week. Reports will include information about your use of both iPad and iPhone.
Parents can receive Reports of their children’s activities so they can see how their kids have been spending their time on their iDevices. Parents can then set Screen Time limits on devices and on individual apps on their kids devices. Some apps, such as the Phone can be set to Always Allowed so parents know their children can call them in an emergency.
Children’s devices can also be restricted from accessing certain apps and content if a parent thinks they’re inappropriate.
Messages
Animojis, the animated emojis introduced with iPhone X, will have a breakthrough feature called Tongue Detection so your Animoji can stick its tongue out at others. New characters will be added in iOS 12 including ghost, koala, tiger and T-Rex.
Apple also introduced Memojis, where you can create a customized looking Animoji, like a live-action Bitmoji. You can make it look like you or the person you want to be.
FaceTime
With iOS 12, you will be able to do a group video chat with up to 32 people.
the new group facetime looks so cool!! pic.twitter.com/1W3FzaOfFv
— Taylor Baxter 🦊 (@taylorbaxter) June 5, 2018
Group messages will be available on iPhone, iPad and Mac computers.
FaceTime will be integrated into Messages so you can move a group text conversation to a group FaceTime call.
Apple Watch
Activity
Tracking activity is a very popular way to use Apple Watch. In WatchOS 5 you’ll be able to challenge a friend to a 7-day competition to close your Activity rings. Winners of competitions will receive a special award badge.
Workouts will automatically be detected and your Watch will send you a notification when it senses you’ve started a workout. If you forget to start the Workout app at the beginning of a workout, you can get retroactive credit for your exercise if you launch the app part way through your workout.
Watch can also remind you to end your Workout when it detects you’ve stopped exercising. Hiking and Yoga will be added to the Workout app on the Watch.
Walkie-Talkie
Paging Dick Tracy! With WatchOS 5, users will be able to talk to each other using the new Walkie-Talkie feature. Walkie-Talkie works over cellular and Wi-Fi so you can communicate with others when both of you are connected to the Internet with your Watches.
Websites
Beginning with WatchOS 5, you’ll be able to view websites on your Watch. If you get a notification from a website or someone sends you a link, you’ll be able to open the website and read the content on your Watch.
Podcasts
Apple’s Podcast app is coming to Apple Watch so you can listen to your favorite podcasts from your Watch. The app will sync with your iPhone so you can pick up listening on one device where you left off on the other.
Pride
In honor of Pride month, Apple is introducing a new rainbow watch band and watch face. Both of these are available now.
Apple TV
TvOS will be updated for the latest model Apple TV to bring better sound quality with a new technology called Dolby Atmos. You also will be able to avoid signing into TV apps on your Apple TV if you’re on the same Wi-Fi network as your TV provider with a new feature called Zero Sign On.
Screen saver images from the International Space Station will also be available on Apple TV.
MacOS
Mac computers will also be getting an update with the MacOS operating system called Mojave. The update will include a dark mode so the background of your screen can be black.
Mojave will also introduce Dynamic Desktop that changes throughout the day. Your desktop will also get organized into stacks called Desktop Stacks. It’s as if Apple will organize the icons on your desktop into piles on the side of the screen.
Finder will get a new view called Gallery View that enlarges images to make them easier to find. A sidebar shows data about the image. The bottom of Gallery View has quick actions that let you do things with images within Finder, such as editing, creating a PDF and adding a watermark.
Apple News, Voice Memos, Home, and Stocks are coming to the Mac as apps. These apps sync from your iPhone and iPad to the Mac.
The Mac App Store will be updated as well. Developers can put video previews in app descriptions to help demonstrate how an app works before you get it. The Mac App Store will recommend apps for you to use in different categories.
Your Thoughts
Are you excited about the updates coming to Apple products? Which new features will be most useful to you? Would you like to use your Apple Watch as a Walkie-Talkie?
Share your thoughts in the Comments section below!
