Apple rolls out major iOS 18, iPadOS 18 updates to iPhones, iPads

With the new customisation feature, users can personalise the time on the lock screen with Indian numerals from 12 languages-- Kannada, Telugu, Malayalam, Arabic, Arabic Indic, Bangla, Devanagari, Gujarati, Gurmukhi, Meitei, Odia, Ol Chiki,

Apple has rolled out the iOS 18 and iPadOS 18 to all eligible iPhones and iPads, respectively. Both come with similar features. The latest versions are touted to be the biggest software update, which brings all-new features, customisation options, security upgrades and more.

With the new update, users will be able to personalise the time on the lock screen with Indian numerals from 12 languages-- Kannada, Telugu, Malayalam, Arabic, Arabic Indic, Bangla, Devanagari, Gujarati, Gurmukhi, Meitei, Odia, Ol Chiki,

Further, it allows users to pick and drop apps and widgets in any open space on the home screen and lock screen. The users can even move them right above the dock for easy access or perfectly arrange them around the wallpaper’s edge so that there is no obstruction on subjects such as pet dogs or children at the centre. Users can also bring darker and tinted effects to app icons and widgets.

Photos app gets a new collection feature. It can intelligently group photos of familiar faces, pets and themes in groups for easy access and reduces the burden for device owners from having to manually create albums.

It also brings Game Mode. It minimises background activity to sustain consistently high frame rates for hours of continuous gameplay.

Apple iOS 18 comes with several India-specific features.

With the iOS 18 update, Apple Maps gets a new option to save hikes for offline access. Users can browse thousands of hike routes that can be saved to the device. Also, the user can add side notes with the saved hike routes.

Once the iPhone is updated to the iOS 18, Siri will finally be able to support nine Indian languages including Kannada, Telugu, Bengali, Gujarati, Hindi, Malayalam, Marathi, Punjabi, and Tamil.

Siri can perform actions such as setting alarms and timers, launching an app, getting directions, playing music or checking the weather using English mixed with a local language.

iPadOS 18 update.

Apple is also bringing new security feature to lock components of iPhone. This move will deter thieves from stealing iPhones. All the components' IDs will be paired with the original iPhone.

And, the device repair shop owners who buy spare parts of stolen iPhones from theives or any illegal means, will not be able to incorporate them into iPhones and activate it.

However, the much-awaited Apple Intelligence-powered features are not coming with the current version of iOS 18. It will be made available in a later version iOS 18.1, which is expected to be released in October. The company will continue to introduce more Apple Intelligence-powered features spread over several months from December 2024 and probably complete by the end of March or April 2025.

Key Aspects of Apple Intelligence

It will work systemwide seamlessly, including native apps such as Siri digital assistant, Notes, iMessage, Mail, Photos app and even third-party apps installed across all devices.

Some notable Apple Intelligence-powered features include enhanced Siri with multimodal capabilities to respond to user commands in images, videos and text.

Also, Apple Intelligence-powered Image Playground will be able to churn out synthetic photos on iPhones with just text prompts. Initially, it will offer three styles: Animation, Illustration, or Sketch.

There is a Rewrite feature, which will baked into Notes, Mail and other productivity apps. It will be able to help write notes, correct grammar mistakes and do more.

Apple Intelligence-powered Phone app will be able to transcribe the audio in real-time and also offer summaries. It will stored by default in the Notes app.

List of iPhone models eligible for iOS 18 update:

iPhone 15, iPhone 15 Plus, iPhone 15 Pro, iPhone 15 Pro Max, iPhone 14, iPhone 14 Plus, iPhone 14 Pro, iPhone 14 Pro Max, iPhone 13, iPhone 13 mini, iPhone 13 Pro, iPhone 13 Pro Max, iPhone 12, iPhone 12 mini, iPhone 12 Pro, iPhone 12 Pro Max, iPhone 11, iPhone 11 Pro, iPhone 11 Pro Max, iPhone XS, iPhone XS Max, iPhone XR, iPhone SE (2nd generation or newer version).

List of iPad variants eligible for iPadOS 18 update:

iPad Pro (M4), iPad Pro 12.9-inch (3rd gen and newer version), iPad Pro 11-inch (1st gen and newer models), iPad Air (M2), iPad Air (3rd gen and newer variant), iPad (7th gen and later), and the iPad mini (5th gen and newer version).

Apple iOS 18 update.

Here's how to install the iOS/iPadOS 18 on iPhones and iPads:

Via OTA (Over-The-Air)

Prerequisite: Users' who want to install the update directly onto the device through OTA, make sure there is enough storage space and the device should have more than 50% battery life, before initiating the download of the new iOS/iPadOS update.

Step 1: Settings >> General >> Software update

Via manual installation through Apple iTunes

Prerequisite: Make sure to back up your iPhone/iPad with either iCloud or via iTunes before initiating the download procedure. Also, your PC must have the latest version of the iTunes app. If not, Go to About and then Check for Updates or visit iTunes.com.

Step 1: Launch iTunes on your Mac or PC.

Step 2: Insert your iPhone, iPad, or iPod touch if it isn't already.

Step 3: Tap on the iPhone, iPad or iPod touch in the top left navigation.

Step 4: Tap on the Check for Update button in the first section that contains information about your device and alternately you can click Restore instead if you'd like to do a clean wipe with updated software.

Step 5: An update should be recognized, click on Download and Update in the popup menu and agree to the terms or conditions.

Step 6: Unlock your device with your passcode if prompted to continue with the upgrade.

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