There was a lot Apple needed to cram into its WWDC 2024 keynote that some options had been unnoticed of the highlight. Right here on the firm’s campus, I’ve had the prospect to talk with numerous executives, in addition to get deeper dives into iOS 18, iPadOS 18, Apple Intelligence, watchOS 11 and extra. In these classes, 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 residence display and management heart. I additionally received to see another updates that weren’t even briefly talked about throughout the keynote, like new assist for mountain climbing routes in Apple Maps and what coaching load insights seem like 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 woman, partly as a result of that app had superior data in comparison with Apple Maps in its early years. Nowadays, I persist with Google Maps as a result of it has all my saved locations and historical past. After I discovered that iOS 18 would carry updates to Apple Maps, notably to do with mountain climbing and routes, I used to be intrigued.
Principally, in iOS 18, while you go into search in Maps, you may see a brand new possibility below “Find Nearby” referred to as hikes. It will present you advisable 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 ought to be in addition to estimated period. You’ll be able to 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 to create new routes in Maps by tapping wherever to begin defining your route. You’ll be able to 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 will be shared, although it isn’t but clear if you happen to can share it to, say, your good friend 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 workforce, 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 isn’t porting data 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 in regards to the potential of sharing my customized routes to indicate individuals how they need to stroll to my constructing or favourite restaurant from the practice station. It is a compelling function, and arguably a purpose I would select Apple Maps versus Google’s.
Calendar integration with Reminders
Frankly, the Maps replace may be my favourite out of the whole lot that wasn’t proven off throughout the WWDC 2024 keynote by an enormous margin. However a number of 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 in addition examine them off from the Calendar app. You’ll be able to quickly transfer reminders round by lengthy urgent and dragging them, in order that notice to name you mother will 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 degree of exercise every day in a month, much like how the Health app exhibits your every day rings progress shortly 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. Should you’re like me, you may not even have remembered that Tapback refers to these reactions you’ll be able to ship in Messages by double tapping on a blue or grey bubble. With iOS 18, you may get extra choices than the restricted collection of coronary heart, thumbs up, thumbs down, “Haha,” exclamation factors and query mark. They’re additionally going to indicate up in full colour 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 gaggle chat, but in addition may double as an unofficial polling software by asking your mates to react with particular emojis to point completely different solutions. That ought to make Messages a bit extra like Slack, and I want Whatsapp and Telegram would take notice.
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 information, plus a brand new software that allows you to add your mind-set to every entry from throughout the app.
In the meantime, Safari is getting a brand new “Highlights” button within the search (or URL) bar, and tapping it is going to present a machine-learning-generated abstract of the webpage you are on. Tapping into this brings up a panel with extra data like navigation instructions to a restaurant talked about on the web page, for instance, or a cellphone quantity to name up a enterprise. You too can shortly launch the reader view from this pane.
I wasn’t tremendous passionate about both of these, largely as a result of I do not use the Journal app a lot and I do not want Safari summarizing an internet site for me. However another buried updates that I actually wished to shout out. For instance, Math Notes for iPad and utilizing Apple Pencil actually received a variety of 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 be getting a model of it. In response to the screenshot Apple included, it appears to be like like you’ll be able to tally up and break up bills between a gaggle of pals by writing an inventory of bills and the way a lot every merchandise value, then add the names of every expense to a formulation with plus and equal indicators, then get that divided by the variety of individuals in your group. Not fairly Splitwise, however I may see this turning into extra highly effective over time.
I used to be additionally intrigued by a number of the Good Script options on iPadOS 18, particularly after I realized that you would be able to 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 exhausting to explain, and I will have to attend until I can attempt it for myself to indicate you an animated instance. But it surely was spectacular, even when it isn’t extraordinarily helpful.
Lastly, the Passwords app and different privateness updates received 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 machine makers can undertake a pairing interface much 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 fully skipped throughout the keynote, the Passwords app is one thing that makes me completely satisfied, since I am completely sick of getting to dig by settings to discover a technique to get codes for particular apps I take advantage of my iPhone’s authenticator to unlock.
There are many options that had been talked about that I am excited by and discovered extra in regards to the workings of, together with the brand new dynamic clock model within the Photographs face in watchOS 11, pinned collections within the redesigned Photographs app and iPadOS mirroring for simpler distant tech assist. Oh, and that new Airplay function that’ll allow you to ship cash to pals by holding your telephones collectively? Sure! With the ability to pause and alter 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 unsure I would discover a lot use for that and it might in all probability exacerbate my already prone-to-suspicion nature.
I am additionally a bit 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 data indicating when photos had been generated by Apple’s AI, and guardrails in place to forestall 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 can not wait to attempt them out. The general public beta ought to be prepared across the finish of summer season this 12 months, which is when most individuals (who’re keen to threat an unstable platform) can examine them out.
Catch up right here for all of the information out of Apple’s WWDC 2024.
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