How to Use iOS 18 Update to Give Your App an Edge

iOS 18’s New Features & Their Implications

This article isn’t going to dissect and fawn over Apple’s new stuff. We’re going to talk about how you can benefit from it and what you should add to your own apps. That’s why we’ve picked only those features that will have the biggest impact on your product.

Customizable App Icons

Getting to set up your own space evokes a special sense of ownership and belonging. With iOS 18’s customization options, people can now spend even more time immersed in their phones by playing around with their app icons. 

Apple now offers three styles for its icons:

• Light.
• Dark.
• Tinted.

For users, it’s a great way of personalizing their devices and advancing accessibility. For you, there’s a different task. You’ll have to ensure that your product’s icons look flawless in all three versions and are visible for each mode. 

It may seem like a small thing. But don’t miss out on this. Your app might just get deleted for ruining a customer’s aesthetics. Overall, it’s better to adjust your icons to iOS 18’s introduced options to make them more authentic and fresh. It’s great for engagement, too. Remember that UI-based impressions are the first thing people notice. And a well-designed, modern interface is also a priority for many users. 

Upgraded Security & Access Keys

Alongside the ability to lock an app to stop people from snooping around your photos, for instance, iOS 18 now lets you be careless with your passwords. Apple introduced a better alternative – passkey. 

• When you create a new account or sign in to an existing one, your iOS device is paired with that account. 
• A unique cryptographic key is generated on your device and stored securely in your iCloud Keychain.
• To sign in on a different device, you simply tap the “Sign In with Apple” button. Your device will automatically use the paired passkey to authenticate you.

This feature is supported with Face or Touch ID. So, even if someone takes hold of your device, they won’t be able to access it without your biometrics. Overall, it’s the winning substitute. And you should definitely integrate this system with your app to promote user trust. 

Artificial Intelligence Joins In

iOS 18 will also roll out Apple Intelligence. And this AI will overhaul how people use their devices’ features.

• AI tools help write, proofread, and summarize text more effectively. 
• Siri has been improved to better understand requests and follow up on conversations.   
• Notifications are now categorized as important, time-sensitive, or less important.
• Apple Intelligence uses customer usage data to provide personalized recommendations for apps, music, and other content.   
• Search results are now more relevant and personalized based on a person’s usage history.

These are just a few of the many features powered by Apple Intelligence in iOS 18. But even these alone are huge in terms of increased value and user-friendliness. And if your app doesn’t support them, you’d be robbing customers of extra perks, undermining your business. 

Machine Learning for Users & Developers

Apple’s Core ML within iOS 18 lets you integrate machine learning models into your applications. And you can do so without hefty budgets or implementation intricacies. 

• It allows developers to run ML models directly on iOS devices.
• They can convert trained models from popular frameworks like TensorFlow, PyTorch, and scikit-learn into a format compatible with Core ML.   
• Core ML models can be easily integrated into iOS applications using the Core ML framework.   
• It also provides tools and techniques for optimizing model performance on iOS devices.   
• Developers can create custom operators to extend the capabilities of Core ML.   

With this iOS 18 feature, you can delight your users with refined UX and stay ahead of the competition. 

Recommendations from QA Madness Experts

Our team has already gotten to know the iOS 18 update. And they’ve highlighted a few things you should pay attention to. 

1. A brand new Controls API will allow you to create custom controls for our apps. Moreover, they can reside directly in the Control Center or even on the Lock Screen. It’s a powerful way for users to quickly access specific features without opening the app first. 
2. If you are working with AR, then you’ll benefit from the update to RealityKit 4. It unifies features across iPhone, iPad, and Mac, allowing for smoother cross-device AR app development. New features like character animation enhancements and support for MaterialX shaders open up creative possibilities for AR products.
3. With users having more freedom to personalize their Home and Lock Screens, you’ll need to ensure your apps can also adapt to various layouts and color schemes. App icon appearance APIs will be crucial for maintaining a consistent look and feel within the user’s customized environment.
4. As they say, safety first. But for our case, it’s privacy first. You should stay updated on any privacy permission changes, like the new app-level contact permissions. Also, updates to Bluetooth security protocols might call for adjustments in apps that rely on Bluetooth connections.

iOS 18 is definitely a hot topic. It got the internet buzzing with excitement. And all the new features will be a great boost for your app, too. But before you rush to implement them, be sure you have a team proficient in iOS app testing. Apple products are known for their attention to detail and impeccable quality. And people expect just that when downloading an app on their “fruity” gadgets. 

To Sum Up

While everyone is eagerly waiting for iOS 18’s official launch, you’ve got to use this pause to adapt and advance your project. Use this time to assemble a team that makes your product the definition of quality. And maybe soon, people will stop talking about good old Apple and start passionately staring at your app.