Every year a new major version of iOS is released, adding tons of new features and improvements, that enhances the way we use our devices. Last week at WWDC keynote event Apple revealed the twelfth major version of iOS. iOS 12 doesn’t include many big features or major changes, it isn’t a major home screen redesign that you were expecting, but your device will feel a lot faster and more responsive.

Performance Improvements.

In iOS 12, Apple has primarily focused on performance improvements that make iOS run faster and better even on older devices. You will recognize that your device runs better than ever. Apple claims that Camera opens up to 70 percent faster from the Lock screen, there are smoother animations system-wide, apps launch up to twice as fast, keyboard loads up to 50 percent faster, more response typing and Share sheet appears twice as fast, especially if you have a lot of sharing extensions installed. Since, iOS 12 is available on all the same devices as iOS 11, these enhancements improve performance going all the way back to iPhone 5s and iPad Air.

Apart from all the performance improvements, iOS 12 offers an array of new features, big and small, that will enhance the capabilities of our already capable Apple devices. There are new automation capabilities integrated deeply with Siri, ARkit 2, tools for monitoring how we use our devices, new features for Messages, FaceTime, Photos, and more.

Here’s a look at all the new features, major and minor, that are coming with iOS 12:

Siri and shortcuts.



Last year when Apple acquired Workflow I was really excited about, what Apple’s interest in automation is going to produce, now we know the result, Siri Shortcuts.

Siri Shortcuts are a powerful new feature that allow an app to expose its functionality to Siri. This enables Siri to suggest a shortcut at relevant times based on various context. Shortcuts can also be added to Siri to run with a voice phrase on iOS, HomePod and watchOS. Apps using the new Shortcuts API will be able to expose quick actions to Siri that are attached to a phrase set by the user. For example, you’ll be able to set up a quick action inside your favorite coffee ordering app to activate voice ordering of your regular coffee. This quick action can be triggered easily by using a custom phrase that you set up, such as, “Coffee Time.” You don’t need to specify the app you want to use, Just tell Siri the exact words of your pre-set phrase, and it will execute the action for you.

Shortcuts can be as simple as a single action, complex multi-step workflows can also be created inside Apple’s new Shortcuts app. The UI of Shortcuts app is quite similar to workflow app. Shortcuts you create can be seen in the app’s Library tab, and you can discover and save Shortcuts built by Apple’s team from the Gallery tab.

Siri will also make more intelligent recommendations for actions you need to take, as Siri learns your routines, you’ll get suggested shortcuts for just what you need, at just the right time, on the Lock screen or in search. If you have a habit of opening a certain app and taking a particular action at regular times, Siri will begin showing notifications on the Lock screen that serve as shortcuts to initiate those actions.

Siri Shortcuts is Siri’s most exciting new feature in iOS 12. There are some other improvements in Siri in iOS 12. Food knowledge lets you ask about the number of calories in a food item, Siri gains new motorsport knowledge which helps you get information about standings, schedules etc, Siri gains more languages for translating phrases, with celebrity facts you can get information related to your favourite celebrity and Siri can also now help you find a password stored in Keychain.

Notifications.

Notifications are now grouped, Yes you heard that right! All Notifications are now automatically grouped by app. Grouped notifications UI resembles a stack of cards, and you can tap on a stack to view each individual notifications. This makes your lock screen less clumsy and with a single tap, all notifications from a certain app can be dismissed at once. You can also disable grouping in the settings on per-app basis.

Another new notable feature with notifications is called Instant Tuning. This allows you to change notification settings for an app without needing to open the Settings app. You can access Instant Tuning by swiping left on a notification and hitting the ‘Manage’ button. Here you’ll see options to turn off that app’s notifications, open Settings, or have notifications delivered quietly, meaning that they don’t show the banners and do not show up on the lock screen, instead they go straight to Notification Center. Finally, a new type of notification is there in iOS 12 for critical information. Apple mentions that this feature is for getting important reports from your healthcare provider.

Screen Time.

Screen Time is a new set of tools that help users to keep track of the way they use their devices and improve their habits of using the devices. Screen Time section can be accessed in the settings app in iOS 12.

Screen Time shows you an overview of how much you’ve used your device that day – in which the total use time is displayed above a breakdown of how the time was distributed among various apps and app types. Tapping this data will take you to the screen that shows detailed breakdown of both the current day and the last seven days, with statistics on how many times you’ve picked up your device that day, how many notifications you’ve received etc.

There are two new tools to manage how you use your device. You can schedule downtime, during which time only apps that you’ve approved can be used. Time limits can also be set for apps, iOS will notify you when that time limit is coming close and when the time’s up it gives you a notice that fills up the whole screen. These Screen Time features are synced across devices using iCloud, so you don’t have to set them up separately on both iPhone and iPad. These tools are really great to help you improve you habits.

If you are a parent and you use iCloud Family Sharing, you’ll be able to see exactly how your child is using their device, and you’ll also be able to approve requests for additional screen time your child requests.

Do Not Disturb.

There are improvements in Do Not Disturb in iOS 12. In settings there is a new toggle for bedtime mode. When this mode is activated, notifications that come in while you’re asleep won’t appear on the Lock screen. When Bedtime Mode is toggled on, in the morning the first thing your iPhone will show is a ‘Good Morning’ screen with a little info about the weather. You can then choose to hit a button and view all your night’s notifications.

Other improvements to Do Not Disturb is found in its new Control Center actions. In iOS 12, if you 3D Touch or long-press on the Do Not Disturb in Control Center, you’ll see a few new options from which you can choose to activate DND:

For 1 hour

Until this evening

Until I leave this location

Until the end of this event

The last option will only appear if you’re in the middle of a scheduled calendar event. These improvements are really welcomed as they make Do Not Disturb more powerful in iOS 12.

ARKit 2.

ARKit 2 brings significant improvements to the ARKit, adding improved face tracking, 3D object detection and more realistic rendering. Apple is also bringing the ability of persistence AR experience meaning that objects you interact with in AR remain in-place across multiple sessions of using the app, rather than disappearing and needing to be rebuilt again.

Apple has also introduced a new file format, USDZ, which was created in collaboration with Pixar and is optimized for augmented reality. USDZ file will be identified in Apple’s apps with a special symbol. This means that AR objects can now be sent with Messages and Mail, then viewed in the real world. Adobe also promised to offer native support for USDZ in its Creative Cloud suite of apps, so images, video, and text created in those apps could be brought into a native AR environment.

Apple is also bringing shared experiences with ARKit 2. With this new feature, multiple people using multiple devices can interact together in the same AR world – perfect for multiplayer games. Apple is bringing a new AR app in iOS called Measure that helps you measure real-world objects just by pointing your camera at them, you can measure flat rectangular surfaces and draw lines across flat surfaces to measure distances with your iPhone or iPad camera.

Apple is also brining Face tracking which can detect where you’re looking and can also detect whether you’re sticking out your tongue or winking, which can be really great for Apple’s rumoured AR glasses.

Messages.

Apple has added a new type of Animoji, its called Memoji. Memoji is a new Animoji type that can be customized to look just like you. It offers an array of options for modifying skin, hairstyle, eyes, brows, head shape, nose & lips, ears, facial hair, eyewear, and headwear. It’s quite exciting to see the depth of customization here. You can also make as many new characters as you’d like and Animoji or Memoji messages can now be recorded up to 30 seconds, previously the limit was of 10 seconds.

With the new Facial tracking features in iOS 12 Animoji now includes tongue detection, meaning that iOS now recognizes when you stick out your tongue or wink. There are also new Animoji characters: Ghost, Koala, Tiger, and T-Rex.

The App Strip has been redesigned to have a new look that takes up less space when you type. So you can see more of your content and always get to your favorite iMessage apps. Photos is now an iMessage app in iOS 12, it can give suggestions based on who you’re messaging with, what you’re talking about, and where you’ve taken photos together. Camera in Messages has a new effects menu, that can be accessed by tapping the star icon in the lower-left corner of the screen. Here you’ll find the option to overlay an Animoji on top of your face in real-time, add stickers from an iMessage sticker pack, add shapes, add text, a filter, or one of several other markup tools. All these options make are really welcomed in the messages app.

FaceTime.

FaceTime has not received much of an attention from Apple over the years. But FaceTime in iOS 12 received a bunch of features.

iOS 12 introduces group FaceTime, you can make FaceTime calls with up to 32 participants simultaneously. In the call UI, each member of a call has a square video tile that dynamically resized based on their participation in the conversation. Recently active participants will be visible front and center in either a large or small tile, depending on when they last spoke. If someone begins speaking, their tile resizes allowing you to focus on the right person at the right time. You can also double tap a person you’d like to see. You can answer audio calls from HomePod and Apple watch as well.

FaceTime in iOS 12 also includes all of the new special Camera effects found in Messages, you can overlay stickers, Animoji, filters, shapes and more on to your video. You can now start a FaceTime call directly from the Messages app.

Photos.

Tabs in the Photos app have been revised, memories and shared tabs are now replaced by a new ‘For You’ and a new search tab has been added as well.

For you is a single destination for your Memories, Shared Album activity, and the best moments in your library. New Featured Photos and Effect Suggestions intelligently show you your best photos and propose effects to make them even better. Albums tab has also been redesigned to find existing and shared albums more quickly and efficiently.

Photos app also makes smart Sharing Suggestions in iOS 12, Photos will identify people in your photos who are in your contacts, and suggest you to send them any images from an event you were at together, another great thing about sharing Suggestions is that, if you receive photos from someone else, your device will look for photos in your library from the same event and suggest sharing photos back.

Search in Photos has received a big upgrade as well, the new Search tab will show suggestions for different events, places, categories, people and groups of people, and typed searches can now consist of multiple search terms. You can also search for photos from the events you’ve attended.

Apple has also improved support for camera import and RAW photos. It is now easier to import photos from your camera. RAW photo support has also been added, you can now import and manage RAW photos on your iPhone or iPad. You can read more about them here.

Safari.

Some privacy-related features are added to safari in iOS 12, that prevent Share buttons and comment widgets on web pages from tracking you without your permission in Safari. Safari now also prevents advertisers from collecting your device’s unique settings, so they can’t retarget ads to you across the web.

Safari now also supports Favicons in tabs, which can be enabled in the settings, and is a great way to quickly identify which tab is which.

Strong passwords can now be created and automatically autofilled in Safari and iOS apps. Passwords are stored in iCloud Keychain and are available on all your Apple devices.

Camera.

There are no huge changes in the camera app, but there are some improvements that need to be mentioned:

Portrait mode has been improved in iOS 12, Camera now generates a mask when it detects a person and intelligently and elegantly separates the person from the scene.

A new API for third-party developers is now available that allows for the separation of layers in a photo, such as separating the background from the foreground.

QR code reader has also been improved in iOS 12, Camera now highlights QR codes in the frame, making them easier to scan.

Health.

There are no huge changes in the Health app as well, but Apple has opened a new Health Records API to developers. This new API enables third-party health apps to add data types to Health Records like medication tracking, disease management, nutrition planning and medical research.

Health Records data is encrypted on iPhone and protected with the your iPhone passcode. When you choose to share you health record data with trusted apps, the data flows directly from HealthKit to the third-party app and is not sent to Apple’s servers.

App Updates

Apple has updated some of the system apps as well:

Apple Books.

iBooks is now Apple Books and is getting a major redesign in iOS 12, to make it easier for you to discover, read, and listen to your favorite books. You can access your current book or start a new one in the Reading Now tab, this tab also has a section called want to read and also recommends you to new books to check out.

You can visit the new bookstore to browse and buy, and organize your library with more flexible collections. Everything has been beautifully redesigned in Apple Books, with beautiful graphics and shadows.

Stocks.

The Stocks app has been redesigned to keeps you more informed about the market. You can view prices at a glance in the customizable watch list, Tap any ticker to see key details and an interactive chart. Stocks app has been integrated with Apple News, to give you business-related articles inside the app. For the first time, Stocks is available on iPad as well.

Voice Memos.

Voice Memos has been redesigned and is now available on iPad. iCloud syncing has also been added, so that all your recordings are synced across iPhone and iPad and mac.

News.

Apple News’ navigation has been redesigned in iOS 12. It now only has three tabs: For You is now replaced by Today, Spotlight remains the same, and saved searches, following are now put into one tab called browse.

Navigation in the iPad has been improved as well, where the tabs are now replaced by a new left sidebar. This sidebar contains a full list of channels you follow, Spotlight, search and more. This makes navigating the app really easy on iPad, and is a great use of space of iPad’s screen size.

And more…

Security Code AutoFill.

Whenever you receive a two-factor authentication code via SMS, iOS 12 will identify the code and it will appear automatically as AutoFill suggestions, so you never have to worry about quickly memorizing them or typing them again. Now, you no longer have to go back to the messages app and copy the code and paste it.

iPad gesture changes.

iOS 12 for iPad now includes updated gestures that make it easier for you to navigate. You can now go to the Home screen by swiping anywhere on the Dock. Get to Control Center more conveniently with a swipe from the top-right corner. iPads running iOS 12 now have the exact same gestures as the iPhone X.

CarPlay navigation.

CarPlay now supports third-party navigation apps like Google maps and Waze, giving you even more choices for a familiar experience on the dash while they drive.

Contactless Student ID Cards.

In wallet, now there is support for Contactless Student ID cards, and you can now use your iPhone or Apple Watch anywhere student ID cards are used on and off campus. Simply hold your device near the reader to access places like your dorm, the library, and campus events. Or pay for laundry, snacks, and dinners around campus.

Password Manager API.

Apple is opening Password Manager API to developers that will allow users to access passwords stored in third-party password managers directly from the QuickType bar in apps and in Safari (requires third-party adoption).

Password Sharing.

iOS 12 allows you to easily share and receive passwords from nearby iOS devices, from an iOS device to a Mac, and from an iOS device to Apple TV. This is really convenient if you want to share you accounts password to your Mac.

More battery information.

iOS 12 now shows more battery information in the battery section of the settings. The battery usage chart in Settings now shows your usage for the last 24 hours or 10 days. You can also tap a bar to see your app use for that period of time.

Face ID Alternative Appearance.

In iOS 12 there’s now an option in Settings to set up an ‘alternate appearance’ for Face ID. With this feature it’s possible that it could be used to add a second person’s face to the recognition system.

New dictionaries.

Apple has added three new language dictionaries in iOS 12 that includes: an Arabic and English bilingual dictionary, a Hindi and English bilingual dictionary, and a Hebrew dictionary.

English Thesaurus.

American English thesaurus has been added in iOS 12, which, once installed, will enable users to view a word’s synonyms from directly inside the Look Up screen

iOS 12 may not be the biggest software update, but a lot of improvements have been added by Apple to make the devices faster and more responsive. Changes to notifications and Do Not Disturb are really welcomed. Siri Shortcuts is a really great improvement to siri, adding more workflow like abilities to improve upon the limitations of siri. Apple is really focusing on providing a really immersive experience with ARKit 2. It is really great to see Apple working hard to make devices more stable and responsive and fast.