Apple’s iOS 18 is out for developers, and as is the case every year, there are several new features to try out. While many would argue that some of these features are inspired by Android, Apple’s version has a certain flair. This makes them far from better. So, you get cool Control Centre customisations, app icon customisations, and more that are helpful. But, there can be some that are rather inconvenient and could have been better. We have found a few of them while playing with iOS 18’s developer beta, and let’s see what they are.
Note: iOS 18 is still in the developer beta stage, so many features may face hiccups. We expect more refinements when the stable version is out in a few months.
Control Centre’s Single, Fluid Swipe-Down
The Control Centre has received a major overhaul, with a slew of new controls, the ability to resize, and more customisation. The best part is the addition of the power button, which makes it so much easier to turn off the iPhone—a process that caused too much hassle in the past.
The increase in options and customisations on the Control Centre has resulted in a three-fold design leading up to the home screen. However, this design is not as smooth in usage. The ‘fluidity’ can be a problem as it can inadvertently cause you to swipe down to the last page when you want to reach another section, which is frustrating.
Instead of the swipe-down pages, we would have loved to have the ability to swipe left to access the remaining Control Centre options so that staying on the desired controls is easier.
Game Mode Needs More Customisations
Apple’s iPhones will finally get a Game mode with iOS 18, which will work towards improving the gaming experience. This will also help reduce audio latency when AirPods are paired with the iPhone while gaming. However, the mode, in its current state, is just there doing the absolute bare minimum.
Unlike game modes on Android phones, this one doesn’t have a pool of options to mute notifications and calls and boost CPU/GPU performance, among other things. Once enabled, there’s no way to know how the Game mode on iOS contributes to gameplay. We hope that with the stable release, iOS Game mode will have an assistive game panel for the needed options for the gameplay boost.
Wi-Fi QR Code Sharing Is a Long Process
With iOS 18, you can share a Wi-Fi password via a QR code, something that has been available on Android for some time now. However, the process is rather cumbersome at the moment.
First, you need the new Passwords app to do it. Once there, you will have to select the Wi-Fi and the network to share. This will generate the QR code, which you can share with people. In contrast, Android requires you to head to the Wi-Fi settings, and it’s much easier to share the password. We hope to get an alternative soon.
The Hidden Apps Folder: Not So Hidden
This is another page taken from the Android playbook. Apple’s iOS 18 can hide apps, which is rather easy; long-press an app, enable Face ID, and hide it. But the problem here is that the hidden apps folder is not so discrete.
You will find it at the bottom of the App Library. So, if you don’t want people to know if you are hiding any apps, it could be a problem if they see the folder. The folder could have been placed in another section of the App Library, accessible via a left swipe, so getting hold of it wouldn’t be difficult. However, the ‘hidden’ folder is quite easy to spot in the current version of iOS.
No Time-Stamp For Videos in Photos
The Photos app has also been redesigned, making it easier to organise and find your videos and photos. But there’s one weird thing we noticed. We have yet to see if this is just a glitch, but currently, there’s no time stamp on videos in the Photos app. This makes it quite difficult to skip to the part you want to watch, and the video just goes. We hope this changes in the future.
As mentioned below, iOS 18 is still in developer mode and will see many improvements with time. The public beta is expected to roll out this month, and we hope it will bring more improvements. We shall see how iOS 18 turns out to be in its final release and whether Apple resolves some of these issues. Meanwhile, do check out our iOS 18 hidden features articles to know more about the latest iOS iteration.
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