After months of anticipation, Apple is finally rolling out its new iOS update, and iPhone users couldn’t be more excited. Available Monday, Sept. 17, iOS 12 will have dozens of fun features and upgrades that will enhance the iPhone’s performance, from speed to responsiveness and general enjoyment.
So, what can iPhone users expect from the new iOS 12? To start, faster typing speeds and quicker app launches that will make using your device far less stressful. But Apple will also roll out a bunch of new tools with the update that will streamline your experience and in the end, make it a lot more enjoyable. Check out a few of the most interesting new features.
One of iPhone’s more frustrating features is receiving a pop-up for every single new message, email, calendar reminder, Facebook update — you name it. But thanks to the new iPhone update, individual notifications will now become a thing of the past.
Soon you’ll be able to group notifications from the same app so they appear as stacks on your lock screen, rather than an individual pop-up for each new alert. The revamped notification system also allows you to control the number of notifications you receive and from which apps.
Say It With A Memoji
Sometimes words are not enough to express how you truly feel. Instead, why not say it with a Memoji? Think of an Animoji — but of yourself. With the new iPhone update, you will be able to create an avatar that suits your mood and personality and that you can use in Messages and FaceTime. Want to show your friend just how funny you found their joke? There’s a Memoji for that!
Monitor Your Family’s Digital Habits With Screen Time
We live in a technology-driven world, which means most people waste countless hours in the digital space. It’s so easy to lose track of how much time you or your family spend browsing websites, watching videos or scrolling through social media.
Apple’s new Screen Time feature will log how many minutes or hours you spend on your phone — whether it’s using apps or sending messages — on a daily and weekly basis. This way, you can have a better understanding of your digital habits and change them as you deem necessary.
Measure Your Space With Augmented Reality
Are you redesigning your living room and need to know the dimensions of your current furniture? If you’re an iPhone user, there’s no reason to break out the tape measure. Thanks to the new Measure app, you’ll be able to use augmented reality — an immersive, interactive experience that blurs the line between reality and the virtual world — to measure real-world objects using your camera.
Do you go running at 5 p.m. every day? Pick up coffee during your lunch break at 2 p.m.? Or walk 15 minutes to your first class every Tuesday and Wednesday morning? Whatever your routine, the new updated Siri Suggestions will learn your routine and suggest appropriate — and timely — shortcuts when you need them. What’s more, the iPhone update will let you use your voice to run shortcuts or create your own with the Shortcuts app.
Host Your Own Virtual Conference With Group FaceTime
No, seriously. Later this year, Apple will roll out Group FaceTime, which will allow you to make FaceTime calls with up to 32 people at the same time. That’s right: You could use FaceTime to host a small conference or, better yet, family reunion and you don’t even need to leave your home. This particular feature, though, won’t be available until later this fall through a software update.
The new iPhone update is pretty neat and comes with a slew of cool new features that will make any Apple user giddy. What do you think will be your favorite new feature?
Annamarya Scaccia is an award-winning freelance journalist who reports on public health, lifestyle, parenting and politics. Like any native New Yorker, Annamarya drinks too much coffee and has strong opinions about the Yankees.
