With the introduction of iOS 18, Apple is rolling out several quality-of-life changes that aim to improve the functionality of the iPhone. Announced at the Worldwide Developers Conference (WWDC) 2024 on Monday, the next big update for Apple’s mobile operating system brings two new notable features – a new pop-out bezel animation that appears when the physical buttons are pressed, and new improvements in Apple Music. Both of these have been introduced with the iOS 18 Developer Beta 1.
New features on iOS 18
The first feature is aimed at improving the visual element of iOS 18. When a user adjusts the volume or uses the power button on the iPhone, a part of the bezel adjacent to the buttons appear to protrude onto the display. It also appears when using the Action button, but this is limited to the iPhone 15 Pro and iPhone 15 Pro Max.
Apple Music has also received a new option that lets users add tracks to their queue more conveniently. A new ‘Add Songs to Queue’ option now appears at the bottom of the queue, replacing the Play Last option.
Furthermore, the iPhone maker has finally added functionality through which users can change the tracks without discarding the entire queue. Another notable change lets users clear the entire queue at once.
All of the aforementioned features have been deployed with the iOS 18 Developer Beta 1 update and users with iPhone XR and newer models can access them by installing the update. Gadgets 360 staff members were able to verify their availability.
To access these features as well as others, users will need to sign up for the Apple Developer program. While it previously required a per-year fee of $99 (roughly Rs. 8,000), Apple made it free-for-all in June 2023.
However, it should be noted that developer beta updates are meant for testing purposes. While they grant users access to new features, the updates are often unstable and carry bugs and glitches, some of which may affect the overall functionality of the iPhone, including poor battery life, handset becoming unresponsive, and unusual behaviour of apps. Therefore, caution is advised while installing the developer beta updates.
