Some of my favourite new features in iOS 12
/Back in June, my colleague Michelle penned in our Blog “10 Things to look forward to in Apple’s iOS 12” and since the release just over a week ago I’ve picked out some of my favourite new features - many are the same 🤓
Reece’s selection of new features available with iOS 12
Faster and more responsive
Group FaceTime (coming soon - not available yet)
Make FaceTime calls with up to 32 participants simultaneously.
Screen Time
New tools empower you to understand and make choices about how much time you spend using apps and websites.
Activity reports
Get reports weekly or check Today view at any time to see app usage, notifications and device pick-ups.
For kids:
Use your family’s Apple IDs to set up Screen Time for your kids to keep an eye on how much time they spend on apps and websites. They can request more time for you to approve.
App limits
Set the amount of time you and your kids can spend each day on specific apps and websites.
Downtime
Set a specific time, like bedtime, when apps and notifications are blocked. You can choose which apps are on and off limits.
Always allowed
Create exceptions for apps you’d like your kids to have access to even during Downtime, such as Messages or education apps.
Grouped notifications
Message threads and notification topics are grouped together, so it’s easier to see what’s important with just a glance at your iPhone or iPad.
Do Not Disturb During Bedtime
Dim your display and silence overnight notifications until you unlock your iPhone in the morning.
New Do Not Disturb options
Set Do Not Disturb to end automatically in an hour, at the end of the day, when you leave a certain location, or at the end of a meeting on your calendar.
Measure app
Draw straight lines to measure objects and surfaces both vertically and horizontally using your iPhone or iPad camera, and automatically detect dimensions of rectangular objects.
Photos:
Intelligent search suggestions
Smart suggestions help you find photos even before you finish typing by suggesting events, people, places and related dates.
Places search
Search for photos based on the places or businesses where you were when you took them, whether it’s a general category, like ‘Japanese restaurant’, or a specific place, like ‘Jacques Torres Chocolate’.
Event search
Search for photos from events you’ve attended, like the Aspen Ideas Festival.
Add to Siri
Add shortcuts to Siri to run them with your voice on your iPhone, iPad, Apple Watch or HomePod.
New Shortcuts app
Create or customise your own shortcuts to run multiple steps at once. Get started with examples from the gallery and personalise them with steps from across your apps.
Passwords
Siri can help you search for any password.
Find My iPhone
Ask Siri to help find your misplaced iPhone, iPad or AirPods.
Torch
Ask Siri to turn the torch on and off.
Privacy and Security:
Enhanced tracking prevention
Improvements prevent Share buttons and comment widgets on web pages from tracking you in Safari without your permission. Safari also prevents advertisers from collecting your device’s unique settings, so they can’t retarget ads to you across the web.
Automatic strong passwords
Automatically create, autofill and store strong passwords in Safari and iOS apps. Passwords are stored in iCloud Keychain and are available on all your Apple devices. And if you ever need to access your passwords, just ask Siri.
Password reuse auditing
Any password that is reused will be flagged in the passwords list, so you can quickly navigate to the app or website and replace it with an automatically generated strong password.
Security code AutoFill
SMS one-time passcodes will appear automatically as AutoFill suggestions, so you never have to worry about quickly memorising them or typing them again.
Password sharing
Easily share passwords with nearby iOS devices, or from an iOS device to a Mac or Apple TV.
Password Manager API
Access passwords stored in third-party password managers directly from the QuickType bar in apps and in Safari (requires third-party adoption).
CarPlay navigation
CarPlay now supports third-party navigation apps, giving drivers even more choices for a familiar experience on the dashboard while they drive.
Keyboard
Turn the QuickType keyboard into a trackpad on devices without 3D Touch by touching and holding the space bar.
