iOS 18 to Feature New Home Screen Customisation Options: Report

iOS 18, Apple’s next operating software, is expected to be announced at the annual Worldwide Developer Conference (WWDC) 2024 in June. The next iOS version is believed to bring a slew of on-device and cloud AI features. Now, Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman has revealed that iOS 18 will offer iPhone users control over their home screen icons and layout. It is expected to provide flexibility in managing Home Screen app icons. Apple could release the iOS 18 update for the general public in September this year.

Mark Gurman, in the latest edition of his weekly newsletter Power On, states that iOS 18 will make the handset’s home screen “more customisable.” The Bloomberg reporter however did not provide any specific details about the update.

Additionally, a report by MacRumors quoting inside sources claims that iOS 18 will give users more control over the overall appearance of the iPhone home screen. The iOS 18 update would reportedly allow users to arrange icons more freely. Through this update, Apple could let users create blank spaces, rows, and columns between app icons. Android already offers this option.

Apple is expected to preview iOS 18 at WWDC 2024. It could be available for the public later in September alongside the purported iPhone 16 series. The iOS 18 is rumoured to be compatible with all the same devices as iOS 17. Older devices like iPhone XR, iPhone XS, and iPhone XS Max models are said to offer support for the latest operating system.

The iOS 18 update is said to come with advanced artificial intelligence (AI) capabilities. It could include Rich Communication Services (RCS) standard for messaging and borrow several UI components from visionOS. Apple is said to be in talks with companies including Google and OpenAI for generative AI in iOS 18.