We’ve rounded up all the new features, changes and improvements that are available on the iPhone with the fourth beta of iOS 18.
Apple on July 23 issued a fourth beta versions of iOS 18 to its developers and anyone signed up with the Apple Beta Software Program.
iOS 18 is arriving this fall, so there will be several more betas to go before iOS 18 is released to the public. We’ve rounded up all the changes, improvements and new features in iOS 18 beta 4 right ahead, so grab your iPhone and follow along with us.
What’s new in iOS 18 beta 4?
Apple doesn’t provide release notes for iOS 18 beta updates, but we’ve combed through the blogs and social media to bring you this list. For what it’s worth, the fourth beta has been pretty solid except for poor battery life.
Don’t be concerned! Apple typically adds energy management code to an iOS beta right before it reaches the Release Candidate status, which is virtually the same version as the final build that will be released for public consumption.
The Hidden Apps folder is less conspicuous
iOS 18 lets you hide any app from the Home Screen, which moves it into a Hidden folder at the bottom of your App Library on the rightmost page. In prior betas, the icon showed an eye with a line running through it, but now it just shows generic app squares, so that it’s not immediately obvious there are apps inside.
Automatic Dark and Light icon switching actually works
Home Screen icons in iOS 18 can take on a dark look (and you can even tint them in any color), but the Automatic setting on the Home Screen didn’t work properly. In iOS 18 beta 4, selecting the Automatic option will now show normal icons in Light Mode and darker versions when Dark Mode activates. With this change, it’s also now possible to use Dark Mode widgets in Light Mode.
iCloud gets a root-level menu in Settings
For ages, you had to click your Apple ID picture at the top of Settings to access the iCloud menu. Thankfully, iOS 18 beta 4 gives these settings a new root-level menu nested between the Game Center and Wallet & Apple Pay options. Also, enter the iCloud settings and the iCloud Subscriber Edition icon will animate.
Camera Controls Menu
There’s a new Controls Menu option in Settings > Camera > Preserve Settings, turned off by default. Toggling it will prompt your iPhone to “preserve the previously used camera tool when expanding the controls menu, rather than showing the list of camera tools,” according to the feature’s description.
New CarPlay wallpapers
CarPlay, Apple’s feature that mirrors your iPhone on vehicle infotainment screens, has received four different wallpapers. Each comes in two versions, one for the regular Light Mode and another with dimer colors for Dark Mode. The design of these wallpapers complements the new iPhone wallpapers in iOS 18.
Here are all 8 new CarPlay wallpapers in iOS 18 beta 4
Lightmode (1/2) pic.twitter.com/KQGvubg9ym
— Aaron (@aaronp613) July 23, 2024
iPhone Mirroring in a resizable window
iPhone Mirroring allows you to interact with your iPhone via a window on your Mac running macOS Sequoia or later. In the fourth beta, you can resize the iPhone Mirroring window, but not freely. Instead, click the View menu and choose between the Larger, Smaller and Actual Size options.
The larger option is displayed in the screenshot below. The default setting is Actual Size, which matches the size of your iPhone’s display. Before this change, you could only run iPhone Mirroring at one fixed window size.
Control Center changes
iOS 18’s customizable Control Center has gained a new Bluetooth control in beta 4, but it currently does nothing. At the same time, the Open Music control is no longer available. Other changes in the Control Center include the addition of a Silent Mode/Mute toggle and a new Accessibility Eye Mirroring option.
Miscellaneous
- Stocks app icon: The look of the Stocks app’s icon has been tweaked.
- AssistiveTouch: The AssistiveTouch feature for accessing various system features lets you add the new Type to Siri and Apple Watch Mirroring features to its overlay menu.
- Apple Intelligence: iOS 18 beta 4 includes more references to the Apple Intelligence features coming this fall. Apple Intelligence remains inactive in the fourth beta.
- Flashlight: iOS 18 includes redesigned flashlight controls in the Dynamic Island. The fourth beta brings the new experience to the standard iPhone 15 and iPhone 15 Plus models instead of only the iPhone 14 Pros and iPhone 15 Pros.
- Books app: Your reads in the Continue section are now set against a solid black background.
- RCS: The upcoming Rich Communication Services (RCS) support in the Messages app for easier texting between iPhone and Android handsets now works with additional carriers, including Canada’s Fido, Orange and T-Mobile in the United Kingdom, Yoigo in Spain and others.
iOS 18 is launching in the fall
Apple’s software platforms will receive new features with fall releases of iOS 18, iPadOS 18, macOS Sequoia, tvOS 18, watchOS 11 and visionOS 2. These will be augmented by appropriate firmware updates for the HomePod and AirPods to support the upcoming audio features.