iOS 12 wish list: What we're hoping Apple will announce at WWDC 2018
Apple’s 2018 Worldwide Developers Conference (WWDC) is fast approaching, and, as usual, software will be the star of the show. iOS, macOS, watchOS, and tVOS will all get some upgrades and new features.
Among those platforms, iOS 12 is the biggest, and the new features will have the most impact. Last year iOS 11 finally brought some much-needed improvements to the iPad for power users, like real multitasking and the Files app. Also, the iPhone's Control Center got a customizable design, and Apple went after Venmo.
For iOS 12, Apple is rumored to be focusing more on stability, with feature releases staggered throughout the year. Still, there are plenty of feature upgrades we'd like to see.
1. Customized notifications
Notifications on iOS have fallen a bit behind the times, especially when you consider it's basically still just a list. It leads to a cluttered look when you swipe down to call up the Notification Center, but I believe Apple can fix this, and iOS 12 will hopefully give us the customization the feature needs.
Imagine being able to group notifications by application, or the iPhone's AI serving up notifications that are most important to you first. Apple could even take a page out of Slack's book and allow users to set keywords for notifications. For instance if your name is mentioned in an app, it would take priority. At the very least, a fresh and more intuitive look for notifications would be a welcome feature in iOS 12.
2. System-wide Dark Mode
Dark Mode on iOS would be a simple way to make a plethora of users happy, myself included. With iOS 11, some users found that they could get a similar effect with Smart Invert, but it just isn't the same as a real Dark Mode.
A Dark Mode would likely help with battery life (especially on the iPhone X since the pixels can be completely "off" in black areas) and offer a sleeker experience in many apps. It would mean a lot of apps getting manually redesigned for the new mode, but it would be worth it.
3. Group calls for FaceTime
It’s been a while since FaceTime has gotten a substantial update, and it's been rumored to be arriving for a while. This year’s iOS update could finally bring Group Calls, a feature many have wanted for a long while. Considering other apps like Instagram and HouseParty have been able to deliver, it's time for Apple to step up.
Another wish for FaceTime would be AR integration. For those who remember the old-school Photo Booth effects on the Mac, think of these getting a 2018 update that could work dynamically.
4. Cleaning up multitasking on iPad Pro
Last year, Apple introduced real multitasking with a dock on the iPad, along with a few gestures. Files was also born, which is the first true file-management system for iOS. Since then, power users are craving for more.
It would be great if the iPad integrated some of the gestures from the iPhone X, such as the carousel swipe for apps. Integration with Workflow, an automation app that Apple has acquired, would be nice to see and open up new possibilities for completing tasks on the tablets. It would propel some new life into Files, too, and if the API is updated, developers would be able to really expand what there apps can do with the file system. Chances are iOS and macOS won't "merge" in the traditional sense, so improving and stepping up pro features is always a want.
5. A smarter Siri
When it comes to smart assistants, Siri is clearly behind Amazon’s Alexa and the Google Assistant. Improvements are rumored and are needed, but a key one would be expanding Hey Siri to recognize different voices. This would be a big win for the HomePod, as well as furthering multi-user support on iOS.
Siri currently does an okay job, but improved voice recognition and understanding as a whole is needed. Proper transcription and translation would also be great upgrades.
6. OCR in Notes
Notes got a big update in iOS 11, with upgrades that let users share notes, create lists, use the Apple Pencil or your finger natively, and scan in documents as PDFs. The ideal next move would be OCR (optical character recognition). This is a feature that separates smart notes apps from the not-so-smart ones.
Having this built into iOS would eliminate the need to download a separate app for the feature, streamlining some workflows. From a student standpoint, being able to scan in a handout and have it be searchable would be a big win.
7. Split-screen on the iPhone
Last year we got real multitasking on the iPad with split-screen, but we're still waiting for it on the iPhone.
Many Android phones have offered the feature for some time, and while it doesn’t make sense for every app, it does work well for some. Imagine you have photos on the top and email on the bottom, letting you easily drag and drop your favorite images from into new emails.
Bonus: Native 'Animoji Karaoke'
Animoji was a standout feature of the iPhone X and is still exclusive (more or less) to the device. Rather than just sending fun messages with them (nothing like impersonating a poop emoji to get a point across), users began creating “Animoji Karaoke” videos and sharing them on social. The tech giant even joined the party with a Grammys ad featuring the art.
It might be a long shot, but Apple building in an easy way to create "Animoji Karaoke" in iOS 12 would be an epic feature.
