The day after WWDC 2024, I semi-jokingly said to my girlfriend that I think Apple does a really good job at making uninteresting things sound interesting. While I love my iPhone, iPad, Apple Watch, and Mac, I am certainly not a fanboy who thinks every single new release is the best thing ever.
And it’s nice to know that there are other people just like me. I was curious about what others thought of iOS 18, and I also wanted to look at things more objectively. It’s pointless going onto an Android forum, for example, as many of them just bash anything Apple-related.
Unsurprisingly, most rational people had a – well – rational view of the new features coming to iPhones this fall. I’ve gathered some posts and comments from Reddit and X to show what users think of the different iOS 18 features. These are just small samples, of course, and not everyone will agree with them.
What People Don’t Like About iOS 18
1. Some People Aren’t Happy With the Photos App Redesign
One of Apple’s biggest iOS 18 announcements related to what the company called its biggest-ever Photos app redesign. From mid-September, you’ll see everything in one place rather than across different tabs.
Unsurprisingly, this change hasn’t gone down well with everyone. One user on Reddit was particularly unimpressed, saying: “I’m imploring Apple to bring back the old Photos app UI. You tried something new which I applaud. But it sucks, and I don’t want it.”
Numerous other users were also unimpressed, with one asking what was wrong with tabs (I agree with them, by the way). Another person suggested that Apple has run out of ideas and is now changing things for the sake of changing them.
2. Customization Options Are Underwhelming, According to Some
Apple has been moving toward giving users more control over their iPhones for the past few years, and it announced a handful of new customization features at WWDC 2024. For example, you’ll be able to change your app sizes and move them to different parts of your screen after updating. It’s also possible to make further adjustments to the Control Center.
However, one person suggested that the new customization features were quite underwhelming. They then opted to make their own changes via Shortcuts. To be fair, their screen also looks pretty cool.
3. The New Approach to Aesthetics Hasn’t Gone Down Well
I’m a huge fan of aesthetics, which is perhaps unsurprising since I’m also a professional photographer. One of the main things that initially drew me to Apple devices was their beauty, and with extra customization, it’s safe to say that things are a bit different now. Some users are not happy with the additional customization options, from the option to change app colors to Siri’s redesign.
*Shrug emoji*…
My take here? Apple allowing UI personalization is cool, I guess, but tinted apps will be going nowhere near my iPhone.
4. The Announcements Aren’t Everyone’s Cup of Tea
I’ve already spoken about Elon Musk’s disapproval of Siri’s upcoming ChatGPT integration in this article about all of Apple’s WWDC 2024 AI announcements. If you missed it, Musk said that he would ban Apple devices From X, SpaceX, Tesla, and xAI if OpenAI was integrated at OS level. But beyond AI security concerns, some users are simply not impressed with the new features.
One user said that they felt like many of these features had been around long before AI, and another commenter in the thread simply said that they were “not impressed”. You’ve probably seen many of the “new” Apple AI features elsewhere; generative AI images were already available via Google Assistant, for example. It seems that Samsung also clocked onto things…
Does Anyone Actually Like iOS 18, Then?
It might seem from this article so far that the internet is collectively bashing iOS 18 and everything about it. However, that’s not entirely true. Users had plenty of positive things to say about some of the new features coming to Apple devices, so let’s have a look at them.
1. Voicemail Transcription Looks Pretty Cool
Building upon sending video messages in FaceTime on iOS 17, you can now transcribe calls and voicemail in iOS 18. One user showed how it looks very similar to a text, but you can see the Phone app icon next to the person’s name.
As someone who dislikes talking on the phone and would rather not listen to voicemails, I am personally also looking forward to this change. I also imagine that this will be a useful feature for people with hearing difficulties.
2. People Are Looking Forward to Scheduled Text Messaging
I, like millions of Apple users, have wanted a scheduled messages feature for a long time. And with that tool now coming to iOS 18, we’re finally getting our wish. One person on Reddit, who said that they’re a manager, doesn’t like to text employees outside of their designated working hours; with this feature, they can now ensure that doesn’t happen.
Another person, who switched from Android, said that they this feature was one thing they missed after changing devices.
Many people in the thread said that scheduled text messaging was long overdue, but it’s better late than never. That’s a theme that continues with the next thing that people like about the upcoming Apple software update.
3. Reminders’ Integration With Calendar: Overdue, but Welcomed Nonetheless
Reminders’ upcoming integration with Apple Calendar was announced at WWDC 2024, but it was pretty low-key. Nonetheless, those who use both apps certainly didn’t overlook the news. One user was happy about no longer needing to create events as a workaround.
Several other users said that this was something that should have been implemented a long time ago…
Here Are My Thoughts on iOS 18 Post-WWDC
My thoughts on iOS 18, now that everything has died down a bit, are pretty neutral. I can understand why people don’t want tinted apps, for example, but you can always just ignore them. I’d be much more irritated if that was a mandatory change, ditto for changing app sizes and whatnot.
I also have to say that most of the AI features really don’t interest me; I guess that ChatGPT working with Siri will be quite cool, but I can’t say that I’ll use most of the features.
The biggest reason I’ll be upgrading to iOS 18 (other than the fact I write about iPhones, obviously) is for scheduled messaging. This will make sending texts much easier. The emoji reactions in iMessage are also cool, I guess, but other messaging apps already offer that.