If you watched WWDC 2024, you already know that iOS 18 brings several major features to iPhones. However, iOS 18 includes more exciting additions that Apple didn't highlight at the event. Some of them can even change how you use your iPhone.

1 RCS Support

Traditionally, messaging between an iPhone and an Android device has relied on SMS, which is vastly inferior to the RCS messaging protocol. SMS and MMS have numerous issues, such as unencrypted messages, low-quality photos and videos, no typing indicators, no read receipts, and more. RCS solves all these problems for better cross-platform messaging.

Thankfully, Apple is adding RCS support to the Messages app with iOS 18 to significantly improve the experience of texting Android users. Currently, RCS support in the iOS 18 developer beta is available only in the US for T-Mobile, AT&T, and Verizon users. Support for other carriers should roll out as we approach the final release of iOS 18.

However, the green versus blue bubble debate won't end—iMessage will remain the default for communication between Apple devices, while RCS, like SMS and MMS, will use continue to use green bubbles.

2 T9 Dialing

The Phone app is also getting an upgrade with T9 dialing support. With T9 dialing, you don't have to dive into your contacts to find the person you want to call. Instead, you can enter a contact's name using the keypad by tapping the numbers that correspond to the letters in their name.

For example, if you have a contact named "Sam," you just need to enter 7-2-6, and an option to call them will automatically appear at the top.

Another improvement to the Phone app is the ability to auto-complete numbers when manually dialing a saved contact. This feature, long available on Android devices, makes calling someone much faster than searching through your contacts.

3 Music Haptics

iOS 18 introduces many new accessibility features, including Music Haptics. This feature helps people who are deaf or hard of hearing experience music better. Using the Taptic Engine, it plays vibrations and taps that match the song you're listening to, allowing you to physically feel the music in your hands.

As of this writing, Music Haptics is available only with Apple Music, but third-party app developers can integrate it into their apps as well. So, you can expect wider support once Apple rolls out iOS 18 in the fall of 2024.

In my testing, the feature works best for simpler songs with fewer instruments, as it can match the vibrations accurately. However, with more complex songs, the vibrations aren't as distinct, making it feel like the phone is randomly buzzing.

4 Eye Tracking

Adding to the plethora of accessibility features on your iPhone is the new Eye Tracking feature. Just like how you can navigate your Vision Pro using only your eyes, you can control your iPhone with your eyes.

This feature requires no extra hardware; it utilizes the front-facing camera and machine learning to interpret your actions. Eye Tracking isn't restricted to Apple's built-in apps; it works across the entire system, allowing you to perform gestures, swipes, and other actions using just your eyes.

While primarily designed for people with physical disabilities, I can still see many people using the feature regardless, as it's a very convenient way to use your iPhone hands-free.

5 Reminders in the Calendar App

One of my biggest complaints about Apple's Reminders and Calendar apps so far is that they don't communicate with each other. Fortunately, Apple has partly addressed this issue by integrating Reminders into the Calendar app.

If you create a new reminder with a due date, it will automatically show up in the Calendar app. You can also create and edit reminders directly within the Calendar app, eliminating the need to switch between apps.

It used to bother me that I had to keep both the Reminders and Calendar widgets on my Home Screen for essentially the same purpose. So, this change is definitely a step in the right direction.

6 Vehicle Motion Cues

If you often experience motion sickness while using your iPhone in a car or train, Apple has a solution in iOS 18. Motion sickness occurs because your body senses movement in one direction while your eyes are focused on a stationary screen, causing confusion and nausea.

The new Vehicle Motion Cues feature addresses this by rendering several dots on your screen that move in the direction of the vehicle without interfering with what you're currently viewing. You can manually toggle this feature on or set it to activate automatically whenever your iPhone detects you're in a moving vehicle.

7 Redesigned Settings App

In recent years, the Settings app in iOS has become visually cluttered, with numerous new options crammed into it. Thankfully, it has now received its first major overhaul. Several menus in the Settings app now include brief summaries explaining the settings you can change in each menu.

Apple has also reordered many menu items in the Settings app, and there's an entirely new section for all the apps installed on your iPhone. These changes make the iOS Settings app far less cluttered than before.

These handy additions make me even more excited about iOS 18. Although Apple plans to release iOS 18 to the public in fall 2024, you can install the iOS 18 developer beta right now. Don't expect a stable experience, though, as the beta is still in its early stages, missing key features like Apple Intelligence and overhauled Siri.