It’s truthful to say that iOS 18 is extra extremely customizable than any prior launch. The large customized lock display screen replace of iOS 16 positively allow us to add some character to our iPhones, however that’s nothing in comparison with the liberty to fiddle afforded in iOS 18.
Sadly, meaning you’re going to need to perform a little work. Apple’s newest main replace helps you to customise the lock display screen shortcuts, expanded customization of the Motion button (which is now obtainable on all new fashions), lastly provides you full management over the Residence display screen format and coloration, and contains an all-new Management Middle with a number of pages, third-party controls, resizable controls, and extra. And let’s not neglect the redesigned Pictures app, which moved round and reorganized every thing.
The liberty to customise this stuff to your liking is unprecedented, however so is the want to customise this stuff. The defaults aren’t significantly nice, and in some circumstances have infuriated customers who replace and may’t stand the best way Apple has modified issues. You’ll be able to actually love iOS 18, however you’ll need to spend a good chunk of time setting issues up the best way you want them first. What a chore!
Make the Motion button extra helpful
Final yr, the Motion button was just for the iPhone 15 Professionals, however this yr it’s on all 4 iPhone 16 fashions. What’s extra, Apple has added a couple of extra choices to it, and it’s straightforward to arrange, so let’s begin there. Open Settings > Motion Button and swipe by means of the choices to choose one thing you assume could be a bit of extra helpful than the mute perform.
Apple gives plenty of choices, however probably the most highly effective one is the flexibility to launch a Shortcut, which helps you to carry out highly effective actions with a single lengthy press of the Motion button. You’ll be able to mess around with it or discover some good examples at MacStories.web.
My favourite perform is to set the Motion button to open the Management Middle, which is simply doable if you happen to’re working iOS 18.1 (in beta, on the time of this writing). Right here’s how: Make a brand new Shortcut and add the “Present Management Middle” motion to it. That’s it! (Right here’s a hyperlink to mine if you happen to discover that helpful—open it in your iPhone.) Then go to the Motion Button settings menu and set it to activate that shortcut.
Swap out your Lock display screen buttons
The following best factor to do in getting iOS 18 custom-made to the best way you want it’s to swap out your Lock Display screen buttons. It has been Flashlight and Digital camera for thus lengthy, you’ll have by no means thought-about what else you need them to be. With iOS 18 you’ll be able to decide between plenty of different features, and third-party apps may even make features obtainable right here.
Lengthy-press in your lock display screen (if you happen to’re in your Residence display screen, swipe down your notifications shade from the highest edge). Faucet Customise, then faucet Lock Display screen, and you may faucet the icons to take away them after which substitute them with different features. You’ll be able to Shazam a music, open an app, begin a stopwatch, open ChatGPT, and a lot extra.
In case you have an iPhone 16 with the Digital camera Management button, your digicam will probably be one press away it doesn’t matter what you’re doing in your iPhone, so you’ll be able to actually can substitute the Digital camera lock display screen button.
Rearrange your Residence screens
Possibly you might have your Residence display screen (or screens) arrange simply the best way you want. Maybe you’re holding on to a dozen folders from years previous, refusing to offer the App Library an opportunity. That’s advantageous, however you should still get pleasure from a bit of glow-up to your Residence display screen.
Faucet and maintain any empty spot in your Residence display screen till the icons all jiggle and get a (-) image within the nook. You’ll be able to drag round your icons wherever you need now, even leaving empty areas for widgets or simply to see your wallpaper higher.
From this view, faucet Edit within the higher left after which Customise. Right here you’ll be able to change icon dimension, set them to at all times be Darkish or Mild, or give them a customized tinted look. If you wish to go additional, add widgets (drag same-size widgets on high of one another to make a sensible stack) or add or take away complete Residence display screen pages.
Construct a Management Middle you’ll love
This can most likely take extra time than every other customization step, however it might even have probably the most impression (particularly if you happen to set your Motion button to open Management Middle, as described above).
Open Management Middle (swipe down from the upper-right nook) and faucet the + button within the upper-left nook. This can put you into Edit mode.
You’ll be able to faucet and drag controls to rearrange them, or faucet and drag the nook to resize them. Some controls actually look and act in another way at completely different sizes, so experiment with it.
Faucet (+) Add a Management on the backside of the display screen so as to add new controls—a few of the apps you might have put in can present controls too, and a few will probably be up to date so as to add new controls over time.
Keep in mind that the Management Middle has a number of pages, and also you swipe up and all the way down to flip between them. You’ll be able to put a number of copies of the identical management on completely different pages, and even the identical web page.
Repair the Pictures app
The brand new Pictures app in iOS 18 has been met with combined opinions (to place it charitably), however most of its issues come from all of the scrolling and swiping it’s important to do to get to what you need.
Simply scroll all the best way all the way down to the underside and faucet Customise and Reorder. You’ll be able to flip off the classes you don’t need and drag those you do need into a special order. With a bit of pruning, the Pictures app will get rather a lot simpler to make use of.