It ’s fairish to say that iOS 18 is more highly customizable than any anterior tone ending . The bigpersonalized lock screenupdate of iOS 16 definitely let us bestow some personality to our iPhones , but that ’s nothing compare to the freedom to tinker open iniOS 18 .
Unfortunately , that means you ’re going to have to do a little work . Apple ’s tardy major update lets you customize the curl blind shortcuts , expanded customization of the Action button ( which is now uncommitted on all Modern good example ) , at last apply you full control over theHome screen layoutand semblance , and let in anall - new Control Centerwith multiple pages , third - party control , resizable controls , and more . And let ’s not forget the redesigned Photos app , which move around and reorganizedeverything .
The freedom to customise these things to your liking is unprecedented , but so is theneedto tailor-make these thing . The defaults are n’t particularly great , and in some cases have infuriated users who update and ca n’t stand the way Apple has change matter . you could really fuck iOS 18 , but you ’ll have to spend a decent ball of time set things up the way you like them first . What a task !
Make the Action button more useful
Last year , the Action button was only for the iPhone 15 Pros , but this year it ’s on all four iPhone 16 models . What ’s more , Apple has summate a few more option to it , and it ’s easy to put up , so permit ’s part there . Open options > Action Buttonand swipe through the options to pick something you think might be a piddling more useful than the mute function .
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Apple provide lots of options , but the most powerful one is the ability to establish a Shortcut , which let you execute powerful actions with a single long crush of the Action release . you could encounter around with it or find some unspoilt examplesat MacStories.net .
My favorite function is to set the Action button to launch the Control Center , which is only possible if you ’re lam iOS 18.1 ( in beta , at the prison term of this written material ) . Here ’s how : Make a new Shortcut and add the “ Show Control Center ” action to it . That ’s it ! ( Here ’s a linkto mine if you recover that useful — open it on your iPhone . ) Then go to the Action Button scope menu and set it to activate that shortcut .
Swap out your Lock screen buttons
The next easiest thing to do in getting iOS 18 customized to the way you like it is to trade out your Lock Screen buttons . The two buttons for the flashlight and camera have been staples of the Lock Screen for so long that you may have never considered what else you might want them to be . But now that the iPhone 16 has ready access to the Camera with the Camera Control clitoris and less of a indigence for a consecrated Lock Screen clit , Apple has ease up everyone using iOS 18 the ability to swap out one or both of your buttons with third - political party apps or functions .
To get started , long press on your Lock Screen ( if you ’re on your family screen , abstract down your notifications shade from the top left edge to figure the Lock Screen ) . TapCustomize , tapLock Screen , and then tap one of the icon to interchange it . There are many to choose from — Shazam , Stopwatch , ChatGPT or any other app you might care .
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Rearrange and redesign your Home Screen
Maybe you have your family screenland ( or screens ) pose up just the way you like . Perhaps you ’re hold onto a dozen folder from year past , refusing to give theApp Librarya probability . That ’s fine , but you may still enjoy a little glow - up to your Home screen .
wiretap and hold any empty speckle on your Home screen until the icons all jiggle and get a ( - ) symbolisation in the corner . you may drag around your icon wherever you require now , even impart empty space for widgets or to see your wallpaper better .
And there ’s more . From this view , tapEditin the upper leftfield and thenCustomize . Here you may change icon size , arrange them to always be Dark or Light , or give them a custom colouring - tint face . If you require to go further , add gismo ( get behind same - size widgets on top of each other to make a smart plenty ) or slay total Home screen pages to keep everything tidy .
Control the Control Center
The Control Center is vastly dissimilar in iOS 18 , with novel pages and buttons and a whole fresh layout . This will probably take more time than any other customization step , but it can also have the most shock ( specially if you set your Action button to open Control Center , as described above ) .
Open Control Center ( swipe down from the upper - right corner ) and tap the “ + ” button in the upper - lead corner . This will put you into Edit modality . you’re able to now wiretap and drag controls to rearrange them or tap and drag the corner to resize them . Some dominance really look and act other than at different sizes , so you ’ll need to experiment with them .
Bear in mind that the Control Center has multiple pages , and you swipe up and down to flip between them . you’re able to also put multiple copies of the same ascendancy on different pages , or even the same page if that makes sense .
Once you ’ve receive matter where you desire them , you may tap the “ + Add a Control ” release at the bottom of the screen to add new controls . Some of the apps you have establish can leave controls too , and others will be updated to add unexampled dominance over time .
Fix the Photos app
The raw Photos app in iOS 18 has been satisfy with miscellaneous reviews ( to put it charitably ) , but most of its problems come from all the scrolling and swiping you have to do to get to what you require .
But there ’s a fix . Scroll all the way down to the bottom and tapCustomize and Reorder . There , you may turn off the categories you do n’t want and get behind the ace you do require into a unlike parliamentary law . With a little pruning , the Photos app gets a flock easier to use , much more customizable , and as promiscuous to use as before .
