iOS 17 was solely simply launched in September with some main updates that we love, together with customizable contact posters, extra Tapback replies, and voice observe enhancements. Not solely that, however with the current announcement that RCS messaging is coming to Apple later in 2024, it’s protected to say that iPhone customers are going to be seeing some large updates in iOS 18. That mentioned, there are after all extra options I’d love Apple to implement in iOS 18 that will be big wins for iPhone customers. Head beneath the fold to learn extra.
I do know it could be a bit early to be serious about iOS 18, particularly provided that iOS 17 got here out a couple of months in the past, however think about these function requests my vacation Apple wishlist.
Particular person iMessage search
When you’ve ever tried to go looking a key phrase in iMessage, you’re conversant in the best way by which your key phrase search pulls up each single dialog that accommodates the key phrase, irrespective of who you have been texting with. The search doesn’t discern between iPhone and non-iPhone texts and goes as far again in your iMessages because it is ready to when pulling up related conversations.

Whereas the above screenshot exhibits my three most up-to-date conversations that included the phrase “podcast,” after I faucet “see all,” I get all the textual content historical past of each time I’ve used the phrase “podcast” in a textual content, which simply isn’t useful.
What can be infinitely extra useful is that if Apple allowed customers to go looking inside a person textual content message relatively than parse by means of somebody’s complete textual content library. There are such a lot of instances after I know that I’ve mentioned one thing particular with a selected particular person, and if I used to be in a position to search inside that textual content to see what was mentioned, I might have easy accessibility to the dialog. WhatsApp permits for this search function, and it really works seamlessly.


Including the power to go looking iMessage individually may very well be added to somebody’s Contact card, similar to what WhatsApp implements, which might alleviate the necessity for having to dig again into your reminiscence to recollect particular excerpts of conversations.
Improved pinging
It will get a bit complicated (for me, no less than) when making an attempt to elucidate to folks the necessity for Apple’s improved pinging throughout their gadgets – bear with me.
Out of your Apple Watch, you possibly can ping your iPhone, and out of your iPhone, you possibly can (now, with iOS 17) ping your Apple Watch. We love this.

AirPods may be situated in Discover My, however solely the AirPods Professional 2 may be pinged as a result of there’s a speaker on the case. And actually I don’t even assume Discover My is that useful, as demonstrated final weekend after I thought I left my AirPods (I’ve an older era) at a bar as a result of that was the final place I had used them, or no less than, that’s the place Discover My steered I look. Nonetheless, after going again to the bar the place they have been (allegedly!) situated, they have been nowhere to be discovered, and it wasn’t till a couple of hours later that I spotted they have been most likely in my good friend’s jacket pocket… and I used to be proper. All of that’s to say, my “misplaced” AirPods weren’t misplaced in any respect, they have been inside 10 ft of my iPhone, and Discover My wasn’t pinging them as a result of they “weren’t linked.”
What I’d love Apple to do in iOS 18 is give us the power to ping any Apple accent from every Apple system, irrespective of the era; if the know-how is there, I would like to have the ability to do it. From my Apple Watch, I would like to have the ability to ping my iPhone and my AirPods, and from my iPhone, I would like to have the ability to ping my watch and AirPods through the same icon as seen within the screenshot above.
Scheduled iMessages
Lastly (for now), in iOS 18, I’d like Apple to implement the power to schedule iMessages; technically, you possibly can presently do that through a Shortcuts workaround or with a number of third-party apps, however I would like the power to do it proper from my iPhone.
I’m an enormous Notes woman, utilizing it as a guidelines for issues to get achieved in a day, and generally, these duties could embody sending birthday texts to family members (I do know there are different methods to remind myself, i.e. Reminders or Calendar, however Notes is what works for me). How nice can be if as an alternative of getting to jot down a reminder to ship somebody a birthday textual content, I might merely schedule it to be despatched at 9:00 a.m. the day of their birthday? What if, then, iPhone requested me if I’d prefer to create a recurring Scheduled Message yearly on that particular person’s birthday? The choices are countless right here.
The scheduled messages choice is out there for WhatsApp Enterprise, however not for non-business WhatsApp customers, and for as soon as, Apple may lead right here within the options division.
Wrap-up
Whereas I’m certain I might consider many extra options and highlights for Apple to implement into iOS 18, I’d be thrilled with any one of many three listed above.
What are your requests for iOS 18? Tell us within the remark part beneath!
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