WWDC24: Apple Intelligence, Siri with ChatGPT, iOS 18 and more

Apple’s annual Worldwide Developers Conference (WWDC24) keynote just wrapped up. The tech giant unveiled a slew of new products and updates across its devices and software.

Here’s what Apple announced:

Apple Intelligence for Mac, iPhone and iPad
Siri with OpenAI’s ChatGPT
iOS 18
iPadOS 18
macOS Sequoia
AirPods and tvOS Updates
WatchOS 11 for Apple Watch
VisionOS 2
Apple Passwords app
Custom emoji called “Genmoji”

Apple Intelligence for Mac, iPhone and iPad

Here are some of its capabilities:

Context-driven notifications: Apple Intelligence can recognize which notifications are important to your personal context.
Writing improvements: Apple Intelligence will introduce systemwide proofreading and style improvements across third-party and native apps.
Image generation: Apple Intelligence can create generative photos based on your photo library, similar to some other platforms. There are three styles: Sketch, Illustration and Animation.
Cross-application tasking: Apple Intelligence can delve into your apps and execute tasks on your behalf.
Focus on personal context:Apple Intelligence can draw upon the full suite of your activity but also on what is on your screen.
Private Cloud Compute: Apple Intelligence will leverage cloud-based models on special servers using Apple Silicon to ensure that user data is private and secure.

Siri with OpenAI’s ChatGPT

Siri will integrate with OpenAI’s ChatGPT, allowing users to leverage AI capabilities for various tasks. This feature will be available in iOS 18, iPadOS 18, and macOS Sequoia.

iOS 18

Here’s what’s new in iOS 18:

Customizations for home screen: Users can arrange their apps in new ways, change the colors and adjust the darkness of their apps.
New look for Control Center: Users can group controls so they are easier to use, and developers can include controls from their apps. Apple is introducing a controls API for developers.
Privacy updates: Users can lock apps so others won’t be able to see or access information without authentication. Users can control which contacts are available to different apps.
New ways to use messages: Users can add new effects to their texts and tap react with new emojis.
Messages via satellite: Users will be able to send iMessage and SMS messages via satellite.
Filters for the Mail app: Users will be able to filter their emails by categories.
Tap to cash: A quick and private way to pay another person just by holding phones together.
New look for event tickets: Apple is also introducing an event guide and support features such as venue maps so you can find your seat more easily.
Gaming: Gaming on iOS 18 will minimize background activity and support improvement with wireless controllers and AirPods.
Photos: It will be easier for users to search through their photos. The grid will appear at the top, and a theme, such as time, people or trips, is displayed below. A new filter button shows specific types of content so you can, for example, filter out screenshots.

iPadOS 18

Here’s what’s new in iPadOS 18:

Interface improvements: A floating tab bar and automatic sidebars will allow users to use more of the screen at any given time.
SharePlay enhancements: You can now take control of a SharePlay session.
Calculator on iPad: Apple is finally bringing a native Calculator app for iPad. It will also support unit conversions, and when used with the Apple Pencil, will unlock a new feature called Math Notes.
Math Notes for Calculator: Users can write with the Apple Pencil to automatically solve problems that users write on the iPad, with support for scientific calculator functions.
Notes: The native app has a new feature called Smart Script, which uses “on-device machine learning” to automatically clean up your handwriting. You can also paste typed words into a handwriting session and they will automatically reform to appear as handwriting.

macOS Sequoia

Here’s what’s new in macOS Sequoia:

Continued enhancements from iPadOS and iOS: New features, including text animations and Maps improvements.
iPhone mirroring: Users can now see and control their iPhone from their Mac via Continuity. iPhones will remain locked even if in a virtual session.
Unified Notification Center: iPhone notifications will now appear on macOS.
New Passwords app: Apple is breaking out its iCloud-powered Keychain feature into a discrete app, competing directly with 1Password and other password managers. It will also be available on Windows.
Video enhancements: MacOS will now offer further enhancements to video calls, including background features and screen isolation.
Safari enhancements: Safari now has artificial intelligence-powered highlights to extract helpful information from a webpage.

AirPods and tvOS Updates

Here’s what’s new with AirPods:

Siri with AirPods: AirPods can now detect head motions to answer or reject phone calls (nodding to answer, shaking a head to reject it).
Voice Isolation: AirPods Pro will now be able to isolate your voice, even with noisy background audio.

Here’s what’s new on tvOS:

Insight: A new feature that will give you information about what is playing on your TV, including on your iPhone.
Audio enhancements: Apple TVs will now be able to enhance and isolate spoken audio, and will have improved subtitle timing that will automatically show up when appropriate.
Projector support: Apple TVs will now support 21 x 9 projectors.
New screensavers: Apple is adding support for Portrait photos as Apple TV screensavers, as well as allowing users to select their preferred screensavers.

WatchOS 11 for Apple Watch

New features for Apple Watch:

Training mode: Apple is introducing training mode, which can track how the intensity and duration of users’ workouts affect their bodies over time. Intensity is tracked using calorimetry data such as heart rate, pace and elevation, and Apple said a “powerful new algorithm” will automatically translate power sensor data into an estimate of your effort rating after your workout.
Customize the summary tab: Users can personalize their summary tab with information they want to see, such as weekly running distance.
New Vitals app: WatchOS 11 will track vitals such as your heart rate, respiratory rate and risk temperature, and give you insights about them in the new Vitals app. Users can easily check on their vitals and see when multiple metrics are out of range. They can also learn how their vitals respond to other factors such as alcohol, illness and elevation changes.
Tools for pregnant users: Apple said cycle tracking now shows gestational aids, and the Health app can display your pregnancy across all charts and prompts.
Adjustments to rings: Users can now adjust their goals by days of the week, and users can pause their rings if they want to take a break for a few days.
Photos for your watch face: Apple is using artificial intelligence to identify photos that will work well as a background for your watch face.

VisionOS 2

Here’s some of what’s new:

Photos: VisionOS 2 will use artificial intelligence to transform regular photos into Spatial photos that are compatible with the Vision Pro.
New gestures: VisionOS 2 will also debut new gesture-driven controls.
Ultrawide display: Vision Pro will now support an ultrawide display that equivalent to two side-by-side 4K monitors.
Train support for Travel mode: Apple is adding train support to its Travel Mode. It previously only supported planes.

Apple Passwords app

Apple Passwords app for iPhone, iPad, Vision Pro, Mac and Windows. It helps you store all of your passwords, sort of like Keychain did, but includes verification codes, app passwords, Wi-Fi passwords, shares passwords, Passkeys and more. You can manage all of your passwords in the app or see how strong it is. It is a lot similar to 1Password.

Custom emoji called “Genmoji”

Apple introduced a new form of custom emojis called Genmoji. Users can create their own emojis using Apple’s artificial intelligence for when they can’t find quite the right emoji to express what they’re trying to say. Users will also be able to create Genmojis that look just like their friends.

You can create a Genmoji right in your keyboard by typing in a description. Apple will create a few options for you to choose from.