Apple releases third public beta of iOS 18 with several new features
iOS 18 public beta 3 began rolling out to iPhone users on Tuesday, introducing several features that Apple didn’t show off at its Worldwide Developers Conference (WWDC) on June 10, including an option aimed at reducing distractions while reading web pages in Safari. The update arrives a day after Apple released iOS 18 Developer Beta 5, which brought similar improvements to the Photos app and the iPhone’s Home screen user interface (UI).
iOS 18 Public Beta 5 Update Features
One of the features Apple showed off at WWDC 2024 was a new carousel design in the Photos app. However, the feature has been met with mixed reception from users, with several complaining about how complex it makes viewing photos and videos. The iOS 18 Public Beta 5 rolls back this feature, now displaying the media library at the top. Additionally, the Albums section, while the Recent days collection now contains saved images.
In addition to feedback-driven changes to the Photos app, Apple’s web browser Safari is getting a notable feature. Dubbed Hide distracting itemsclaims to hide distracting elements from a web page, such as ads or overlays, making the page look less cluttered. It can automatically select items to remove from the page, while also offering manual selection.
While it can temporarily hide elements of web pages, Apple explicitly states that it is not an ad blocker and that hidden items will be redisplayed when the page is reloaded or refreshed.
iOS 18 Public Beta 5 also brings changes to the Home screen UI. Icons for several default apps, like Find My and Maps, now have Dark Mode icons, while icons for Screen Mirroring and Cellular Data in the iPhone’s Control Center also get tweaks. It also makes it easier to remove pages from the Home screen by adding a new Editing Pages option when users long press the said screen.
In addition to rolling out the iOS 18 Public Beta 3 update for iPhone, Apple also released the third public betas of iPadOS 18, watchOS 11, tvOS 18, and macOS Sequoia for its devices.
