iOS 18 Beta 5: New Features Include a Revamped Photos App, Focus Control for Safari, and More

iOS 18 Beta 5: New Features Include a Revamped Photos App, Focus Control for Safari, and MoreApple has released the fifth beta of iOS 18, bringing with it several noteworthy new features for users. These include a redesigned Photos app, a new "Focus Control" feature for Safari, and other subtle tweaks

iOS 18 Beta 5: New Features Include a Revamped Photos App, Focus Control for Safari, and More

Apple has released the fifth beta of iOS 18, bringing with it several noteworthy new features for users. These include a redesigned Photos app, a new "Focus Control" feature for Safari, and other subtle tweaks.

Photos App: Simpler and More Intuitive

Apple has made some simplifying changes to the design of the Photos app, responding to user feedback. The "Favorites" carousel that previously appeared in the main grid of photos has been completely removed, reducing clutter and redundancy in the app. The Photos app now sports a unified single screen design where all photos are displayed when the photo grid is opened.

After the update, users can see more grid images on the same screen and scroll down to view "Favorites." Users with multiple albums can now view taller albums, while recently saved content is consolidated into a "Recent Days" collection.

While the carousel is gone, users still have the ability to customize the order of "Favorites" through a dedicated tool, allowing them to decide what they want to see in the Photos app and where.

Safari Browser: New "Focus Control" Feature

Apple has added a new "Focus Control" feature to the Safari browser, allowing iPhone users to hide distracting elements on web pages or articles. For example, login windows, cookie preference pop-ups, GDPR notices, newsletter registration banners, auto-playing videos, and more can be hidden.

It's important to note that "Focus Control" is not an ad blocker. It does not hide dynamic elements on the page, such as advertisements. Users can use the feature to temporarily hide ads, but they will reappear when the ads refresh. The feature is primarily meant for static page elements.

Users can access "Focus Control" in Safari's website settings. Click on settings, select the option to hide distractions, and then click on the elements on the page that you want to hide. It is worth noting that "Focus Control" is not synchronized, so page elements must be hidden on each device individually. Users can access settings and click on "Show Hidden Items" to reveal any hidden content.

Home Screen Options: Edit Pages, Adjust Flexibly

Long-press on the home screen and select "Edit" to see a new "Edit Pages" option. With this setting, users can delete entire home screen pages or hide them. In home screen edit mode, clicking the three dots at the bottom of the display also brings up the same interface, which is more clear and with more prominent labels.

Dark Mode Icons: More Harmonious, More Unified

Apple has made adjustments to some Dark Mode options, redesigning the "Maps" icon and updating the "Find My" icon.

The current "Maps" icon utilizes black, white, gray, and blue colors. Apple has removed other colors. The "Find My" icon now features rings in different shades of green.

In addition, when Dark Mode is enabled, searching for apps using the search interface will now correctly display app icons in Dark Mode. Previously, the search displayed light mode icons.

Control Center: Icon Design Update

Apple has changed the design of some icons in the Control Center. Several icons have larger graphics, including:

- Voice Memos

- Stopwatch

- Airplane Mode

- Home Remote

- Shortcuts

- Open App Option

- Calculator

- Magnifier

- Wallet

- Tap to Cash

- Accessibility and Guided Access

- Hearing, Live Captions, and Left and Right Stereo Balance Control Switcher

- Voice Control

- Full Keyboard Access

- Assistive Touch

- Apple Watch Mirroring

- Control Nearby Devices

- Eye Tracking

Almost all visually impaired icons have seen some design changes:

- Orientation Lock is now a red lock with a pink arrow.

- Screen Recording has been replaced with a smaller inner circle and a thicker outer circle. When activated, the outer circle is dark red, and the inner circle is also bright red.

- Screen Mirroring is now two rectangles of different sizes, one dark and one light.

- Cellular Data Toggle now shows four signal bars instead of an antenna.

- Orientation Lock is now a gray arrow instead of a white arrow.

- Shortcuts now include a black and white version of the shortcut icon.

- Low Power Mode Toggle displays a battery graphic with less power, and the battery outline is now gray instead of white. When enabled, the battery charge level and outline are both yellow.

- The "Live Speech" toggle button has a white keyboard and a gray sound wave, instead of the opposite.

- The headphone adjustment feature now corresponds to an ear icon, instead of a headphone icon.

- The "Car Movement Alerts" toggle button now has a car icon, not just dots.

- The intelligent inverter color has changed (white primary color and gray star pattern, instead of the opposite).

Apple has also removed the non-functional Bluetooth power toggle setting that appeared in the previous beta.

Conclusion

iOS 18 Beta 5 brings several new features and design improvements for users, including a simplified Photos app, "Focus Control" for Safari, flexible adjustments to home screen options, and updated Control Center icons. These improvements aim to provide users with a more convenient, efficient, and personalized experience.