The latest iteration of Apple’s renowned mobile operating system, iOS 18, introduces a plethora of customization, security, and AI features. Thanks to a number of new add-ons across the system and core apps, the newest update streamlines your day-to-day experience with your iPhone, enhances communication with others, and ultimately boosts your productivity. Whether you are a busy professional juggling multiple responsibilities, or a tech nerd eager to optimize your digital experience, check out these top iOS 18 productivity features that can transform the way you interact with your iPhone.

20 Smart dialer

The default Phone app is receiving some much-needed under-the-hood improvements in iOS 18. First of all, there is a search bar in the Recents menu to help you find a specific caller or number quickly.

The Keypad menu now features T9 dialing that predicts text based on your number inputs. For example, if you want to call Aarzu, simply type 22798 and check the astute suggestion at the top. Just look at the letters under each number and type a contact’s name accordingly. Although the method is old-school, it may take some time to get used to, but once you get the hang of it, you won’t go back to the usual method for dialing a contact.

19 Send Later

The Messages app is finally receiving a much-awaited Send Later function. As the name suggests, you can draft a message, pick a time and date, and schedule it at your convenience to be sent at a future time. Maybe you don’t want to stay awake until 12 AM to wish someone a happy new year, so you can easily schedule a greeting message for 12 AM and get to bed early. Even if you completely turn off the phone, the system will still send the text on time, as the message waits on the iMessage servers until the scheduled date and time. Send Later only works for recipients who use iMessage, though. You can’t schedule a text to Android users.

18 Control Center customization

iOS 18 brings a major revamp to the Control Center. It now features a scrollable feed which allows you to switch between your toggles, widgets, and shortcuts easily.

Simply open the Control Center, tap + at the top, and select Add a Control. Apple now offers dozens of system shortcuts that you can include in the Control Center. You can even expand a toggle and turn it into a widget for easy access. It’s entirely up to you to create an ideal Control Center with your most frequently used options at your fingertips.

The company has also released APIs for Control Center, so that third-party developers can create specific shortcuts for their apps, too.

17 Photos app customization

The Photos app received a nice UI makeover in iOS 18. The company has removed the tab bar and now shows a single feed to check your memories in style. Like the Control Center, it’s totally customizable, and lets you enable/disable and rearrange collections from the bottom.

For example, you can keep your memories, trips, and albums at the top, while keeping other options, such as Utilities and wallpaper suggestions, at the bottom. Needless to say, Apple has left no stone unturned when it comes to personalization options in iOS 18.

16 Safari Highlights

Aside from a redesigned Reader menu, Safari is getting another time-saving feature called Highlights. As the name suggests, it auto-detects relevant information on a webpage and highlights it as you browse. It shows directions and provides links to help you quickly learn more about music, people, movies, and more.

15 Reminders in Calendar

The default Calendar app gets a major productivity boost with Reminders integration. Tasks which have been assigned due-dates in the Reminders app will automatically appear in your Calendar. You can now view, edit, and manage your tasks directly from the Calendar app. Furthermore, if you create a new entry in the Calendar, just slide to the Reminders tab there to add tasks with relevant details like notes, date, time, tags, flag, priority, and more. You can even insert an image from the Details menu.

14 Collapsible sections in Notes

Among all the default iOS apps, Notes received the greatest number of new features in iOS 18. The app automatically creates a collapsible section whenever you insert a heading in a note. It streamlines your note content and saves you from continuous scrolling. Another neat add-on is the highlighter functionality. You can now highlight specific text in purple, red, green, or yellow shades.

13 Math equations in Notes

Thanks to built-in support for math equations, you don’t need to exit the Notes app and then open up the Calculator to crunch numbers. Whether you want to calculate weekend expenses, subscription charges, or divide the dinner bill among friends, just type the equation in Notes and press = to get the result in no time. It’s a huge time-saver, can improve accuracy (since you don't have to remember numbers correctly to input into a separate Calculator), and definitely comes in handy in certain situations.

12 Passwords app

Apple used to offer iCloud Keychain under the Settings menu. It was inconvenient to access it from the Settings > Passwords menu. Now, there is a new Passwords app which is applicable across all platforms, with basic features like login entries, 2FA codes, notes, Wi-Fi passwords, security recommendations, and more.

As always, you can also create a shared group if you would like to share specific entries with trusted contacts.

11 Journal insights

The Journal app gets some major updates to help you build habits and create entries like a pro. It supports rich text formatting, lets you transcribe audio, and offers a calendar view to jump to an entry.

The Journal app also shows insights about journaling streaks, days journaled, words written, entries in a year, and more. You can also access the same via Journal’s home screen and lock screen widgets.