Apple has unveiled iOS 14, a major new update for iPhone featuring the biggest refresh ever to the Home Screen, including redesigned widgets, an App Library that automatically organises all of a user’s apps into one simple view, several enhancements to Messages, new App Clips, and more.
Showcased alongside the introduction of iPadOS 14 and macOS Big Sur at this year’s highly-anticipated virtual Worldwide Developers Conference (WWDC), Apple gave us our first look at the future of iOS. With the Home Screen being at the center of the day’s announcements.
Image: Apple
iOS 14 transforms the most iconic elements of the iPhone experience, starting with the biggest update we’ve ever made to the Home Screen, said Craig Federighi, Apple’s senior vice president of Software Engineering. With beautifully redesigned widgets on the Home Screen, the App Library that automatically organises all of your apps, and App Clips that are fast and easy to discover, iPhone becomes even more powerful and easier to use.
Now, incoming FaceTime and phone calls and Siri interactions take on an all-new compact design that enables users to stay in the context of what they are doing. With Picture-in-Picture support, iPhone users can now watch a video or take a FaceTime call while using another app.
Image: Apple
Messages have received a significant update. Users can pin conversations to the top of their messages list, manage lively group threads through mentions and inline replies, and further customise conversations by setting a group photo using an image or emoji. New Memoji options in Messages include additional hairstyles, headwear, face coverings, and more.
Maps now offers electric vehicle (EV) routing that shows charging stops along a planned route based on current vehicle charge and charger types, and Cycling directions take into account elevation, how busy a street is, and whether there are stairs along the route.
Image: Apple
An all-new feature with iOS 14 is App Clips. An App Clip is a small part of an app experience designed to be discovered the moment it is needed. App Clips are associated with a particular product or business, and load within seconds to complete a specific task, such as renting a scooter, purchasing a coffee, or filling a parking meter.
They can be discovered and accessed by scanning a new Apple-designed App Clip code, or through NFC tags and QR codes, or shared in Messages or from Safari.
When will Apple release iOS 14?
iOS 14 is now in developer beta, with a public beta release scheduled for July 14th. An official release for the new operating system hasn’t been announced, but will happen this fall.