New features will be introduced to Apple services this fall. With the release of iOS 18, iPadOS 18, macOS Sequoia, watchOS 11, visionOS 2, and tvOS 18, Apple is enhancing its services with a range of new features. These updates include U.S. national park hikes and custom walking routes in Apple Maps; the ability to pay with rewards and installments via Apple Pay; new accessibility features in Apple Music; and a redesigned Apple Fitness+ experience to help users fully utilize its extensive library of workouts and meditations.
Apple Maps now offers additional ways to explore, including hikes and custom walking routes. Users can browse thousands of hikes across U.S. national parks, filtered by length, elevation, and route type, and save them for offline use. They can also create custom walking routes with a few taps to plan local exercise routes or full-day walking tours in new cities. Additionally, users can save their favorite hikes, custom walking routes, and places to a new Places Library, adding personal notes about them.
Apple Pay now provides greater flexibility and choice when checking out online and in-app. Users can view and redeem rewards, and access installment loan offerings from eligible credit or debit cards, when making purchases with iPhone and iPad. These features will be available for any Apple Pay-enabled bank or issuer to integrate in supported markets. Reward redemption for purchases will begin in the U.S. with Discover and Synchrony, and expand across Apple Pay issuers with Fiserv. Installment options from credit and debit cards will roll out starting in Australia with ANZ; in Spain with CaixaBank; in the U.K. with HSBC and Monzo; and in the U.S. with Citi, Synchrony, and issuers with Fiserv. U.S. users will also be able to apply for loans directly through Affirm when checking out with Apple Pay.
Users can utilize Apple Pay on any third-party web browser and computer by scanning a code on their iPhone to complete the payment securely. Additionally, with Tap to Provision, users can add eligible credit or debit cards to Apple Wallet by tapping their card to the back of their iPhone.
Tap to Cash allows users to send and receive Apple Cash by holding two iPhone devices together without sharing phone numbers. This feature can be used to pay someone back at dinner or make a purchase at a garage sale.
Event tickets in Apple Wallet have been significantly revamped, featuring a new design and richer experience for fans. Tickets in Wallet now provide key event information at users’ fingertips, such as venue maps, parking details, in-seat food delivery options, recommended playlists from Apple Music, local forecasts from Weather, and easy access to location sharing to help fans find their friends upon arrival.
In iOS 18, iPadOS 18, and tvOS 18, Apple Fitness+ has been revamped to maximize user engagement with its extensive workout and meditation library, boost motivation, and ensure consistency in fitness routines. This award-winning service now includes:
For You: Personalized workout recommendations.
Explore: Tools to discover new activities and inspiration.
Library: A feature to easily manage favorite workouts, meditations, Stacks, Custom Plans, and saved programs.
Search: A quick way to find specific activity types, trainers, durations, and favorite music artists.
Awards and Streaks Reminders: Prominently displayed to keep users motivated.
In the Fitness app on iPhone, personalized Fitness+ recommendations now appear in the Summary tab, allowing users to find their next great workout or meditation alongside their Activity and Workout data.
Updates to SharePlay with Apple Music enable users to share control of music playing from HomePod, Apple TV, or any Bluetooth-enabled speaker, making shared listening experiences more enjoyable. Participants do not need an Apple Music subscription to contribute to the playlist.
Apple Music introduces Music Haptics, which allows users who are deaf or hard of hearing to experience music through tactile feedback from the Taptic Engine in iPhone. This feature translates audio into taps, textures, and refined vibrations and works across millions of songs in the Apple Music catalog. It will also be available as an API for developers to make music more accessible in their apps.
The Apple TV app debuts InSight, a feature that provides real-time information about actors, characters, and music from Apple TV+ content. Users can view an actor’s background and filmography or quickly identify and add songs playing in scenes to their Apple Music playlists.
Enhance Dialogue, improved with tvOS 18, uses machine learning and computational audio to clarify vocals over music, action, and background noise on Apple TV 4K.
Subtitles in tvOS 18 now automatically appear at appropriate times, such as when the language in a show or film differs from the device language, when the sound is muted, or when users skip back while watching content.
iCloud Mail now offers new ways for users to manage their inbox and stay organized with categorization. Emails are automatically sorted into the following categories: Primary for personal and time-sensitive messages; Transactions for confirmations and receipts; Updates for news and social notifications; and Promotions for marketing emails and coupons. Additionally, iCloud settings have been redesigned to make it easier for users to take action on personalized recommendations, enable key iCloud features, maximize the benefits of iCloud+, and quickly check the status of their most recent iCloud backup.
With the releases of iOS 18, iPadOS 18, macOS Sequoia, and watchOS 11, Apple ID is being renamed to Apple Account to provide a consistent sign-in experience across all Apple services and devices, using the user’s existing credentials.
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