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iOS 18 and iPadOS 18 beta 6 now available with these improvements

Published Aug 12th, 2024 1:02PM EDT
How to rotate your iPhone or iPad screen without moving your device
Image: José Adorno for BGR

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Following the release of iOS 18 and iPadOS 18 beta 5, Apple has now seeded beta 6 of these upcoming operating system updates. In around a month, Cupertino will make iOS 18 available to iPhone and iPad users, so the company is starting to wrap up the features it plans to release.

With beta 5, Apple has removed the Carousel from the Photos app. The company has also tweaked the “All Photos” section, with more images appearing on the photos grid. The “Recent Days” tab also includes “Recently Saved..

In addition, Safari got a new Distraction Control feature. In the Reader toggle, you can find a new “Hide Distracting Items.” Apple says this doesn’t work as an ad blocker, but it helps hide distractful items from a page.

With iOS 18 and iPadOS 18 beta 6, pple is tweaking the Home Screen, Lock Screen, and Control Center. Now, apps can be organized in any way, which means they can be placed anywhere. App icons and widgets can take on a new look with a dark or tinted effect, and users can make apps appear larger to create the perfect experience for them. In the Lock Screen, it’s possible to choose new widgets instead of the Flashlight and Camera options.

iOS 18 beta 6 keeps tweaking the Messages app with its powerful new features, including all-new text effects, personalized messages, tapbacks with any emoji, and scheduled messages.

Users can also experience the new Passwords app. Built on the foundation of Keychain, the new Passwords app makes it easy for users to access their passwords, passkeys, Wi-Fi passwords, and verification codes. 

Lastly, Apple has released new features that let users lock and hide apps. When an app is locked or hidden, content like messages or emails inside the app is hidden from search, notifications, and other places across the system. Users can only unlock it with Face ID and Touch ID. BGR teaches you how to hide and lock iPhone apps in iOS 18.

Alongside iOS 18 beta 6, Apple is also releasing the sixth testing versions of iPadOS 18, watchOS 11, macOS Sequoia, tvOS 18, and visionOS 2.

José Adorno Tech News Reporter

José is a Tech News Reporter at BGR. He has previously covered Apple and iPhone news for 9to5Mac, and was a producer and web editor for Latin America broadcaster TV Globo. He is based out of Brazil.