From Home Screen Customization To Call Recording And More: Did Apple Take Inspiration From These Long-Available Android Features For iOS 18?

Apple Inc. unveiled the highly anticipated iOS 18 update on Monday during the Worldwide Developers Conference (WWDC.) However, many of the new features that Apple showed off have already been available on Android devices for a long time now.

What Happened: Apple unveiled several new features for iPhones, coming with iOS 18 later this year. This includes some basic additions like the ability to customize the home screen and lock screen, call recording with transcription, email summaries, and more.

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Many of these features, though, have been available on Android phones for a long time now.

For instance, travel and accommodation cards that Apple showed off on Monday, were available in Alphabet Inc.'s Google Now from a decade ago.

See Also: Will Your iPhone Support New Apple Intelligence Features? Here’s What You Need To Know

Here's a look at the top five features Apple borrowed from Android in iOS 18:

1. Home Screen Customization

iPhone users will now be able to customize their home screens – app icons can now be freely placed wherever they want, and users can also customize colors with wallpaper-based themes. Apple has finally taken the plunge, inspired by Android.

If you like your home screen tidy and minimalistic, you can even hide app labels.

2. Call Recording

iPhone 15 Pro users will be able to record calls thanks to the iOS 18 update. Apple will also generate transcriptions, making it easier for users to look up their conversations.

While Google added this feature recently, it has been available on smartphones from other companies like Samsung for several years now. However, the transcription feature is still a relatively recent addition.

3. Customizable Control Center

Apple has expanded the Control Center's features considerably, and users can now customize toggles as well as their appearance.

Google introduced this feature in Android in 2014, although Samsung was actually the first company to add this ability to its Android phones.

4. Game Mode

Game Mode is a great addition for gaming enthusiasts, as it redirects most of the resources to the gameplay rather than other services in the background. This helps improve gaming performance and maintains the frame rate, making for a smoother user experience.

Google has a Game Mode API for developers, but other companies like Samsung have had this feature on their phones for several years.

5. App Lock And Hide

Apple will let users lock and hide their apps behind authentication so other users cannot see or open them without permission. While this is a great privacy-oriented feature addition, it has been available on Android phones for several years now.

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