iOS 18’s Latest Beta Brings Key Improvements to Safari and Photos

Apple has unveiled the fifth beta version of iOS 18 for developers, introducing enhancements to Safari and Photos. This latest update arrives just weeks after the release of beta 4. The tech giant is anticipated to launch the final version of iOS 18 in mid-September.

iOS 18 beta 5 introduces a new ‘Distraction Control’ feature to eliminate distracting elements like login pop-ups or content overlays on web pages. This enhancement aims to improve user focus on desired information. To enable this feature users can access the Page Menu within the Smart Search field.

By selecting ‘Hide Distracting Items’, users can choose specific web page elements to block. Hidden items can be viewed by clicking the hide icon in the search field and selecting ‘Show Hidden Items’. This feature offers potential benefits for various online activities.

Apple has significantly revamped the Photos app in iOS 18. The new home screen offers greater customization, allowing users to personalize the app’s appearance and photo organization.

In response to user feedback, Apple has simplified the interface by removing the carousel view and adopting a larger grid for the “All Photos” section. Additionally, the “Recently Saved” content has been integrated into the “Recent Days” category, and photo albums have been reorganized for improved accessibility.

Other than the usual OS updates, iOS 18 will bring generative AI features to iPhones as part of its “Apple Intelligence”. However, these AI features will reportedly not be available at the launch of the iPhone 16 and are expected to roll out later.