iOS 18 is getting the ability to lock apps with Face ID & a dark mode expansion

Beyond our own exclusive about what Siri will be able to do in iOS 18, there is new information on what to expect from Apple's new operating systems.

New leaks have revealed further refinements to both the look and security of iOS 18, expected to be unveiled on June 10th at the 2024 WWDC keynote. Apple intends to further enhance Dark Mode by giving at least its own built-in apps a darker tint and an automatic switch to a dark background.

Reports first spotted by MacRumors suggest that Apple will offer an API to developers to allow third-party apps to also support the revised Dark Mode app icon tinting. If so, many common third-party apps could take advantage of the feature by the time the next iOS version is officially released, sometime in Fall 2024.

App Locking

A further security enhancement in iOS 18 would allow users to "lock" at least built-in iPhone or iPad apps such as Safari, Mail, Messages, Notes, and Photos, as well as Settings. Doing so would require a Face ID or Touch ID scan, or passcode unlock, before the app would launch.

This can already be done to select apps using the Screen Time feature or via Shortcuts. The change would that ability more universal across the OS.

The feature would also build upon existing security features already present in iOS 17, such as "locked" Notes or revealing "Hidden" albums in Photos. The option could be set by users on whichever apps they choose, and would be required even if the iPhone had already been unlocked by passcode or biometric entry.

The additions are relatively minor when compared to what is expected to be the main draw for WWDC 2024 — Apple Intelligence. That term is said to be what Apple's AI push will be called, starting in iOS 18 and so forth.

In it, Siri is expected to get major revisions. Individual apps like Notes and Safari are also rumored to get big enhancements from the AI push.

Apple's Mail application will get a significant overhaul this year, as we revealed in our exclusive report on Project BlackPearl. The company will enhance its built-in email app with machine learning, which will allow it to automatically classify emails based on their text content.

The built-in Notes app is also expected to feature in-app audio recording, audio transcription as well as LLM-powered summarization. This will allow users to store audio recordings, summaries, and transcriptions alongside other material such as text or images, all in one note.

Apple's default Photos app will get some minor UI changes, along with new AI-powered editing features. The Clean Up tool will facilitate the removal of objects from an image through the use of generative AI.

Reminders is also expected to receive integration with Apple's default Calendar application, as AppleInsider exclusively revealed. This means that users will be able to create and edit reminders directly from the built-in Calendar app.