Just as Apple announced when it communicated that Apple Intelligence would not be available in Europe this year, yesterday the second beta of iOS 18 and the rest of the operating systems arrived. A version that fixes some errors from the official version and adds new features.
Small details and great new features
The list of changes ranges from the arrival of important features such as iPhone duplication, to minor details like the color of icons in dark mode. Overall, it is an evolution of the operating system that will officially arrive in a few months. The complete list of changes is as follows:
- iPhone Duplication: now we can control our iPhone from the Mac. Just open the new application that appears on the Mac to interact with our phone without touching it. We can open apps, manage notifications, and more, all while the iPhone is locked.
- RCS Messaging Option: this second beta adds the option for the new RCS messaging protocol, which will replace SMS and MMS. Currently, this option is only visible for iPhones in the United States with compatible carriers, such as T-Mobile, Verizon, and AT&T. It is expected that as carriers offer support, more and more users will be able to activate this new system for sending messages.
- Changes in the EU app ecosystem: in the European Union, the second beta of iPadOS 18 adds support for alternative app stores and downloading apps from websites, in response to regulations from the European Commission.
- New SharePlay features: iOS 18 in its beta 2 adds support for the new SharePlay features introduced at WWDC 2024. Now, whenever we are outside of Europe, where these functionalities will not be available due to the DMA, we can take control of someone else’s screen or make annotations on it during a screen sharing session.
- Dark mode for wallpapers: there is a new option to automatically tint the chosen wallpaper, which darkens the background.
- Improved contrast of icons: for some icons, the second beta improves ink contrast by adding darker areas.
- Dark mode in the App Store: the App Store icon on the home screen now has a dark mode that changes the background color of the app.
- Power button in Control Center: the power button in the Control Center now has a more noticeable haptic feedback and only activates with a press instead of a simple touch, which prevents accidental activations.
- Connected Cards Wallet widget: this beta brings us a new widget called Connected Cards Wallet. Although it currently doesn’t work, it will show us the total balance of the card and transaction history.
- Easier way to add passwords: on the main tab of the password app, a “+” button has been added that allows us to add new items without having to first enter the “All” section.
Taking into account what we have observed, the second beta of iOS 18 introduces several new features and significant adjustments, along with minor details that are characteristic of the evolution of a beta. Although the most important updates are not available in Europe due to the DMA, the update continues to progress for iOS 18 and other systems in anticipation of its official release in the upcoming autumn.
