fbpx

How iOS 18 is Revolutionizing Privacy and Security

November 1, 2024
Comment seo

Apple’s iOS 18 has become the real game-changer for the ultimate user experience for iPad and iPhone owners. It helps establish a robust foundation for their predecessors while welcoming a myriad of amazing new enhancements and features. Apple iOS is jam-packed with the latest new features that include different ways to customize the layout of the home screen, which is an all-new Control Center with several productivity features. However, iOS 18 includes different privacy and security enhancements to aid in securing your entire data. For further details, you can find what you can get here.

Key Security Features of Apple iOS 18

iOS 18 Apple comes with the latest features to boost productivity, usability, and entertainment. Out of the notable advancements across the AI development services, it brings about a lot of personalized user experiences. Let us now check out the core aspects of iOS 18.

Manage Your Passwords, Passkeys, and 2fa Codes in the New Passwords App

Apple has created an entirely new app for iOS 18, Passwords. This app is considered a unique password manager as it enables iPhone owners to organize and control passwords like never before. 

The ideal thing here is about the Password app, where the user does not have anything else to set it up. You can find every password that has been stored in your iCloud Keychain, which is imported right into the app. It is since then, the Passwords have offered numerous categories enabling users to access the login or password info they are in search of rapidly, and include:

Manage Your Passwords

  • All: This category displays all your saved passwords. Click on any password to view its details.
  • Passkeys: This category displays the Apple passkeys that have been saved into your account. Passkeys replace the password and enable you to log into the site using biometrics.
  • Codes: This section reveals every account for which you have MFA or multifactor authentication codes set up. If you log in to the website and it asks you about the authentication code, you have to head out to the section of the Password app to look it up instantly.
  • Wi-Fi: This section consists of every password for different WiFi networks you have joined.
  • Security: The section shows you if any of your passwords have been compromised or a weaker one.
  • Deleted: It is this category consisting of the passwords you have already deleted.

The other primary perk of the Password app is that it enables you to share all of your passwords with others through shared groups. This is ideal for families where each member needs the login details to the specific streaming service. The passwords help to share this data easily.

Read Also: Protect Yourself Online: 10 Password Keepers To Consider

New Passwords App

Lock Apps Behind Face ID

Apple is not offering its users the ability to lock apps behind Face ID or Touch ID in iOS 18. It indicates that prior to the app being launched, the individual will be asked to verify themselves through fingerprint or face. Earlier, the apps would have been locked right behind the Touch ID or Face ID if the developers added the security features.

However, what is the reason for securing an app behind the Touch ID or Face ID? The obvious case here is when you allow someone to use your iPhone to place a call. If you have locked the other apps behind the Face ID, then it shows that the person who is using the phone is not snooping around to view whatever is saved into your Photos app or Notes, for instance. For locking the app behind the Touch ID or Face ID, the following needs to be done:

  1. Long press the icon of the app.
  2. Tap on the “Require Face ID” out of the contextual menu.
  3. Tap on “Require Face/Touch ID” from the pop-up display.

If you attempt to launch the app later or someone else does, then it will not open till you have authenticated using your biometrics.

Hide Apps on Your iPhone

Apple also added the other feature of hiding the apps installed on your iPhone. Whenever you hide an app, it will not pop up or show on the home screens of the iPhone. Anyone who tries accessing your phone will not get their hands on the installed app, adding to a greater deal of privacy.

Hide Apps on Your iPhone

There are several reasons why you would want to hide a few specific apps. For instance, you might wish to hide the apps containing personal details related to your health or the ones where you note down your daily thoughts. Irrespective of the reason for hiding any app, Apple makes things easier for you.

  1. Long press the icon of the app.
  2. Tap on the “Require Face ID” out of the contextual menu.
  3. Tap on “Hide and Require Face/Touch ID” from the pop-up display.
  4. Tap “Hide App” on the next pop-up display.

The app will now be completely hidden from the home screen, but you can still access it. Swipe to the App Library, tap on the “Hidden” folder, and authenticate with biometrics. The hidden apps will appear here, and you can use them generally.

Control Access to Your Contacts

Apps will occasionally notify you of access to the contacts on your iPhone for numerous reasons. For instance, social media apps use the contact details to help you locate your friends. However, your contacts also enable firms to build up the social graph revolving around you as they can show all types of personal details.

Prior to iOS 18, you would have given an app access to your contacts or none. In iOS 18, there is a middle ground. You can give access to your app to the contacts of your choice. This enables you to allow the messenger app, for instance, to know who your friends are; however, it does not reveal the names of your close ones that you have saved into your contact list.

In iOS 18, when an app asks for Contacts access for the first time, you’ll be asked if you want to deny access, allow full access, or select access to contacts of your choosing. But you can also change the type of access you have granted to existing apps in the past. Here’s how:

Control Access to Your Contacts

In iOS 18, whenever an app asks for Contacts access for the first time, you are often asked if you wish to deny access, allow full access, or choose access to the contacts of your choice. However, you can change the kind of access you granted to the existing apps earlier.

  1. Tap open the Settings app.
  2. Select Privacy & Security.
  3. Tap on the Contacts.
  4. A list of apps requesting Contacts access will show up. Select the app to change the access.
  5. Select None, Limited Access, or Full Access on the next screen.
  6. A screen appears, prompting you to opt from the specific contacts you want the app to have access to upon selecting “Limited Access.”
  7. Choose the name of the contact so that a blue tick mark appears right next to it.
  8. Tap on Done upon selecting contacts.

This way the app now has access to just the contacts you have allowed access to.

Wrapping Up

This launch marks the beginning of an excitingly new era of personal intelligence as Apple Intelligence introduces intuitive, powerful, and instantly useful experiences that transform the iPhone experience all around privacy at the core. We cannot wait for people to try it. iOS 18 is now available as a free download-it requires an iPhone XR or later, or an iPhone SE (2nd generation) or later.