Today, Apple released the third developer beta of iOS/iPadOS 18. While the main focus is on fixing bugs and other issues found in the previous beta 2, there are also a number of other minor changes, including design and UI tweaks.
Automatic Generation of Dark Mode-Compatible Icons
One of the major design changes is a new feature that automatically converts all home screen icons into dark mode icons. This applies even to apps that don't natively support dark mode icons, and can be enabled easily.
This appears to use some kind of machine learning-based image separation technology. As shown in the images above, when dark mode is enabled, white elements are inverted to gray, while for apps like Adobe Scan, light blue is inverted to black to create a dark mode icon.
Here's how to try out this feature:
- Long-press on the home screen
- Tap "Edit" in the top left
- Tap "Customize"
- Select "Dark" or "Automatic" to enable dark mode
Incidentally, it doesn't seem to apply to every single icon—for some apps, like Microsoft's OneDrive, the effect is achieved simply by darkening the entire icon.
Enhanced Flashlight Feature
Previously, the flashlight feature on iPhone could only be adjusted between four brightness levels. Starting with iOS 18, on iPhones equipped with the Dynamic Island (iPhone 15 series, iPhone 14 Pro, and iPhone 14 Pro Max), users can now adjust the beam width and range using an interactive UI. In this beta 3, the design has become considerably more polished.
With the flashlight turned on, tapping the Dynamic Island brings up the new flashlight UI, where you can swipe left and right to adjust the beam width, and swipe up and down to adjust the throw distance (brightness).
Color-Shifting Dynamic Wallpaper
A "Dynamic" version of the default iOS 18 wallpaper has appeared. In previous betas, the wallpaper came in four color variations (plus a dark mode version), but this new dynamic version appears to shift colors gradually over time.
Apple has announced that it will release a public beta sometime in July, and based on the timing of this release, it seems likely to arrive around July 22, roughly two weeks from now. iOS 18 is expected to launch officially this fall, but as widely reported, the beta for the much-talked-about Apple Intelligence features won't even begin until 2025.
Sources
- 9to5Mac: iOS 18 beta 3: Here's everything new