Three last-minute rumors about iOS 18: protecting apps with Face ID, improved dark mode, and a change we’ve been waiting on for years

We’re just a few hours away from the start of the WWDC 2024 conference, but rumors keep surfacing about the star of the show, Apple’s new iOS 18. Among the most notable features are the ability to protect apps with Face ID, a significant improvement to dark mode, and a change in the Messages app that we’ve been waiting years to see.

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Protect applications with native Face ID

One of the most interesting rumors is the possibility that iOS 18 will allow us to lock individual apps using Face ID, Touch ID, or a passcode. According to MacRumors, this small feature would provide an additional layer of privacy and security by allowing us to completely lock apps like Mail, Messages, Notes, Phone, Photos, Safari, or even the Settings app, even if the iPhone is already unlocked.

One of the most important questions here is whether we’ll be able to set up a code independent of the phone’s primary security code, a code that the person to which we lend the iPhone may use at any time. At any rate, the native arrival of this feature would eliminate the need to use alternative methods such as Screen Time or Shortcuts, which are used by some to protect certain applications.

An improved dark mode

Dark mode, introduced with iOS 13, has been a very popular feature, and iOS 18 promises to take it to a whole new level by extending dark mode to the icons of applications on the home screen. According to MacRumors, application icons will automatically receive a dark or black tone when dark mode is activated. The change will initially be limited to Apple’s built-in applications, although it can also be extended to third-party apps through a dedicated API.

According to what we know, this change will be compatible with the system and will allow changing the color or tone of the application icons. This exciting change had already been rumored before, and now users will finally find the new functionality when they activate dark mode.

Reactions with any Emoji: an expected change in the Messages app

In the Messages app, we’ve been able to react to content in a variety of ways, ever since iOS 10. However, these options have been predefined and not customizable. Now, according to Mark Gurman, with iOS 18 these icons will be much more colorful. And that’s not the only change.

Now we will be able to use any Emoji as a reaction, meaning there’ll be hundreds of new possibilities. It’s true that we can already do these reactions with stickers, but now, if the predictions are right, we’ll be able to do it faster and more comfortably.

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For now, we’re talking about mere leaks and predictions, but our wait to see the changes in action will not be long. Today at 1 pm ET (10 am PT), we can watch the opening keynote of the WWDC 2024 live. There, we’ll discover firsthand all the surprises Apple has prepared for iOS 18 and the rest.