Apple finally unleashed iOS 18 upon the world on September 16th, after months of beta testing. It’s touted as one of the most significant iOS updates in history, promising a new era of Apple Intelligence, enhanced customization, long-awaited RCS support, a revamped Photos app, and much more. As someone who skipped the beta, this public release was my first foray into the uncharted waters of iOS 18, minus the Apple Intelligence feature, which is set to arrive in iOS 18.1 next month.
While I was initially thrilled to finally get my hands on the latest iOS update, I soon discovered a surprising level of frustration with some of the highly anticipated features. Let me elaborate.
One of the key selling points of iOS 18 was the promise of Android-style home screen customization. After years of longing, Apple users finally had the freedom to place apps and widgets anywhere on the home screen without the rigid grid constraints of the past. With iOS 18, we can rearrange icons and widgets freely, even changing the layout of our Control Center. But here’s the rub: the customization process feels anything but smooth and seamless. It’s almost as if iOS is actively resisting every attempt to make changes.
Since iOS 14 introduced the ability to change app icons without jailbreaking, I’ve maintained the same home screen layout for years. I went through the arduous process of customizing my home screen using Shortcuts, aiming for a consistent aesthetic. With iOS 18 and the new Dark theme for icons, I was eager to revamp my entire home screen. However, the process turned out to be clunky and frustrating. Even though Apple touts the ability to place apps and widgets anywhere, even with spaces between them, it feels more like an afterthought. When I try to drag an app from search or the App Library and place it in the middle of an empty page, it instantly snaps back to the top-left corner like in the old days. The grid-based system is still present, limiting your ability to freely arrange elements. You can’t simply have an app or widget directly in the center of the home screen. It’s also impossible to create a 2×2 widget in the center with a column of apps to the left or right. So the “anywhere” claim isn’t entirely accurate.
The Control Center customization, while a welcomed addition, is even more troublesome. I had my desired controls in place, but whenever I resized or moved a control, everything else seemed to shift around randomly. The controls didn’t move in a predictable way, creating an unintuitive and chaotic experience. This issue occurred repeatedly, forcing me into a never-ending battle to achieve the desired Control Center layout. It felt more like a fight against iOS rather than a smooth customization process.
Another curious issue I encountered is related to Focus modes. I have the 1Password app on my main home screen and also on my Work Focus mode. However, whenever the Work Focus mode is activated according to my schedule, the 1Password app mysteriously disappears from the Work home screen. This seems like a glitch, as I never experienced this issue in iOS 17.
Overall, my first impressions of iOS 18 are tinged with disappointment. The home screen and Control Center customization features, despite being heavily advertised, feel incomplete and clunky. Considering the extensive beta testing period, it’s surprising that these issues made it to the final release. It’s almost as if iOS 18 is still stuck in beta mode.
Adding to the frustration is the fact that a key component of iOS 18, the Apple Intelligence feature, is still missing in action. It’s scheduled to arrive in iOS 18.1, currently in beta and expected in October. Given the prominence of Apple Intelligence in the overall iOS 18 vision, my iPhone 15 Pro with iOS 18 feels incomplete. I sincerely hope that iOS 18.1 delivers significant improvements to the home screen and Control Center customization issues in addition to finally unleashing Apple Intelligence. Otherwise, I might be tempted to avoid making any further changes to my home screen and Control Center, unless I want to throw my phone out the window.
