Apple has rolled out its iOS 18 update, and users are not happy.
After the tech giant's newest operating system failed to meet the expectations it set with its Apple Intelligence claims, many took to social media to complain about a wide range of botched features.
One of the most prominent complaints on X stems from the Photos app's unusable state.
Users have criticized the app's difficult navigation system, claiming that the update has rendered photo albums more disorganized than ever before.
Searching for a pic in the new iOS 18 album pic.twitter.com/PyzfkD2Am5
— WHAM! (@WanedSpirit) December 1, 2024
In a post, designer Mike Rundle stated that Apple seems to have stopped viewing the Photos app as a utility, instead trying to entice people to use it even more.
Among other things, he highlighted how the search icon has been relegated to an inconvenient spot on the screen, which does no favors for the user.
Apple broke the Photos app in iOS 18 because they stopped thinking about it as a Utility and started treating it like an app they are trying to grow casual usage of, which is insane.
— Mike Rundle (@flyosity) September 19, 2024
Apple’s goal should **never** be to increase usage of it like it’s some social product or game.… pic.twitter.com/c3pMBK9O1L
Fans have also pointed out the operating system's huge processing power requirements, humorously questioning its effectiveness on older devices.
Other posts reveal hilarious flaws in Genmoji, Apple Intelligence's new AI-powered emoji creator.
In several cases, the feature appears to have utilized photos and internet memes to create weird emojis that don't look like emojis at all.
do NOT update to ios 18.1 this is unusable pic.twitter.com/zexRNA7U27
— ✨𝕥𝕙𝕚𝕤🥹 is the age of ✨𝕞𝕦𝕕💖 (@greenstain58) November 1, 2024
Aside from UI/UX issues, each iPhone software update brings its own set of challenges with integration.
New operating systems from Apple have been known to affect hardware performance, as well as overall iOS app development.
With these kinds of negative reactions, Apple may need to release iOS 18.2 to fix these bugs sooner than expected.
The Pros
Despite the flaws, users have also praised many new features included in the update, particularly those tied to Apple Intelligence.
One post on X praised AI's capability to summarize long text messages for quick viewing.
In case anyone was wondering, the new AI feature on iOS 18 that summarizes longer text messages works incredibly well. pic.twitter.com/Ta6J2DlGJb
— kendall (@kendallwmorgan) November 10, 2024
New calculator features have also sparked fan interest.
The essential utility app is now capable of analyzing handwritten equations, creating graphs, and even converting currency.
iOS 17 comparison with iOS 18
— Science girl (@gunsnrosesgirl3) June 14, 2024
pic.twitter.com/kuQpFyjPlx
Software development companies that build iOS apps will likely need to adapt quickly, ensuring their products remain functional amid the update’s UI and performance shifts.
Apple Intelligence featured heavily in ads leading up to the release of the new system, as well as the iPhone 16, hyping up expectations.
Back in October, Bella Ramsey starred in a campaign for the new iPhone, showcasing its AI capabilities.
Later that month, the tech giant launched two spots showcasing its Writing Tools and Memory Movie features.
