Apple is making the iPhone more like Android

iOS 18: Your iPhone is About to Get a Makeover

Get ready, iPhone users! With Apple’s upcoming iOS 18 update, your device is about to look and feel more like an Android phone. Announced at the Worldwide Developers Conference (WWDC) on Monday, the new software promises an array of customization options that bring a fresh, personalized touch to the iPhone experience.

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A New Era of Customization

Ever wanted to arrange app icons around a photo of your dog or add a colorful tint to your home screen? iOS 18 makes it possible. Simply press and hold the home screen to start customizing. The update also brings a sleek new look to icons and wallpapers in dark mode.

But that’s not all. In a nod to Android’s popular widgets, Apple has revamped the Control Center. You can now swap out the flashlight button on your lock screen for another control, like a shortcut to an app or a feature from a third-party developer. For instance, during the WWDC presentation, Craig Federighi, Apple’s Senior Vice President of Software Engineering, demonstrated using a Ford app control to adjust his car’s air conditioning directly from the Control Center.

Tech fans on social media, especially on X (formerly Twitter), were quick to react:

“Android fans are dying of laughter right now as Apple announces more home screen customization 💀” — @randomfrankp
“This is so horribly Android, I love and hate it. Thanks Apple,” wrote another user.

Some even speculated that the new features might tempt Android users to switch to iPhones.

The Innovation Debate

The longstanding debate over which is more innovative—Android or iPhone—has heated up with this announcement. Android users have long touted the flexibility and customization of their devices. Now, with iOS 18, Apple is closing the gap, offering iPhone users more ways to tailor their devices to their personal tastes.

Since 2022, iPhone users have outnumbered Android users in the U.S., and with updates like these, Apple aims to maintain that lead by addressing one of Android’s key advantages: customization.