Apple is releasing software updates for its iPhone, iPad, Mac and smartwatch on Monday, bringing new features and designs to compatible devices.

iOS 18, iPadOS 18, watchOS 11, and macOS Sequoia were announced in June at the company’s developer conference, bringing expanded new Home screen and Control Center customization options, intelligent handwriting and math tools for Notes, and new watch faces, among other new features.

Here’s what you need to know about the updates.

When can I get it?

Downloads for iOS, iPadOS, watchOS, and macOS updates typically begin around 6pm UK time (1pm New York City time; 3am Tuesday in Sydney). Unlike other manufacturers, all eligible Apple devices will be able to download and install the update as it’s released, rather than in a phased manner.

Which devices are suitable for this?

All Apple smartphones starting with the iPhone XS from 2018 or later can install iOS 18. All tablets starting with the iPad Pro from 2018, iPad Air (3rd generation) from 2019, iPad mini (5th generation), or iPad (6th generation) and later can install iPadOS 18. All Apple Watches starting with the Series 6 from 2020 or later can install watchOS 11. All MacBook Airs from 2020 onwards, MacBook Pros from 2018 onwards, Mac minis from 2018 onwards, iMacs from 2019 onwards, Mac Studios from 2022 onwards, iMac Pro from 2017 onwards, and Mac Pro from 2019 or later can install macOS Sequoia.

How do I get it?

Open the Settings app on your iPhone or iPad and go to General > Software Update. Tap Install if it’s available for download, then check and restart to install. You can also install the update using a Mac or iTunes on a Windows computer.

WatchOS 11 requires an iPhone XS or later to be running iOS 18 first. Next, open the Watch app on your phone and go to General > Software Update to begin the installation. You will need to place your smartwatch on a charger to complete the update.

Macs are updated in System Preferences. Go to General > Software Update.

How much will it cost?

The updates are free from Apple. If you are asked to pay for an update, it is a scam.

Apple Intelligence is not yet available

Apple’s various new AI tools, like writing and language tools, summarization, AI photo editing, and improved Siri, aren’t available yet and won’t be added to Apple products in beta until later this year, in October for the US and December for the UK.

iOS 18

Home screen and control center customization

Apple has finally let you place app icons and widgets on the home screen in any pattern, not just filled from the top left corner. App icons can now be made larger, and can be tinted to match dark mode or a color.

The Control Center has been revamped, adding a host of quick settings in different sizes and shapes, with extra pages to swipe through, so you can dedicate one page to music or another to smart home controls. The lock screen quick controls can also be changed.

Renewed photo app

The Photos app has been revamped with large featured photos and carousels. It now automatically creates collections of photos based on topics like Recent Days, Travel, or People & Pets. You can create your own collections and pin the most important ones for quick access, or reorganize the app to make it your own.

To inform

Apple has finally added RCS support to its Messages app, making texting easier for Android users, particularly with media and read receipts. You can now schedule messages to be sent at a later time, which is handy for sending birthday greetings. Text can now be animated in iMessages, and reactions can now include any emoji or sticker.

Notes, passwords and maps

The Notes app can now record audio and create live transcripts that can be searched or combined with other documents. It can also now solve mathematical expressions and calculations for you.

Apple’s Keychain has been transformed into a true password manager with the new Passwords app. It is available on all Apple devices and Windows devices.

Apple Maps now lets you save topographic maps offline and create custom routes for walks and hikes.

iPadOS18

The iPad has the same personalization, photos, messages, passwords, and mapping features, plus some significant upgrades specifically for the tablet.

Notes and calculator

The Notes app gets a major handwriting upgrade with the Apple Pencil. It can automatically smooth out poorly legible handwriting, correct spelling, move written words like you can with printed text, and even paste text as a copy of your own handwriting.

The Calculator app has finally arrived on the iPad, but with a twist. It can perform calculations on handwritten expressions, including algebraic variables, and even plot graphs.

The same Math Notes capability to solve expressions on the fly is also available in the Notes app for inline calculations.

watchOS 11

Photos Face

An updated Photos Face is a new watch face for watchOS 11 that creates faces from your photos with smart framing and time placement. You can choose from a selection of photos or let it automatically pick the best from your library.

The Flux watch face is a new large digital watch face with striking colors that change over time. Reflections is a new analog watch face that responds to your movements.

Essential data

The new Vitals app gives the data you track overnight while you sleep a new, more useful home. It includes your heart rate, respiratory rate, pulse temperature, blood oxygen and sleep duration, and shows when any of these deviate from your normal range, highlighting potential problems and providing a description of what might have caused the variation, such as alcohol consumption.

Training load

The Activity app can now track and display your training load for workouts and whether your body recovers enough between each session. You can also track your effort rating, or how hard each workout was, calculated based on your pace, elevation, heart rate, and other biometrics.

Live activities, double tap and pregnancy registration

Live activities, like ongoing timers, music playing, Uber rides, and the like, are now visible in the smart stack for quick access. The double-tap gesture can now scroll in most apps, allowing you to cycle through things by pinching your finger and thumb together twice. The watch can now track pregnancies, displaying pregnancy duration as part of its female cycle tracking feature.

macOS Sequoia

MacOS has most of the new features found on the iPhone and iPad, plus a few computer-specific additions.

iPhone Mirroring on Mac

The big new feature is the ability to wirelessly mirror and control your iPhone from your Mac. This lets you open apps, see notifications, and generally use a virtual version of your phone with your keyboard and mouse.

Easy tiling of windows

MacOS can now automatically tile your windows across your screen, such as snapping windows to a half-screen position by dragging them to the left or right side. Hover over the green button on a window to reveal a dropdown with tiling options.