IOS 12 will change your iPhone: Key takeaways

Bravo, Apple is finally tackling smartphone addiction. And adding group video chats to FaceTime.

These are my two key standout features that will be coming to the iPhone as part of an iOS 12 software upgrade that Apple unveiled Monday at its annual Worldwide Developers Conference in San Jose. iOS 12, of course, will be at the core of the next new iPhone(s) that likely will be announced (if Apple sticks to its normal playbook) in September. The software will also freshen up the iPhone (and iPad) you already own.

It wasn’t much of a surprise that this latest version of Apple’s mobile operating system arrives without a ton of fancy new consumer features — unless your idea of “fancy” is “tongue detection” for Animojis and new cartoonish characters called “Memojis.”

That’s OK. A lot of the important stuff frankly comes under the hood, where Apple promises to make your devices perform faster and be more responsive.

The new OS likely will arrive around the same time new iPhones show up in the fall. Here are my key takeaways:

Screen time

Just about everyone of us can relate to screen addiction, especially if you have kids for whom you need a crowbar to remove them from their devices.

That’s where the new Screen Time feature comes in. For starters, Apple is promising a weekly summary that details how you or your kids use an iPhone or iPad.

What apps are you/they spending your time on? What’s the breakout, say by games, social networking, etc.? Which apps are drawing you guys in? Where are notifications most coming from? The summary is meant to answer such questions.

Armed with such information you can make informed decisions in setting app time limits, for you or your youngsters. You can set such limits by category or by individual app.

Do Not Disturb During Bedtime

Another potentially useful variation on the screen addiction theme. The idea behind Do Not Disturb During Bedtime mode is indeed to get a better night’s sleep. How so? When this mode kicks in, the iPhone display is dimmed and notifications go into hiding, at least until a designated wake-up time or when you tap the screen. You can set Do Not Disturb During Bedtime in Control Center and select an automatic end time based on the time or even location.

Group FaceTime

Apple delivers another feature that had been on my wish list, the ability to go beyond one-on-one video calls and use FaceTime with multiple people at once. And multiple people it is — you’ll be able to FaceTime with up to 32 people simultaneously.

Third-party CarPlay apps

Up to now you have had to use Apple Maps for directions while using CarPlay in your vehicle. iOS 12 will give you the ability to employ CarPlay with thirdparty mapping apps. And that means Waze and Google Maps, or your other navigational app of choice.

Siri Shortcuts

How much smarter Siri has or will get via iOS 12 remains to be seen, but Apple is adding a feature called Siri Shortcuts that I think will help. Essentially such shortcuts give you the ability to customize actions for Siri based on an app, time of day or routines. And yes, Apple appears to be playing catch-up next to Alexa and the Google Assistant since both let you set a series of multistep actions based on your own routines.

You might set up a Siri Shortcut around a trip you are taking. You record a custom voice command — “Hey Siri, travel plans”— and Siri might chime in with address of your hotel and the time you can check in.

Animojis and Memojis

Apple is now expanding the Animoji roster with ghost, koala, tiger and T. rex characters, and if you stick out your tongue, such characters will do so in kind.

But as part of iOS 12, you’ll also be able create your own personal avatars, which Apple calls Memojis. These are supposed to resemble your own mug. You can customize your Memoji by adding freckles or eyeglasses, altering your hairstyle and so on.