At a Glance
Apple usually adds new privacy and security features each time it releases a new version of iOS or iPadOS, and iOS 18 and iPadOS 18 are certainly no exception. In this year’s updates, there are several new privacy and security features, not the least of which is Apple Intelligence, which allows iOS 18 and iPadOS 18 users to gain the benefits of Artificial Intelligence without the usual privacy risks.
In this article, I’ll cover all of the new privacy and security features in iOS 18 and iPadOS 18 and explain how the new features team up to make the use of your iPhone and iPad safer and more secure. To simplify things, I’ll refer to both iOS 18 and iPadOS 18 as iOS 18. If a feature is not present in iPadOS 18, I’ll be sure to make a note of it.
Lock and Hide Apps
In the main, iOS protects against someone simply picking up your iPhone and browsing through it, unless they can unlock it with a passcode or face or Touch ID. If someone does gain access, they could go through and see all of your apps while being able to also load and run them. It’s really irritating if you unlock your iPhone to allow someone to borrow your iPhone to make a call, and after finishing the call, they decide to browse your apps or start browsing through your photos or documents.
iOS 18 will include the option to lock your apps or hide apps on your device.
Locking Apps
iOS 18 allows you to lockdown your apps, preventing anyone from opening your apps and viewing sensitive information.
It’s quite easy to lock an app in iOS 18, just do the following:
- On the iPhone’s home screen, long press on the app you want to lock (just like you would if you were rearranging or editing apps).
- In the list of options, you’ll see a new option on the bottom that says “Require Face ID” (or “Require Touch ID” on the iPhone SE). Tap this option.
- You’ll see a window pop up, asking if you want to require Face ID or hide the app and require Face ID. Tap “Require Face ID” (or “Require Touch ID”) to confirm your choice.
From now on, the app will not open without entering your passcode or using Face ID or Touch ID.
Hiding Apps
While locking your apps prevents anyone but you from opening them, hiding your apps removes the temptation completely, by hiding them from sight. This is a particularly nice way to hide banks and financial apps.
It’s also easy to hide an app in iOS 18, just do the following:
- On the iPhone’s home screen, long press on the app you want to hide (just like you would if you were rearranging or editing apps).
- Tap “Require Face ID” (or “Require Touch ID” on the iPhone SE).
- In the list of options, you’ll see a new option on the bottom that says “Hide and Require Face ID” (or “Hide and Require Touch ID” on the iPhone SE). Tap this option.
- You’ll see a notice saying the app will no longer be visible on your home screen. Tap “Hide App” to confirm your decision.
The app will disappear from your home screen. However, the app is not completely gone. The hidden app is still accessible in the “Hidden Apps” folder, which can be found at the bottom of the “Apps” page.
All iPhones that have the iOS 18 update installed will have a “Hidden Apps” folder, even if you haven’t yet hidden any apps. To access your hidden apps, tap the Hidden Apps folder and then use Face ID or Touch ID to access the apps in the folder.
There are some apps that can’t be hidden. This includes built-in apps like Calculator, Clock, Maps, Photos, and Stocks. However, most third-party apps can be hidden.
Private Notifications
Notifications from locked apps will not display information unless the app has been unlocked with Face ID or Touch ID. This helps protect your sensitive personal or financial information from being viewed by others.
Unlocking or Unhiding Your Apps
How to Unlock Your Apps
To unlock a locked app, long press the locked app’s icon and then tap “Don’t Require Face ID” from the app shortcuts that appear.
How to Unhide Your Apps
To unhide an app, do the following:
- Swipe to the App Library page of your Home Screen.
- Scroll down to the Hidden Apps folder.
- Tap the Hidden Apps folder. This requires Face ID or Touch ID to open.
- Your hidden apps will now display. Long press on the icon of the app you want to unhide and tap “Don’t Require Face ID” from the app shortcuts that appear.
The iOS 18 Passwords App
iOS 18 also brings a welcome new security feature, a built-in Passwords app. While iOS has stored your password information in iCloud Keychain, the new Password app is more like third-party apps, like 1Password or Dashlane.
The app not only stores your passwords, but it will also alert you when you’re using a weak password or if the password has been leaked in a recent data breach.
The new Passwords app provides a centralized hub for managing users’ passwords across many of Apple’s device platforms, including the iPhone, iPad, Mac, and Vision Pro.
In addition to password storage, the app also provides several advanced security features, including:
- Compromised password alerts: The app alerts users to passwords that may have been compromised in data breaches, prompting them to change them immediately.
- Verification code and passkey support: The app provides two-factor authentication codes, as well as modern security technologies like passkeys.
- WiFi password management: WiFi passwords can be stored and managed within the app. This makes it easier to share secure access to your WiFi network without needing to reveal the actual password.
Contact Sharing With Apps
Apple has long offered ways to control what permissions you give to apps. Users can select photos that can be accessed by an app, without needing to give it access to your full photo library. App Tracking Transparency allows you to control an app’s tracking across other apps and websites.
Now, iOS 18 expands this information control, by expanding it to your contacts. In iOS 18, you can control which contacts are shared by an app, keeping your contact information privacy-protected. This not only protects your privacy, but also that of your contacts.
Other iOS 18 Security And Privacy Enhancements
Accessory Setup Kit
iOS 18 includes an Accessory Setup Kit which allows developers to pair a user’s accessories without letting an app see all of the devices present on your network. It also makes connecting Bluetooth accessories, like third-party Bluetooth earbuds, more of an AirPods-like experience, making pairing much easier.
Apple says the new feature allows users to create a user-friendly setup experience, while ensuring that apps and device makers do not have access to information about other devices on the user’s network.
Refreshed Privacy & Security
Apple has refreshed the Privacy & Security section in the Settings apps, offering glanceable information, allowing users to more easily understand the level of access each app has, while also offering the ability to make changes.
iOS 18 Apple Intelligence
iOS 18 is the first iPhone software update to boast major Artificial Intelligence (AI) upgrades. There are security and privacy concerns over AI, thanks to Apple’s partnering with OpenAI for ChatGPT. However, Apple says it has taken steps to secure and keep private its AI features by using on-device processing, while more processor-intensive requests will be processed in its own “Private Cloud Compute” environment.
Private Cloud Compute
While current iPhones, iPads, and Mac are powerful, they (or any other consumer-level device) are not powerful enough to process all of the AI models users need. Apple Intelligence handles this by using a combination of on-device and server-based generative AI models to handle AI requests. Anything that is beyond Siri’s knowledge base is passed on and handled securely in the cloud by a process called “Private Cloud Compute.”
When a user makes a request, Apple Intelligence determines whether or not the request can be processed on the user’s device. If the request requires computational capacity beyond the device’s capabilities it will draw on the power of Private Cloud Compute, which sends only the data required for the request to be processed on its Apple Silicon-powered servers.
Apple says that when requests are routed to Private Cloud Compute, the data is not stored on Apple servers nor made accessible to Apple. The data is used only to fulfill the user’s requests.
Find out more details about how Private Cloud Compute works.
ChatGPT
Apple is also integrating ChatGPT from OpenAI into Siri and Writing Tools. Siri can access ChatGPT to complete certain requests, including questions about documents and photos. Apple’s Compose in Writing Tools allows users to create and even illustrate original content.
You also need not worry about your privacy, as you will control when ChatGPT will be used and whether or not any of your information is shared. Access to ChatGPT will be free, with no need to create an account. This means no personal information will be shared with ChatGPT. ChatGPT subscribers will be able to connect their accounts to access paid features.
In Closing
Apple is continually working to keep its users’ privacy well-protected, and iOS 18 and iPadOS 18 are no exceptions. While Apple is adding several Artificial Intelligence-related features, it has done so in a way that it protects your privacy. iOS 18 also brings the ability to hide and lock your apps, protecting your app privacy. Be sure to update your iPhone or iPad when iOS 18 and iPadOS 18 become available to the public.
iOS 18 Privacy FAQs
Is Apple Intelligence a Replacement for Siri?
No. Apple Intelligence will actually enhance Siri’s abilities. In iOS 18, Siri will be much more intuitive and will also be more responsive to requests. Siri will have improved language understanding, and will even understand you if you stumble over words or change your mind mid-request.
Siri will also be able to see what’s on your device’s screen, meaning you can visit a website and then say “send this to Susie,” and Siri will fire off a message with the weblink to Susie. Siri also allows you to make a reference to your previous request. Say, you create a calendar event for a week’s vacation in the Bahamas, you can then follow that up with a question, like “what will the weather be like?” and Siri will understand the week you’re referring to.
Does Apple Keep Track of My AI-Related Requests?
No. ChatGPT integration is opt-in, and Siri will ask you for permission each time before sending a request to ChatGPT and OpenAI’s servers. Your requests are not recorded by Apple or ChatGPT, unless you’re logged in to a paid ChatGPT account.
Will My iPhone Run iOS 18?
iOS 18 will run on all recent iPhones, including:
- All iPhone 15 models
- All iPhone 14 models
- All iPhone 13 models
- All iPhone 12 models
- All iPhone 11 models
- iPhone XS and XS Max
- iPhone XR
- iPhone SE (2nd and 3rd gen)
Will My iPad Run iPadOS 18?
iPadOS 18 will run on all recent iPads, including:
- iPad Pro (M4)
- iPad Pro 12.9-inch (3rd generation and later)
- iPad Pro 11-inch (1st generation and later)
- iPad Air (M2)
- iPad Air (3rd generation and later)
- iPad (7th generation and later)
- iPad mini (5th generation and later)
