Apple continues to polish its operating system with the latest developer version of iOS 18. Beta 5 brings a series of improvements and novelties, and also collects feedback from the first betas. Important changes in the Photos app, new options in Safari, and small adjustments throughout the system make up most of the changelog.
Distraction control in Safari
In Safari, this fifth beta brings a new feature called Distraction Control. This feature allows us to hide elements on web pages, such as login pop-ups, cookie notices, and newsletter subscription banners, to name a few examples.
Although it will block or eliminate dynamic ads only temporarily, rather than permanently, the browsing quality has been improved, and it is still considered a very useful tool. The hidden elements are not synchronized across devices, at least for now, but if we need to, we have the option to show them manually.
Changes in the Photos application
Moving on to the feedback section, the second important change in iOS 18 beta 5 is the revision of the Photos app design. Apple has decided to remove the Carousel interface, which allowed us to scroll horizontally through the Photos library.
Under the grid of photos and videos, which is still present and now takes up a larger proportion of the screen, we find the albums, people, places, and other elements. There is some minor reorganization of what is shown first, and we still have the option to customize those sections to our liking. This completes the redesign for this beta.
Home screen options
The management of the home screen pages has also been simplified with a new Edit Pages button, that appears when you long press the home screen. The options to customize the home screen now becomes more visible.
Icons, notifications, and dark mode search
iOS 18 beta 5 also brings aesthetic changes to dark mode. Apple has modified the design of the Maps and Search icons. In addition, dark mode icons are increasingly being used for notifications, providing greater visual consistency throughout the system. Now, when we search using Spotlight with dark mode enabled, the icons also adapt to this color variant.
Redesign in the Control Center and other adjustments
In the Control Center, several icons have been redesigned, appearing larger and clearer. This includes the icons for Screen Recording, Airplane Mode, and Mobile Data.
Finally, protection for stolen devices now also appears in the Privacy and Security menu in the Settings application, although it is still accessible from the Face ID and Passcode options.
Although in some cases the changes seem minor, they are refining the user experience of iOS 18 and what the new operating system offers for our iPhones. As always, in a beta version we expect this journey, and there is still a long way to go before the official release of iOS 18 in September. We will then see what else Apple surprises us with.
