While WWDC2024Apple has unveiled a number of great new features that will be available in iOS 18 and macOS Sequoia (and its other software platforms) later this year. But if you don’t want to wait for these features to be released, you can get many of them now.
Apple is known for adding new features to its software that then ‘Sherlock’ functionality are already offered by third-party apps, and this is the case again this year. Sometimes the alternative options are still the best; you may find this to be the case with some of them.
Use ChatGPT for AI support
Let’s start with one of the more obvious points: you don’t have to wait for Apple’s deal with OpenAI and ChatGPT to be implemented in iOS 18 and macOS Sequoia later this year, because you can create dedicated ChatGPT apps for the iPhone And Mac at the moment.
Some features are only available to paying users, but many of them are not exclusive to ChatGPT Plus – including the latest GPT 4o model and Voice Mode, which lets you talk to ChatGPT as if you were using Siri. Learn more about What ChatGPT can do for you.
Customize the icons on the iOS home screen
In addition to switching to Android, you can create custom icons for your iPhone’s home screen via Apple’s connections App. Create a new shortcut, select Add actionand find the Open app Script. Tap App to find the app whose icon you want to change.
Then tap the drop-down menu at the top and select Add to Home ScreenThis allows you to select a custom image for your new shortcut, which can then be placed on the home screen (the original shortcut will not disappear, but can be placed in the app library).
Get AI help with your writing with Grammarly
While no third-party app integrates with iOS and macOS, as well as the new AI writing tools being introduced as part of Apple Intelligence, if you need help with writing and rewriting, there are plenty of alternatives available.
One such alternative is the freemium app grammarthat works across nearly all device platforms and the web: it can give you helpful feedback on existing text, changing its tone, length, or style, and generating brand new text using prompts.
Categorize emails with Gmail
You may already know about it, but just in case, the automatic categorization options for Apple Mail on iOS and macOS are something that Gmail already does this. You can train the automatic sorting algorithm over time, so it should improve over time.
The categories Gmail uses are Primary, Promotional, Social, Updates, and Forums. The desktop interface lets you choose which ones to display – many other email clients with smart email prioritization, including SaneBox And spark.
Use Copilot to generate AI images
Apple lets you create your own AI art in iOS 18 and macOS Sequoia—for everything from personalized stickers to custom emojis—but many tools already let you create these images for free, including Microsoft Copilot.
Just type in what you want to photograph and Copilot will take care of the rest. You can also set the style of the image, follow Apple’s illustration or sketch options, and then further refine your artistic creation with a few more prompts.
Manage passwords with LastPass
iOS and macOS already manage passwords quite well. However, with the upcoming software upgrades, we will get a dedicated, standalone password manager – like the many other password managers already available, including LastPass.
LastPass is one of the most comprehensive programs on the market and, of course, works on all types of devices – not just Apple ones. You can use the service for free, but to get the most out of it, you’ll need to sign up for one of the premium plans.
Tap to talk to Siri
Apple is making typing your Siri prompts more accessible with iOS 18 and macOS Sequoia, but you can already do it—it’s just hidden in your device’s Accessibility settings, rather than something you can turn on and off with a tap or click.
If you are using Siri on an iPhone, open Settings and select Accessibility And Siri around the Tap Siri Toggle switch. If you are using a Mac, open the System Preferences. There you will also find a Accessibility Menu with a Siri Entry and a Tap Siri toggle switch.
Organize desktop windows with magnet
Sequoia will finally catch up with Microsoft’s desktop operating system and allow you to quickly and easily pin open windows to a side or even a quarter of the screen – very useful when working in multiple apps at once.
This is already possible with several third-party programs, including magnet. It costs $4.99, but offers numerous different options for arranging windows across multiple screens.