Everything new in iOS 18 Beta 3

The third beta of iOS 18 and iPadOS 18 that Apple released today brings additional improvements to a number of features like Dark Mode icons, the Photos app, emoji in Messages, and more, with Apple apparently preparing to introduce Apple Intelligence.

Apple will continue to update ‌iOS 18‌‌ over the next few months, improving the beta ahead of its release. We’ve highlighted everything new in the third ‌‌iOS 18‌‌ beta.

Dark mode icons

There are now ‌Dark Mode‌ icons for a number of third-party apps, including Facebook, Etsy, Telegram, Signal, Slack, Notion, YouTube, and more. Apple appears to automatically add ‌Dark Mode‌ icons to apps that have icons with multiple colors.

For some icons, the secondary color becomes the primary color and the background color is black, while for others, the icon’s white background changes to black.

Apps with complex icon designs in multiple colors do not currently switch to dark mode, but Apple does dim them.

Photos App

Apple has added a “Select” button to the main “Photos” interface for selecting multiple photos, so you no longer have to swipe down to get to the “Select” button.

With this change, the Search button is now simply a magnifying glass, but it has been highlighted in blue to stand out better.

Emoticons

In Messages, emoji, Memoji, and stickers have been combined into a single interface, which you navigate using small icons at the bottom of the screen. There are icons you can tap to jump to stickers or Memoji, and you can also scroll through Memoji to find specific characters and poses more quickly.

You can create both stickers and Memoji from this interface, and you can also use stickers directly in messages, just like you can use emoji. This only works with static stickers, and animated ones from Live Photos will appear in the larger size of the attachment sticker. Smaller stickers used as emojis are hard to see, though.

Emojis are displayed larger than before, so you can see more detail but fewer characters before you have to scroll. The Recent section also displays more emojis and stickers at once.

Apple likely made these changes to prepare for the debut of Apple Intelligence, Genmoji, and Image Playground.

Wallpaper

There’s a dynamic version of the iOS 18 wallpaper that changes colors depending on the time of day.

Flashlight interface

When you turn on the flashlight or tap the controls on the Dynamic Island, a larger, more intuitive interface appears, allowing you to change the brightness and spread of the LED used as a flashlight.

Maps

Apple has once again changed the colors of the Maps icon when dark mode is enabled.

RCS in the News

The RCS interface in the Messages section of the Settings app has changed. Instead of simply appearing as an on/off toggle, it’s now a touch-based menu that provides additional context. Apple explains that sending and receiving messages with ‌RCS‌ uses wireless data, and mobile network identifiers may be shared with carriers and their partners.

Some iPhone users in Canada and other countries are also now seeing the RCS toggle, though it’s unclear whether RCS works outside the United States.

Apple Intelligence

There are some mentions of Apple Intelligence features in the code, further suggesting the upcoming addition of AI to the ‌iOS 18‌ beta. The code references Genmoji, Image Playground, Writing Tools, Image Wand, and more.

More new changes

Know of a new feature in ‌iOS 18‌ beta 3 that we missed? Let us know in the comments below.