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Apple has added some notable new features to the fifth beta of iOS 18 released today, including a design update for the Photos app and new Safari options, as well as some smaller changes.

Photos App Changes

Apple has responded to tester feedback about the Photos app by streamlining the design a bit. The carousel that allowed users to swipe through different "collections" from the main grid of photos has been removed entirely, reducing clutter and duplication in the app.

The Photos app still uses a unified single-screen design, and you can see all your photos by opening the photo grid. After the update, you can see more grid images at the same time, and you can scroll down to "Collections". Users with multiple albums will see higher albums in the Photos app, and recently saved content is now integrated into the "Recent Days" collection. Since the customization tools are still there, the order of "Collections" can be customized. You decide what you want to see in the Photos app and where you see it.

Distraction Control in Safari

Apple has added a new "Distraction Control" feature to Safari that allows iPhone users to hide distracting elements of a webpage or article. Login windows, cookie preference popups, GDPR notifications, newsletter sign-up banners, auto-playing videos, and more can all be hidden.

Distraction Control is not an ad blocker, it does not hide dynamic elements on the page, such as ads. You can use the feature to temporarily hide an ad, but when the ad is refreshed, it will be shown again. It works on static page elements.

Distraction Control can be accessed from Safari web settings. Tap Settings and then select the Hide distracting items option. From there, you can tap on the elements on the page you want to hide. Distraction Control doesn't sync, you must hide page elements separately on each device. You can show any hidden content by going into Settings and tapping "Show hidden items."

Home Screen Options

If you long-press the home screen and select "Edit," a new "Edit Page" option will appear. This setting lets you delete an entire home screen page, or hide it from view. In home screen edit mode, tapping the three dots at the bottom of the display also brings up the same interface, albeit with a cleaner, more prominently labeled interface.

Dark mode icon

Apple changed some dark mode options, redesigned the Maps icon again, and updated the Find My icon. The Maps icon now uses black, white, gray, and blue, with Apple removing the other colors, while the Find My icon uses different shades of green rings.

Dark Mode Search

When searching for apps using the search interface, app icons will now display correctly in dark mode when dark mode is on. Previously, searches displayed light mode icons.

control center

Apple has changed the design of some icons in the Control Center.

Several icons have larger graphics:

• Voice memo

• Stopwatch

• Airplane Mode

• Home

• remote control

• Shortcut to open application options

• calculator

• magnifier

• wallet

• Tap to Cash

• Auxiliary and pilot channels

• Hearing, real-time subtitles, and left-right stereo balance

• Switch access, Voice Control, full keyboard access, AssistiveTouch, Apple Watch mirroring, control nearby devices, and eye tracking.

• Almost all visual accessibility icons

There are also some changes in design:

• The direction lock is now a red lock with a pink arrow.

• Screen recording is replaced with a smaller inner dot and a thicker outer dot. When activated, the outer circle is dark red and the inner circle is also bright red.

• The screen images are now rectangles of different sizes, one dark and one light.

• The cellular data toggle now shows four signal bars instead of an antenna.

• The orientation lock is now a grey arrow instead of a white arrow.

• Shortcuts now include black and white versions of shortcut icons.

• Low Power Mode toggles the battery graphic to show when there is less power left, and the battery outline is now grey instead of white. When on, both the battery level and the outline turn yellow.

• The "Live Speech" toggle button has a white keyboard and a gray sound wave instead of the other way around.

• The headphone accommodations feature now has an ear icon instead of a headphone icon.

• The "Vehicle Motion Hint" toggle button now has a car icon instead of just a dot.

• The colors of the Smart Inverter have changed (white primary color and gray star pattern instead of reversed colors).

Apple also removed the non-functional Bluetooth power toggle setting that appeared in the previous beta.