In less than two weeks, Apple will kick off WWDC with a wide-ranging keynote that previews all of the new features coming in iOS 18 and macOS 15. It’s no surprise that AI will be a big component of the announcements and one of the major new features could be something we all use every day.
According to Mark Gurman’s latest Power On newsletter, one of the “standout” features in iOS 18 “will bring generative AI to emojis.” Gurman claims Apple “is developing software that can create custom emojis on the fly, based on what users are texting. That means you’ll suddenly have an all-new emoji for any occasion, beyond the catalog of options that Apple currently offers on the iPhone and other devices.”
We reported last week that the Unicode Consortium is considering a handful of new emoji for its next update, including a face with bags under its eyes, a fingerprint, a harp, a leafless tree, and a splatter mark. Apple is certain to include these emojis in one of next year’s iOS 18 updates, but if Gurman’s report is accurate, we won’t need to wait for them—any emoji to express any emotion will be at our fingertips.
Generative AI is the same tech behind ChatGPT’s conversational chats and Dall-E’s image creation. Gurman doesn’t get into specifics, but it seems like you’ll be able to type a word or phrase into Messages and a unique emoji will generate an emoji to fit what you want to express. Then we wouldn’t need to wait for Apple to design its own versions of the Unicode Consortium’s annual selections.
Also on deck for iOS 18, according to Gurman, is a “revamped” home screen” with the ability to “change the color of app icons and put them wherever they want,” system-wide “smart recaps” that will “provide users with summaries of their missed notifications and individual text messages, as well as of web pages, news articles, documents, notes and other forms of media,” and a partnership with OpenAI to incorporate ChatGPT into the iPhone.
Apple will unveil iOS 18 and macOS 15 at a WWDC keynote at 10 a.m. PT on June 10.
Author: Michael Simon, Executive Editor, Macworld
Michael Simon has been covering Apple for more than 20 years. He started covering rumors with Spymac when the iPod was the iWalk, and has owned nearly every iPhone Apple has ever made. He lives in Connecticut with his wife, son, and far too many gadgets.