iOS 18 to bring in AI-powered emoji customisation

As we head closer to Apple’s WWDC 24 conference, more rumours and details about iOS 18 continue to surface the web. While it’s not exactly a secret that one of the key pointers Apple will be talking about at the event is iOS 18 and its AI push, there’s still a lot of details that we don’t know about.

Now, the latest edition of the Power On newsletter by Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman reveals some key information on how iOS 18 will make conversation more fun, with emoji of course! Apple is reportedly working on the ability to create AI-powered emojis with iOS 18.

ALSO READ: Apple is bringing RCS messages for iPhones later this year

The feature will allow iOS 18 users to create a new emoji on the spot using AI, instead of waiting for an indefinite Apple update to bring the emoji. How the feature will work is even more interesting.

The emoji customisation feature will analyse the messages in a chat window in real-time to produce personalised emoji, ready to be used instantaneously. Since the actual messages are involved in this process, we assume the feature will be an optional addition for the privacy-conscious.

Moreover, the AI bit that understands the conversation and suggests emoji accordingly is also likely to be an on-device implementation as opposed to sending your personal messages to a remote server.

It also remains to be seen if the feature will be a system-wide implementation as opposed to something that is locked to iMessage and other Apple apps, as this will determine if custom emojis will be usable on third-party apps like WhatsApp and Telegram.

iOS 18: Other expected features

iOS 18 will also feature other AI features in system apps like Photos and Notes, but AI is not all that iOS 18 has under its sleeve. According to several reports, Apple is also going big on granular customisation with iOS 18.

ALSO READ: Apple iPhones may soon get system-wide ChatGPT integration

iOS 18 will reportedly allow users to place app icons anywhere on the homescreen, as opposed to locking them to the next empty slot on the grid. The update will also allow a degree of colour customisations when it comes to app icons.

Of course, all these features will start making an appearance with the beta versions of iOS 18, which we assume should start rolling out soon after WWDC 24. This means that if you have an iPhone 15 Pro, or any other supported iPhone, you may have early access to iOS 18 with the beta version. However, do keep in mind that the stable version could take longer. Thankfully, with WWDC about two weeks away, there isn’t a long time before we find out more.