iOS 18 ‘India-centric’ features include new SIM-switch button and more

Apple made iOS 18 official last month at its WWDC 2024 event. However, there’s quite a bit of time until most iPhone users can actually get the stable version of the software up and running on their phones. Until then, Apple continues making new announcements around the new update.

The latest of these, is the announcement of a number of new India-centric features that will come to iPhones in India with iOS 18.

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These include more lock screen customisation options, support for more regional languages, and more. Here’s all you need to know.

iOS 18 India-centric features: What to expect

iOS 18 running on Indian iPhones will come with support for numerals in 12 different Indian language fonts, which can be used on the lock screen for the time widget, in Contact Posters, and hopefully in other aspects throughout the interface.

The update will also include features like live voicemail transcription, and a dedicated SIM-switch button in the Control Centre. The latter will allow users with dual-SIMs (One physical SIM and one eSIM) to have more control over which number to keep active at any point in time. This dedicated SIM-switcher button will be up in the Control Centre, and will easily allow users to switch between their two numbers in a couple of taps.

Siri also gets some new India-upgrades. The tool can now understand Indian English mixed with local languages like Hindi, Bengali, Gujarati, Kannada, Marathi, Malayalam, and Punjabi, among others. This likely means you will be able to mix English with regional languages for commands like “Hey Siri, send a text to Ashish, and ask him Kaha tak pahoche ho?”

Which phones will support iOS 18?

iOS 18 will come to a number of iPhones including the entire iPhone 11 series, iPhone 12 series, iPhone 13 series, iPhone 14 series, and iPhone 15 series smartphones.

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The update will also come to the iPhone XS/ XS Max and the iPhone XR. In the SE series, the update will come to the iPhone SE 2nd Gen and iPhone SE 3rd Gen.