Earlier this year, Apple announced that European Union (EU) iPhone users will soon be able to set default apps for calling, messaging, and more. It appeared that the announcement was targeted only for the EU citizens. However, a new note on Apple’s developer website discovered by 9to5Mac, states that all iPhone users worldwide will be able to set default apps for calling and messaging in iOS 18.2.
The first iOS 18.2 developer beta was released on October 23, 2024 – the final release is likely to be in December. It is important to note that Apple is yet to release the public version of iOS 18.1 – it is scheduled to release next week. The iOS 18.1 version brings the much awaited Apple Intelligence features to supported iPhone models.
Apple continues to move forward with providing flexibility to users
iOS 18.2 developer beta includes an entirely new section in settings for managing default apps. It includes the currently available option of setting defaults for web browser, email client, keyboard apps. It further includes options to set defaults for passwords and call filtering apps.
In the recent past few years, Apple has pivoted from the idea of locking users to the Apple way of things and to a more flexible approach, allowing users to tweak things according to their requirements. iOS 18 introduced the ability for users to customize app icons – a longstanding feature on Android but much appreciated by iPhone users who like to tweak things around.
iPhones now also support rich communication services (RCS) – a universal platform for messaging which was ignored by Apple for a very long time. The European Union (EU) built pressure on Apple for its anti-competitive practices which resulted in Apple introducing RCS support and USB-C charging connector.
The iPhone 16 models have received lackluster response due to limited new features while they are excellent smartphones. However, it appears customers are waiting to see the magic Apple Intelligence will bring, as promised by Apple before shelling out big dollars.
