The public release of iOS 18.2 is just around the corner, and in addition to a host of impressive Apple Intelligence features, this update introduces the ability to set new default applications on your iPhone. Here’s how it works.
iOS 18.2 introduces broader default categories and a new Settings hub
For years, iPhones have provided limited options for selecting new default applications. For instance, iOS 14 allowed users to establish new defaults for email and web browsing.
However, these choices have generally been quite limited.
In iOS 18.2, the range of categories for default apps is expanding, and you can configure your new defaults from a single, convenient hub.
Once you’ve updated to iOS 18.2, launch the Settings app, then navigate to Apps, where you’ll find a new menu: Default Apps.
This provides a centralized location for setting default applications across eight distinct categories on your iPhone.
Adjusting your default applications and its implications
What does it mean to change your defaults? Here’s how Apple describes the functionality:
Manage which apps your iPhone will automatically use for sending emails, browsing the web, and more.
For instance, when you click on a link to an email, phone number, or web address, your chosen default application will be utilized. Traditionally, Apple’s own apps (like Mail, Messages, Safari, Wallet, etc.) have served as defaults, but you now have the ability to modify these settings.
The available options along with the implications of changing them are listed below:
- Email: This app will be used for composing new emails.
- Messaging: This app will be selected for composing new messages.
- Calling: This app will be used to make phone calls.
- Call Filtering: This app will be utilized for call filtering and identification.
- Browser App: This app will be the default for opening links and web browsing.
- Passwords & Codes: These selected apps (multiple choices allowed) will be used for AutoFill, with options for verification and QR code setup.
- Contactless App: This app will automatically be selected when using NFC with contactless readers.
- Keyboards: These keyboards will be available through the keyboard switcher.
Please note that the categories you see may vary based on your location and Apple’s diverse global regulations. In the US, you can access the eight categories mentioned above. However, in the EU, for example, you might find additional options.
If you do not have any third-party applications installed in a specific category, only Apple’s own apps will be displayed there. However, by downloading alternatives from the App Store, those apps will become available in the Default Apps section as new options.
While some of these features were previously available, they were scattered across various settings menus that were not easily navigable. iOS 18.2 introduces three entirely new categories: Messaging, Calling, and Contactless App.
Do you intend to modify any default applications in iOS 18.2? Share your thoughts in the comments.
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