A must-have iOS update? Definitely

Apple unveiled iOS 12 last week, and while the update will become public in September, we think that this is one of the most important major updates Apple has made in years. If you are an iOS user and unsure of updating to iOS 12, we give you five reasons why you should hit that Software Update button:

 

All iOS 11 devices get the update

Whether you are using an ancient iPhone 5S or the cutting-edge iPhone X, all iOS devices supporting iOS 11 can be updated to iOS 12.  Apple also claims that iOS 12 speeds up all devices it’s installed in, which means that you can give a major boost to your iPhone 5S or iPhone 6 without buying a new iPhone for at least a year.

You will be less distracted and more focused in life

A new feature called Screen Time gives you a complete breakdown of how you use your iOS device in a day (or a week), giving you an idea of how often you use your phone the most. With that in mind, you can set the phone to limit the usage for certain apps—useful for parents who want to instill discipline to their kids when using their smartphones, or to generally help users curb smartphone addiction (yes, it is a thing these days) to lessen distractions.

 

Less clutter, more organization

iOS users can relate to this: When their devices get bombarded with various Messenger notifications, it basically clogs up their notification panel, making them hit that clear button real quick. With iOS 12, Apple resolves that problem by grouping notifications by app, similar to how Android does it with Oreo. Some may say that Apple copied this feature from Android, but they should not be complaining: If it improves user experience, we’re all in for it.

 

You can monitor your battery consumption better this time

Apple received a lot of flak for its battery throttling issues, and the Cupertino-based company is making an effort by adding more battery management features such as a graph and a detailed breakdown of apps eating up your battery power. Like the more organized notifications, naysayers would say that Apple copied this from iOS but honestly speaking it should not matter. What’s important is how Apple decides to implement this feature so that iOS users don’t need to be frustrated with their iOS devices.

 

Better privacy and security across the board

Among the less-talked features of iOS 12 involve privacy and security. For starters, iOS 12 gives you a friendly reminder in case you reuse a password for an online account. This nifty reminder should save you the hassle of having multiple accounts hacked at the same time.

For iPhone X users, FaceID can have two different faces via an “Alternative Appearance” option. This helps in making FaceID work better if you tend to wear lots of makeup or use different eyeglasses. In addition, this option lets you let another person (your partner, your parents for one) unlock your phone.

For the rest of iOS users, there’s a new USB disable mode that lets the phone ask for a password if it is connected via USB for more than an hour. This essentially makes iOS devices harder to hack, as hackers only have a 60-minute window before the phone asks for a password.