iOS 14 has been announced and here’s what to expect

iOS 14 is coming. Here's everything you need to know about the latest iOS software.

Apple just announced iOS 14 at its digital-only WWDC 2020 Special Event Keynote. This is the next iteration of iOS firmware for iPhone, and it's looking to be the best version of iOS yet. There's a lot of new goodies to check out, and we can't wait to get our hands on it! Here's everything that you need to know about the next version of iOS for iPhone.

Home Screen

App Library

The App Library is a new feature that lets you organize your Home Screen pages. The App Library appears at the end of the Home Screen swipe. It's automatically organized and lets you hide app pages. There is also an App Library Search, so you can easily find what you're looking for. It also adds a suggested app search folder, as well as a Recently Added folder. You can also find a full list of all installed apps, sorted alphabetically, and apply criteria to quickly find what you need.

Widgets

Widgets is getting a new look in iOS 14. Your widgets can now be different sizes and full of rich data. The Widgets can also be moved to your Home Screen instead of the Today View just by drag-and-drop. The Smart Stack is a permanent widget on your Home Screen, and you can pick the widget for it to display at the moment, or it can automatically suggest widgets depending on the time of day.

Picture-in-Picture

The iPhone is now able to have PIP, which is the TV app widget. Whenever you're watching a video, you can swipe back to the Home Screen, and the video automatically goes into PIP mode. You can move it around the screen and put it where it best suits you.

Phone notifications

iOS 14 is also bringing compact incoming call notifications, so that a call doesn't interrupt your entire iOS experience.

Siri

Siri has a much more compact UI in iOS 14. Now, instead of taking up the entire screen, Siri appears as a small overlay on top of whatever app you're already in. Information requests appear like a notification.

With iOS 14, Siri is the backbone of the new Translate app. Translate lets you translate on-device and let you have a conversation with someone else, and the conversation mode lets two people know which side to pay attention to.

Siri can also send audio messages.

Messages

Memoji

Memojis are getting more customization options. There are now more hair and headwear options to choose from, as well as new face mask covering options.

Group Messaging

Group messaging gets even better with iOS 14. Now you can reply to specific messages in group chats with in-line replies, and there are mentions! What Mentions does is let you type someone's name to direct a message to that person specifically. Notifications can also be customized so that you only get a notification when your name is mentioned. And those who have been recently active in a group message have their contact photo appear larger around the group photo or emoji.

Pinned Messages

iOS 14 brings support for pinned messages, so that your important messages can stay at the top of the Messages app. This makes it easier than ever to access them easily, instead of having to scroll through all of your messages.

Maps

Maps has been greatly improved in iOS 14. There are now more overlays, more FlyOver, and more supported countries. You can find places and get around even easier with Guides, which are automatically updated with the newest recommendations. Cycling gets more support in Maps with new cycling directions that includes details like elevation, requires stairs, quiet or busy roads, bike lanes, and more. The Cycling directions start in NYC, SF, LA, Shanghai, and Beijing.

There is now EV Routing, so Maps can tell you where the charging stations are along your route. You can tell Maps what EV you have so it gives you the information on compatible charging stations. And finally, there are going to be Congestion and Green Zones being added, as well as alternate routing options.

CarPlay

CarPlay is getting some new features in iOS 14, including the digital car key feature with iPhone. This works via U1 chip, and you can securely turn it off via iCloud if you lose your phone. You can also give someone else access to your car via iMessage if needed. CarKeys will also be in iOS 13. Since it works with U1 chip, it will become a standard in most cars next year. To start, CarKeys will be available in BMW 5 Series.

CarPlay also has new wallpapers and app categories.

App Store Clips

With App Store Clips, you'll get a notification that appears to suggest an app. You don't have to download the app if you don't want to, instead, just using a new App Clip. These App Clips support Sign-in with Apple and Apple Pay, so you don't even need to input credit card information.

To activate an App Clip, all you need to do is tap on an NFC or scan a QR code. Then you can just use the App Clip to do things like unlock parking, pay for coffee or food, get access to rent a bike or scooter, and more. App Clips can be used with Yelp for specific businesses for convenience.

App Clips will always be less than 10MB in size, so they do not take much space at all. App Clips will also be integrated into the App Library.

Safari

Safari now has a new Privacy Report fetaure. This allows users to easily see which cross-site trackers have been blocked, and provides secure password monitoring that helps users detect reused passwords that may be involved in data breaches, and built-in translation for entire webpages.

What devices does iOS 14 run on?

iOS 14 will run on all devices that could run iOS 13. These are all of the compatible devices:

• iPhone 11
• iPhone 11 Pro
• iPhone 11 Pro Max
• iPhone XS
• iPhone XS Max
• iPhone XR
• iPhone X
• iPhone 8
• iPhone 8 Plus
• iPhone 7
• iPhone 7 Plus
• iPhone 6s
• iPhone 6s Plus
• iPhone SE
• iPod touch (7th generation)

When will iOS 14 be available?

iOS 14 is slated to drop sometime in Fall 2020 to the public. It will be a free download for iPhones and iPod touch devices.

If you have a developer account, you can get the iOS 14 developer beta today via the developer portal. The public beta will be available next month.

Will there be a beta?

Yes! There will be a developer beta and it is available starting today. You will need to have a developer profile in order to download the beta from the developer porta.

Apple will be releasing the public beta of iOS 14 next month. You can download it from Apple's public beta page.

As per usual, make sure that you have a secondary device for testing the beta builds of iOS 14.

How do I install iOS 14?

Right now, you can snag the first developer beta for iOS 14 if you have a developer account. For information on how to install a developer beta, make sure to check our guide.

If you don't have a developer account, don't worry, Apple usually releases a public beta as well. For those who are planning to install the public beta once it's available, make sure to check out our public beta ultimate guide for details on on how to download and install it on your devices.

If you're waiting for the official release, you can make sure you have all the details on how to update your iPhone or iPad with our ultimate update guide.

• How to install the developer beta on your iPhone or iPad
• iOS Public Beta: The Ultimate Guide
• How to update your iPhone and iPad: The Ultimate Guide

This story is developing

Questions?

Have any questions about iOS 14? Drop them in the comments below.