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WWDC 2024: Understanding new features to elevate digital products
June 28 — 2024
Every year, Apple unveils new opportunities for app developers on its platforms. At Mirego, we are always excited about these updates and strive to distill them for you.
Building on our previous article on Apple Intelligence, Apple continues to set new standards in user experience. Third-party app developers now have access to new tools and features that enable even smoother integration of their products into Apple’s operating systems. These innovations aim not only to improve the user experience but also to facilitate more intuitive interactions with apps, often without the need to open them.
Our team has thoroughly analyzed these innovations to identify potential opportunities and optimizations.
Apps, more integrated than ever
A significant update to the Control Center
With iOS and iPadOS 18, apps can now integrate more seamlessly into the operating system. Apple not only allows users to customize the Control Center and Lock Screen but also provides developers the opportunity to add their own features, making their applications more accessible.
This update is enabled by the evolution of WidgetKit. Now, developers can create widgets that integrate seamlessly throughout the system, offering users more direct and dynamic ways to interact with their favorite apps.
With the ability to integrate controls like buttons and toggles, widgets become not only informative but also interactive. For example, users can play music, start a timer, or activate certain preferences directly from their Home Screen, Control Center, or Lock Screen, without needing to open the respective apps. This functionality aims to make third-party apps more integrated, useful, and accessible.
Passkeys and the new Password app
If an app allows users to log in, they can now bypass password entry with Passkeys. This feature enables faster and more secure logins, simplifying the user experience as well.
For those who prefer to keep using passwords, Apple introduces a new password management app called Passwords. This app makes it easy to generate, save and retrieve passwords and one-time passcodes, simplifying their management.
Until now, the integration of apps with the system password manager was not very common. However, with iOS 18, this practice will become more widespread. It will be crucial for developers to adopt this integration, as users will expect seamless functionality.
Siri works with you!
Apple has greatly enhanced Siri's speech synthesis, enabling the assistant to speak more naturally and pleasantly. Additionally, Siri's linguistic understanding has been improved, allowing it to comprehend the meaning of words even when users hesitate or make errors.
Another major update is the ability to communicate with Siri using both voice and text, seamlessly switching between the two within the same conversation. This option provides a discreet and practical alternative in situations where speaking out loud is not ideal. Whether it’s to quickly send a command during a meeting without disrupting the flow or for those who prefer typing over speaking, this new interaction mode promises to make Siri even more accessible and convenient.
Siri can interact with your app through App Intents
With its new orchestration capabilities and contextual understanding of what is active on your device, Siri can comprehend key actions of an app and execute them for the user.
This functionality is enabled by App Intents, a framework that allows developers to define their app's actions, index its content, and enable Siri to understand and execute these actions. For instance, users can ask Siri to retrieve specific information from an app, like displaying flight details from a travel app to share with a friend.
This contextual understanding, combined with enhanced personalization, also enables Siri to suggest actions that precisely meet the needs and habits of users. For example, a command like "add milk to my grocery list," previously limited to Apple's default app, could now trigger an action in a third-party grocery app.
New features in the Wallet app
Apple has enriched the ticket experience in Apple Wallet, enabling organizations that offer tickets to create interactive experiences. Users can access key information about events directly from the ticket page in the Wallet app.
This new "event guide" enables the addition of details and extra links such as venue details, recommended Apple Music playlists, GPS directions, links to the venue’s item policy, food purchase options, and an interior map of the location.
This feature is also advantageous for event organizers, as it offers participants a wealth of information. It can streamline customer service management before the event and enhance the arrival and on-site experience, making it smoother and more enjoyable.
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The innovations introduced at WWDC 2024 equip app developers with powerful tools to elevate the user experience of their digital products. At Mirego, our team is dedicated to grasping the impact of these latest advancements to better support our partners. By leveraging these new technologies, we help them gain significant benefits for both themselves and their users, ultimately creating outstanding digital products that meet their needs more efficiently and delightfully.