If something happened to my iPhone’s Reminders app, I don’t know what I’d do. Ever since getting my hands on an iPhone 5 in my teens, I’ve used Reminders to organize my school life, my college life, and now my work life, though anytime I proudly display my ever-increasing list of diary alerts to someone who’s less obsessed with automated timekeeping, I’m asked the same question: why don’t I just use the Calendar app instead?
In truth, I’ve only ever used Calendar to remind myself of the date. Sure, it might be the more logical option for keeping track of important engagements, but I find Reminders to be just as useful for that purpose while also being better suited to impromptu alerts like 'Pick up toilet paper on the way home' (that particular reminder gets the High Priority tag).
Why am I telling you this? Well, according to new information obtained by AppleInsider, iOS 18 will finally merge the timekeeping powers of Calendar and Reminders, meaning you’ll no longer have to pick one app over the other, or spend unnecessary time adding the same event information to both.
The apps themselves will remain separate, but Calendar will reportedly include a new feature that lets you schedule and organize reminders (that’s Reminder reminders) directly from within the Calendar app, removing the need to launch the standalone Reminders app. Presumably, the reverse will be true, too, so reminders added to the Reminders app will appear automatically in the Calendar app (though AppleInsider doesn’t say as much).
The report notes that tapping or right-clicking an area within the Day, Week or Month views in pre-release versions of the new Calendar app will reveal options to either set a reminder or schedule an event. The app itself is also expected to receive minor design alterations, and I hope the same is true of the Reminders app.
This new-and-improved Calendar and Reminder experience is slated to roll out as part of iOS 18 towards the end of 2024 – we’d guess in September, to coincide with the launch of the iPhone 16 line – but Apple may decide to demo the new features at WWDC in June. The same improvements will reportedly come to macOS 15, too.
Big things are coming for iOS
As for the other rumored upgrades that could help make iOS 18 the biggest software update in iPhone history, we’re expecting Apple to bring a slew of AI-based improvements to the likes of Siri, Messages, Apple Music and Pages, with the former reportedly in line for a ChatGPT-style makeover.
iOS 18 might also introduce the ability to more freely customize your iPhone's home screen, potentially allowing for gaps between app icons. New and improved accessibility features have been touted, too, and Google has hinted that RCS message support could finally arrive with iOS 18.
By the sounds of things, then, WWDC 2024 will be the most exciting software-based Apple event for some time – be sure to tune in for our comprehensive coverage of the event.
