Following the news about the new iOS 18, Apple has shared that it has new features to improve the experience of Indian consumers. Before we try it out for real later this year, let’s look at the incoming India-related features. 

Users will be able to customise the time on the lock screen with Indian numerals from 12 languages: Arabic, Arabic Indic, Bangla, Devanagari, Gujarati, Gurmukhi, Kannada, Malayalam, Meitei, Odia, Ol Chiki, Telugu, and adjust the font color and weight to create exactly the look they want for their Contact Posters. 

iOS 18 introduces Live Voicemail Transcription in Indian English, support for Live Caller ID, as well as a smart call history search and new phone keypad search and dialing experience. 

On iPhone 12 and later, users can type phonetically with Latin characters in English and up to two additional Indian languages for a trilingual predictive typing experience. This is available in Messages, Notes, and anywhere where users have access to keyboard. The multilingual keyboard also supports QuickPath and Emoji Prediction. Additional language scripts show up on the left and right of the suggestions field so users can seamlessly switch between them. 

Multilingual keyboard

When a user has multiple message threads going in different languages the multilingual keyboard remembers the script they were using in the previous conversation and automatically changes to the correct the language and suggestions as they user types. This feature offers typing in English, Bangla, Gujarati, Hindi, Marathi, Punjabi, Tamil and Telugu. 

iPhone will also support alphabetical layouts for 11 Indian languages allowing users to type in Indian scripts directly. Keys are arranged in an alphabetical order, vowel and conjunct keys on the layouts change dynamically based on what the user is typing making it easier to find the correct character to type. This is available across 11 languages - Bangla, Gujarati, Hindi, Kannada, Malayalam, Marathi, Odia, Punjabi, Tamil, Telugu and Urdu. 

With enhancements to language search users can find the word they are looking for in the spellings that they are accustomed to, without having to consider the spelling style that the content is composed in. The same word with different spellings can now be looked up regardless of which spelling is typed. Enhanced language search is available in Assamese, Bangla, Devanagari, and Gujarati.

Siri too gains multilingual support for nine Indian languages as well as Indian English. Users can ask Siri to set alarms and timers, launch an app, get directions, play music or check the weather by using English mixed with a local language. Siri now understands English mixed with Bengali, Gujarati, Hindi, Kannada, Malayalam, Marathi, Punjabi, Tamil and Telugu.