Just because your iPhone can run the latest version of Apple's iOS software does not mean that every feature included in that update will work on your iPhone. Some features may have hardware requirements that older devices cannot support.

And that applies to iOS 18, which Apple just previewed at WWDC 2024. Coming later this year, iOS 18 will work with iPhones through 2019, including the iPhone XR, iPhone XS, and iPhone XS Max. However, a handful of iOS 18 features are not going to work on older phones, and it's good to know what you may be missing out on.

We're not just talking about Apple Intelligence features. These AI-powered features are limited to the iPhone 15 Pro and iPhone 15 Pro Max for now. All four iPhone 16 models to be released in the fall are expected to support Apple Intelligence, though. Rather, these are other features built into the software that have more stringent requirements than iOS 18 itself.

Here are some of the iOS 18 features that have very specific hardware requirements. We will also list some of the features that will be included in the iPhone that are limited to specific languages and regions.

iOS 18 will allow users to text in places where there is no Wi-Fi or cellular connection, but this requires an iPhone 14 or later. This limitation is not surprising since Apple just started offering emergency SOS via satellite with the release of the iPhone 14, and Messages via satellite utilizes the same functionality.

If you have a compatible cell phone, texting via satellite appears to be the same as if you are connected to a Wi-Fi or cellular network. For example, if you send a message using Apple's iMessages platform, you can send emojis and tap backs even if you are connected via satellite. These iMessages will also have end-to-end encryption.

The Notes app gets built-in recording capabilities in iOS 18 and we expect it will be available on all iPhones capable of running the software update. Not to be widely available is the ability to generate audio transcripts on the fly that you can search for or combine with other elements. This feature requires iPhone 12 or later.

While we are talking about limitations, audio transcripts are only supported in English for users in Australia, Canada, Ireland, New Zealand, South Africa, the United Kingdom, and the United States

If you are looking for background noise, sound effects, or music from a show or movie or music, and you have ever struggled to hear what the characters are saying, Enhance Dialogue is made for you. It uses machine learning to enhance speech over other speech, making it easier to hear.

You'll need an iPhone 11 or later to enjoy Enhance Dialogue on the TV app, but the good news is that the feature works with wired headphones, AirPods, and other Bluetooth-connected audio devices as well as the phone's built-in speaker There is also.

An update to the Home app in iOS 18 allows users to unlock doors simply by carrying an iPhone or wearing an Apple Watch. However, this feature relies on Ultra Wideband, so if you want to enjoy hands-free unlocking with your iPhone, you will need at least iPhone 11 or later. That means owners of the iPhone XR, iPhone XS, iPhone XS Max, and iPhone SE will be locked out. (Needless to say, you'll need a smart lock with its own Ultra Wideband chip to use this feature.)

The two accessibility features will only work on certain iPhone models with iOS 18. Eye tracking, which allows users to control their iPhone using their eyes, requires iPhone 12 or later, and this feature also works on the iPhone SE 2022.

On the other hand, the Music Haptics feature, which uses the iPhone's Taptic Engine to pulse to the rhythm of a song, requires iPhone 12 or later. This feature is intended to make Apple Music accessible to people with hearing impairments.

Major changes to the Mail app include on-device categorization where incoming messages are sent to different mailboxes such as Primary, Promotions, Transactions, and Updates. Not only will this feature be available by the end of the year, but it will be limited to English in Australia, Canada, India, Ireland, New Zealand, Singapore, South Africa, the UK, and the US

In iOS 18, the iPhone's built-in web browser will be able to skim through a web page to find specific information to be called up. This feature is currently only available in the US.

A similar feature will also be available in Safari's Reader, which will display a summary and table of contents for articles viewed using this feature. Although only available in English, it is available in Australia, Canada, Ireland, New Zealand, South Africa, the United Kingdom, and the United States, providing a wider range of coverage

Maps for the iPhone will be added in iOS 18, with topographical maps including trails and hiking, and maps of the 63 national parks in the US. However, these are only available in the U.S. and Japan. However, these are only available in the US and Japan. Also, one must be a U.S. iPhone user if they want to browse the various hiking collections on the maps and save them to their phone.

With iOS 18, the iPhone phone app will be able to record calls and transcribe the recordings. These transcriptions will be available in English, Spanish, French, German, Japanese, Mandarin, Cantonese, and Portuguese.