18
What's New
iOS 18 introduces significant enhancements to advertising attribution, mapping capabilities, and subscription management while modernizing RealityKit rendering and material handling. Multiple breaking changes affect networking headers, RealityKit physics and materials, and entity hierarchies, requiring developer attention during migration. The release includes numerous bug fixes across accessibility, camera, health, and messaging features, plus new Journaling Suggestions capabilities supporting landscape mode and reflection prompts.
Highlights
- AdAttributionKit now supports re-engagement measurement and deep linking for previously installed apps
- Place ID and Place Card API introduced in MapKit for persistent location identification
- SubscriptionStoreView gains custom control styles, hierarchical structure support, and renewal pricing details
- RealityKit physics simulation and material blending behavior updated with breaking changes
- JSONEncoder.OutputFormatting.sortedKeys now uses lexicographic UTF-8 ordering instead of numeric sorting
- On-demand resource limits increased across iOS 18, iPadOS 18, tvOS 18, and visionOS 2
Breaking Changes
- CFNetworkExecuteProxyAutoConfigurationScript and CFNetworkExecuteProxyAutoConfigurationURL now return CF types instead of Unmanaged in Swift, requiring source code changes
- RealityKit UnlitMaterials alpha-blending must be explicitly configured with .blending = .transparent(opacity:) in iOS 18 and later
- RealityKit transparent materials final opacity now computed as multiplication of color alpha and blending opacity
- Entity child order is no longer reliable and may change unexpectedly when reparenting
- kern.bootsessionuuid is no longer available to apps
- URLSession User-Agent header now includes unlocalized bundle name instead of localized name for apps linked on iOS 18 or newer
Deprecations
- Original In-App Purchase API deprecated including SKStoreReviewController, SKProduct, SKReceiptRefreshRequest, SKStorefront, SKPayment, SKRequest, SKProductsRequest, and SKProductDiscount
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