Finally, the fear of the upgrade is over

Every year, when Apple launches a new version of iOS, the questions begin. Friends, family, strangers, whoever asks, the question is always the same: Do I have to download the latest version of iOS?

They ask, not because they want my opinion on Apple's latest software tip, but on another topic of concern: Does not it slow down my phone?

SEE ALSO: Here's how to update your iPhone or iPad to iOS 12

No matter how many times I try to explain the importance of staying up to date with security patches, or the benefits of [insert new iOS feature] the perception is the same – that the new iOS update will harm their phone (a perception certainly not helped by last year).

But iOS 12 is different. With the latest update, Apple has put performance and stability at the forefront, not just for its latest hardware. The update, compatible with the iPhone 5S, has also been optimized to work faster and more efficiently on older phones. So, yes, you can update to iOS 12 without slowing down your phone. In fact, if you have an older iPhone or iPad, it should actually be faster.

Performance first

Apple's focus on performance is not limited to older devices. Many changes under the hood make iOS 12 faster and smoother for everyone. In practice, this may not be immediately obvious because the result is that everything works as expected. I've been using iOS 12 since the first day the beta version of the developer was available, and it's easily the least buggy iOS update I can remember.

This focus on reliability may not bring the most interesting features – previous reports indicate that Apple has set aside some planned features in favor of – but that's what will make the Biggest difference for everyone who uses it. It is also extremely important for Apple, which must regain confidence after a year and the deployment of iOS 11. That said, there are still a lot of new features that make iOS 12 your time.

Siri catches up

Even though the first iPhones looked like world-class smartphones, Siri has not always been up to it. There is for it (which many Apple has responded), but for a long time, one of the biggest stumbling blocks for Siri's skeptics was that the assistant of Apple remained stubbornly closed to third-party applications.

This changed in 2016 with the arrival of SiriKit in iOS 10, but even that was a bit disappointing as it was limited to specific categories, such as transport applications. Shortcuts aim to fill these gaps by allowing all application to be compatible with Siri.

Shortcuts allow you to automate certain tasks using custom Siri commands. You can find suggestions for things you might want to automate in the Siri section of the main Settings application, and you can record a voice command that you want to trigger. The suggestions provided by iOS will be based on your own habits and the applications you use, including third-party apps.

For example, you can set up a shortcut to start a new voice memo, or you can play the latest titles from your favorite news app. It's up to individual developers to support the feature, so not all applications support it on the first day, but you can already do a lot.

If you really want to have fun, you can use the dedicated workflow app that was redesigned last year. One of the biggest problems of Workflow was that it was far too complicated for most people. Shortcuts solve some usability issues with Workflow, but they are always clearly intended for advanced users.

The application uses a drag-and-drop interface to allow you to associate multiple tasks in one shortcut. For example, you can ask Siri to automatically create GIFs from your photos, or ask Siri to "start your day" and automatically call instructions for work and information about the first appointment of your calendar.

This is still not the most intuitive interface, but if you are ready to spend some time there, you can be really creative. The app also provides a library of ready-to-use shortcuts for easy startup, and you can remix them to suit your needs.

If all this seems too complicated, there is another way to use Siri shortcuts without much effort. Siri also automatically sends suggested shortcuts to your lock screen and Spotlight search. These can be simple, such as suggesting a missed call, or more complex, for example by suggesting to activate "Do not disturb" in a movie theater. Siri can even push shortcuts from third-party applications (provided the developer has added support for shortcuts).

These suggestions are adapted to your habits. Behind the scenes, Siri takes into account more than 100 different signals, such as the time and current position, as well as the way you typically use your phone to develop these recommendations.

The frequency with which you see these suggestions will depend on several factors. Part of this has to do with the predictability of your behavior, as if you tend to use certain applications at very specific times. Applications that you use frequently also play a role. What you see in third-party applications will likely be more limited at startup, as many developers have not yet updated their applications to support the new features of Siri, but will be more useful over time.

On a more philosophical level, these types of suggestions are an important step for Siri, as it shows that Apple is finally doing more to make his assistant … much more a real assistant. Last year, when I wrote my predictions for, I predicted that "iOS will be able to play a much more active role in determining what applications and actions are in front of you at all times." " Now we begin to see the first possible signs.

If you've spent the past few years ignoring Siri, it's time to rethink that.

Find your limits

Apple does not just want IOS 12 to be better for your phone, it also wants it to be better for you. At least that's the premise behind Screen Time, a feature that lets you see how well you're using your phone and set some limits – if you have the willpower.

The Screen Time feature itself is actually made up of several different settings: a dashboard that provides you with statistics on the use of your phone and different methods to limit the time spent in applications. Before you start setting boundaries, it's helpful to consult your dashboard.

If you spend a lot of time on your phone, get ready to be horrified. I have been checking my screen statistics regularly for months and I may have a problem.

The (or good) news is that you can actually do something about it. You can set limits for categories of apps you want to use less, such as social media apps, or schedule downtime on your phone. In either case, it's relatively easy to ignore your limitations that you've imposed on yourself, although iOS suspends the app icons to remind you that you're not supposed to use them .

My problem with Screen Time is that controls do not seem to do much to change behaviors. In my case, I spend too much time on Twitter and receive far too many e-mail notifications. But that's not immediately what I should do about it. Of course, I can adjust my notification settings or set application limits, but it would be nice if Screen Time could actually provide customized recommendations on what settings to modify, as well as how it offers suggestions for optimizing your storage. .

It would also be useful to be able to contextualize your statistics in one way or another. An average of 204 notifications a day seems a lot, but it's hard to judge for yourself without something to weigh these numbers.

My other problem with Screen Time is that the application limits the default blocking to whole categories of entire applications. Open the app's limits menu and you receive a checklist of different categories, such as social media or productivity apps.

Although this approach may work for some, I would prefer it to be easier to limit specific applications one by one, rather than whole categories. Yes, there are solutions to this problem: you can exempt specific applications from application limits, and there is a way to set limits per application, but they are far from intuitive.

A group that I can see the screen time makes a big difference for parents. Although many parental controls focus on specific details – for example, controlling exactly apps and websites, for example – Screen Time can be much more useful for parents worried about social media addiction. With the ability to set application-specific limits and set a schedule for using apps (all protected by a separate password), Screen Time can be a powerful tool for parents.

If you want to pause without setting such granular limits, Apple has also greatly improved Do Not Disturb. You can now choose to activate it for specific periods or to link Do not disturb your current location, which can be especially useful when you go to a movie theater or at an important meeting.

Stored applications have a new look

Many Apple applications have also received special attention. Books, Stocks, Voice Memos and Apple News have been reviewed. If you do not already use these applications, the changes are probably not important enough to give you a second look, but if you use them, you'll appreciate the refresh.

Apple has also introduced a brand new utility application that uses augmented reality, called.

The application uses AR to help you measure objects. In my tests, it works pretty well with easy-to-define objects like books, but sometimes with things that have a more unusual form. I could see the app be useful if you need to take quick action, but I do not think I would feel comfortable to use it for everything I had need a precise measurement.

Two of Apple's applications likely to hold the most attention are Messages and FaceTime. The messages are virtually unchanged from last year, although there is a new image sharing in Messages. The new Star of Messages, however, is Memoji.

Like Apple's responses to Bitmoji, Memoji's custom avatars are like the next step. I feel the same way for Memoji as for Animoji. It's fun the first few times you use it, and it's great for demonstrating the power of the TrueDepth camera, but it still looks like a gadget.

Do not get me wrong, I had a lot of fun creating my own avatar and trying to make some approximations between friends and family, but that's the problem: Memoji does not feel so personal. The customization options are not enough to make them truly unique.

Speaking of fun, FaceTime also got features apparently inspired by Snapchat. You can use a bunch of new effects, such as filters and stickers, or overlay Memoji and Animoji on your own face during a call. The popular group call feature is not yet available, but it will finally allow FaceTime to become familiar with virtually every other video chat application.

There is more. Finally, the notifications are finally grouped by application, a bit like Android. It's a small change – and frankly, we should not have waited iOS 12 for – but this makes the treatment of notifications a lot less painful.

There is also a feature called "Instant Setup", which allows you to adjust the notification settings directly from the notification itself. You can change the application settings to be silently broadcast, allowing the notification to surface in Notification Center, but nowhere else, or disable them altogether.

Passwords are even easier to manage. iOS can now automatically generate secure passwords and store them in your iCloud keychain. If you use a password manager, such as OnePassword or LastPass, you can automatically fill in passwords for applications and websites without having to manually open the application. And the SMS verification codes are automatically inserted into your keyboard, so you do not have to switch to the Messages application to enter the code.

All of these benefits save time and use secure passwords on all the services you use.

Should you download?

If you have come so far, the question is probably still in your mind. If it was not already clear, the answer is yes. In previous years, the only pretext for blocking the download was that you feared bugs or were afraid to slow down an older device.

But with this year's focus on stability and speed, these excuses no longer hold water. In fact, the update of iOS 12 should make your iPhone or iPad faster, while offering you the latest features of Siri and other improvements.

So, go download worry free: iOS 12 is an update that makes your iPhone (and your iPad) better wherever it matters most.