FIVE THINGS WE LOVE—AND HATE—ABOUT THE FIVE BIGGEST iOS 14 FEATURES

THE GOOD AND THE NOT-SO-GOOD.

- MICHAEL SIMON

Even if you haven’t rushed to install the iOS 14 and iPadOS 14 public betas (go.macworld. com/14bt) on your devices, you already know all about the new features that’ll transform your home screen, apps, and overall mobile experience in exciting new ways. Major changes are in store for our home screens, widgets, and apps, as Apple makes some long-overdue tweaks to the iPhone and iPad experience.

But it’s not all moonlight and roses. I’ve been testing the new betas since they landed, and I’ve run into frustrating quirks and roadblocks along the way. Don’t get me wrong: There’s a lot to like here, but in true Apple fashion, old systems and puzzling decisions keep the new features from being as great as they can be. There’s still a lot of time for the betas to be tweaked, of course, but here’s what I like and don’t like so far.

1. EMOJI SEARCH

What’s good

Finally, right? A feature that is hilariously and horribly overdue, Apple now lets you search the emoji list so you don’t have to rely on the flaky predictive text or your own memory. When you tap the emoji button on the stock iPhone keyboard, you’ll see the same interface as before, with a left-right library of all of the emoji available for use,but now there will be a search bar at the top. It’s fast and smart, searching for both context and emoji name so you should find what you’re looking for on the first try.

What’s not so good