Apple's WWDC 2025 keynote revealed a long list of exciting updates across iOS 18, iPadOS 18, and other Apple platforms. But tech enthusiasts quickly noticed a familiar theme: many of Apple's newest features have already existed on Android for years. While Apple excels at refining and polishing features, this year's announcements once again show how closely the two platforms borrow from each other.
In this post, we’ll break down all the Android-inspired features Apple announced at WWDC 2025, and how they compare to what Android users have enjoyed for some time.
1️⃣ Customizable Home Screen Icons (Finally)
One of iOS 18’s headline features is the ability to fully customize app icons on the home screen — letting users change colors, sizes, and arrange icons more freely.
Android Equivalent:
Android users have been enjoying deep home screen customization for years through built-in tools, third-party launchers, and widgets. Google’s Material You design also allows dynamic theming based on wallpaper colors.
2️⃣ RCS Support in iMessage
Apple confirmed that iOS 18 will finally adopt RCS (Rich Communication Services), bringing higher-quality media sharing, typing indicators, read receipts, and better group chat experiences across iOS and Android.
Android Equivalent:
Google has long pushed for RCS as the modern messaging standard, with full support in Google Messages since 2019.
3️⃣ Smart Notifications & Priority Summaries
Apple’s new Notification Summary 2.0 uses AI to group and prioritize notifications intelligently, reducing clutter and surfacing what matters most.
Android Equivalent:
Android introduced Priority Notifications, Notification Channels, and Smart Notifications years ago, allowing users to customize alerts per app and prioritize important contacts automatically.
4️⃣ AI-Powered Photo Editing (Apple Intelligence)
Apple Intelligence brings advanced AI editing tools, including object removal from photos, background replacement, and smart photo enhancements directly within the Photos app.
Android Equivalent:
Google’s Magic Eraser and Samsung’s Galaxy AI already offer similar photo-editing AI features, allowing users to easily remove unwanted elements and enhance images.
5️⃣ Offline Voice Assistant (Siri On-Device AI)
Siri’s latest update leverages on-device processing, offering faster, offline voice commands, app control, and contextual understanding.
Android Equivalent:
Google Assistant's on-device processing has enabled offline commands since the Pixel 4, offering fast and private voice actions without internet access.
6️⃣ App Lock & Hidden Apps
iOS 18 now includes native app locking and the ability to hide sensitive apps behind biometric authentication.
Android Equivalent:
Android phones, particularly Samsung and OnePlus devices, have offered Secure Folder and app locking features for years, providing an extra layer of privacy and control.
7️⃣ T9 Dialer & Call Recording (Region Specific)
Apple introduced smarter phone app features like predictive dialing and integrated call recording (in select regions), similar to functionality Android users have enjoyed.
Android Equivalent:
Most Android phones have supported T9 dialing and native call recording for years, though recording availability varies by country due to legal restrictions.
8️⃣ Control Center Customization
The new iOS Control Center allows users to add, remove, and rearrange quick toggles, giving more flexibility.
Android Equivalent:
Android's Quick Settings panel has offered full customization for a long time, with additional features available through custom ROMs or OEM skins like One UI and OxygenOS.
Conclusion
While Apple continues to innovate within its ecosystem, many of the "new" features announced at WWDC 2025 reflect trends and tools that Android users have enjoyed for years. This year’s WWDC highlights how competition between Apple and Google drives innovation on both sides — ultimately benefiting all users.
As iOS 18 rolls out later this year, it will be interesting to see how these Android-inspired features are received by iPhone users and how Google responds with Android 15.
From:
https://www.probatteryer.com/blog/
