iOS 18.4 allows European iPhone owners to switch to new default apps, including the Mail app and the Phone app. We'll explain how to do this using WhatsApp as an example.
After nearly a decade of a closed ecosystem, Apple is forced to open up to competition in Europe. Particularly in the choice of default applications. The latest iOS 18.4 update currently being rolled out adds the ability to replace two new applications at the heart of the user experience on iPhone: the Messages and Call applications.
For now, the possible alternatives are not yet very numerous. But we can already see that it is possible to select WhatsApp instead of iMessage and FaceTime. This is particularly useful if your contacts are mainly on Android smartphones.
How to replace the default Messages and Phone applications on iPhone
Apple makes this change quite intuitive. Since the default service selection is done on the same configuration page where we find the selection of the default browser or the default mail application.
To do this:
- Go to Settings then navigate to the bottom of the page.
- Go to Apps then Default Apps at the very top of the next screen.
- To change the default messaging app, tap Messaging.
If WhatsApp is installed on your iPhone, you can then select this application instead of the default option. To change the default calling application, simply return to the previous screen and select Calls then WhatsApp, which will then become the system's default service for making and receiving calls.
Other default applications and services may be replaced with the arrival of iOS 18.4 – although support for alternatives is currently lacking. This is the case with Wallet for contactless payments. But also the navigation app. Or even the default app store.
In addition, the new version introduces the ability to select a default call screening app. The few alternatives available at the moment is probably normal – other apps should soon be supported when they have been updated for iOS 18.4.
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