Apple releases the highly anticipated iOS 18.1 update to the public. This new major update also brings AI features to eligible models. The iOS 18.1 is especially exciting for users with devices eligible for AI capabilities. However, users might not be happy with the decision that they are required to join the waitlist to access some AI features after the update.
This is a bad move by Apple as iPhone 16 users have already been waiting for a month for the promised features, and they will have to wait longer.
Apple started testing iOS 18.1 even before the public release of iOS 18 which is not common. If they had started the iOS 18.1 beta after iOS 18, its public release could have taken even longer. But don’t think that the wait is completely over, you will still have to join the waitlist for some AI features.
Today, Apple also released a few other updates to the public including iPadOS 18.1, watchOS 11.1, tvOS 18.1, macOS 15.1, HomePod 18.1 and visionOS 2.1. Following the same routine, iOS 18.1 and iPadOS 18.1 come with same build number which is 22B83.
This is a big update and weighs over 6GB, so make sure to use WiFi to install the update.
What’s New in iOS 18.1
As we mentioned, the iOS 18.1 update brings AI features, although you may have to join the waitlist. There are also some non-AI features that should become available as soon as you install the update. Below you can see the full changelog of the update.
Apple Intelligence (All iPhone 16 models, iPhone 15 Pro, iPhone 15 Pro Max)
- Writing Tools
- Writing Tools are available nearly everywhere you type, allowing you to rewrite, proofread, and summarize text right in the app you’re working in
- Rewrite suggests different versions of your text so you can choose which combination of flow and wording you like best
- Proofread lets you view suggested improvements to what you’re writing, like grammar fixes and language refinements
- Summarize allows you to select text wherever you’re writing and generate a high-quality summary
- Siri
- A new look and feel includes a glowing light that wraps around the edge of your screen, animates responsively to the sound of your voice, and lets you keep scrolling or typing while you talk to Siri
- Type to Siri when you don’t want to speak a request out loud by double tapping at the bottom of the screen
- Richer language understanding enables Siri to follow along if you stumble over your words or change your mind mid-sentence
- Conversational context is maintained over the course of a session, so you can refer more naturally to something you said in a recent request or something Siri mentioned in a recent response
- Product knowledge helps you get answers to thousands of questions about the features and settings on your Apple products
- Voice enhancements make Siri sound more natural, expressive, and clear
- Photos
- Photos search lets you find photos and videos simply by describing what you’re looking for
- Clean Up removes distractions in your photos
- Memory movies can be created by describing the story you want to see
- Notifications
- Notification summaries make it easy to catch up on your notifications with a glanceable summary of the most important information
- Reduce Interruptions is a new Focus that ensures the most urgent notifications get through to you while silencing potential distractions
- Smart Reply in Mail and Messages help you quickly respond to messages with suggested responses
- Priority messages in Mail understands the content of your messages and prioritizes those that require your attention, displaying them at the top of your inbox
- Transcription summaries in Notes give you an intelligently created summary of the transcript from your audio recording or call recording
Phone
- Call recordings and transcriptions let you record live calls and transcribe them in the Notes app, with an automatic announcement that the call is being recorded
Camera
- Camera Control can quickly switch to the front TrueDepth Camera (iPhone 16, iPhone 16 Plus, iPhone 16 Pro, iPhone 16 Pro Max)
- Spatial photo capture, along with spatial video capture, is available in a new Spatial camera mode (iPhone 15 Pro, iPhone 15 Pro Max)
AirPods
- Hearing Test feature provides scientifically-validated hearing test results from the comfort of home (intended for users 18 years or older)
- Hearing Aid feature provides personalized, clinical-grade assistance that is automatically applied to sounds in your environment as well as music, videos, and calls (intended for users 18 years or older with perceived mild to moderate hearing loss)
- Hearing Protection feature helps users minimize exposure to loud environmental noise across listening modes (available in the United States and Canada)
- Features require AirPods Pro 2 with firmware version 7B19 or later. All features may not be available for all countries or regions, for more information visit: https://apple.com/airpods-pro/feature-availability/
This update also includes the following improvements and bug fixes:
- Control Center has new options to add connectivity controls individually and reset your configuration
- RCS Business Messaging lets you connect with businesses over RCS (requires carrier support)
- App Store search lets you use natural language to find what you’re looking for more easily
- Game Center friend invites can be sent directly from the Contacts app and Friend Suggestions, and receivers can see the invites in the inbox in Settings
- Fixes an issue in Podcasts where unplayed episodes are marked as played
- Fixes an issue where videos recorded at 4K 60 while the device is warm could experience stutter while scrubbing the video playback in Photos
- Fixes an issue where digital car keys may not unlock or start a vehicle with passive entry after restoring from a backup or transferring directly from another iPhone
- Fixes an issue where iPhone 16 or iPhone 16 Pro models may unexpectedly restart
The iOS 18.1 update is available to everyone who has an eligible iPhone, as long as they haven’t installed the iOS 18.2 beta or iOS 18.1 RC. To check for the update, go to Settings > General > Software Update. Make sure Beta Update is turned off.
Once the update is available, tap on Download and Install button to proceed with the update.
Also Check:
- Explore 8 New Photos Features in iOS 18 for iPhone
- How to Hide Distracting Items in Safari on iPhone [iOS 18]
- iOS 18.2 Beta 1 boosts Apple Intelligence with new Features
- How to Get iOS 18 Vehicle Motion Cues on any Android
- 37 Mind-Blowing Spooky Halloween Wallpapers for iPhone
- How to use iPhone from Mac with iPhone Mirroring
