Apple released the third beta of its iOS 18.5 software update to developers on April 21st. We’ve rounded up the new features coming to iPhones in the near future.
iOS 18.5 isn’t a major year-on-year update like last September’s iOS 18 release or the iOS 19 update expected to roll out later this year. If you’re interested in the iOS 19 features we hope will be announced at WWDC this year, check out our April 19th edition of Fast Charge where Trusted Reviews editor Max Parker discusses the features he’d like to see in the big 2025 update.
Rather, iOS 18.5 is a minor update to iOS 18 that will likely introduce smaller features and fix any bugs found in the operating system. Keep reading to discover the updates we expect to encounter in iOS 18.5.
According to a report by MacRumors, iOS 18.5 will include a feature that allows users to easily turn off contact photos within the Mail app. Users will be able to tap on the three-dot menu in the upper right corner and toggle ‘Show Contact Photos’ off to hide them.
The ‘All Mail’ view will also be more visible, according to 9to5Mac, with this filter getting its own tab alongside Primary, Transactions, Updates and Promotions.
Settings
The MacRumors report also reveals that information about a user’s AppleCare+ coverage will be more prominently displayed in the Settings app.
This should make it easier for users to learn more about the cover for each device they own in the Apple Account Settings.
Security updates
Other updates listed in Apple’s iOS & iPadOS 18.5 Beta 3 release notes include a fix to the Apple Vision Pro app that prevents the app from loading correctly, as well fixes to certain enterprise apps that fail to launch on iOS 18.
Apple has also highlighted an issue with Siri that prevents Apple Music from playing songs requested via the voice assistant.
Is iOS 18.5 out?
Currently, developers and testers are invited to install iOS 18.5 in its third beta. However, the update isn’t stable enough for a public release at this stage.
MacRumors has predicted that the update will launch around the middle of May based on previous years’ releases. This could suggest that the update will arrive anywhere from the week of May 12th through the week of May 19th.
However, we wouldn’t expect any game-changing features from this update with WWDC expected to kickstart anticipation for iOS 19 from June.
