Apple has finally released its iOS 18.1 update with Apple Intelligence features on board a week after the first release candidate build was seeded to developers. If you have an iPhone 15 Pro or newer model, this specific update holds immense importance as Apple has finally introduced Apple Intelligence features to the public.
Apple has released iOS 18.1 to the public for all compatible iPhone models
As mentioned, if you have an iPhone 15 Pro or newer model, all you have to do is head over to the Settings app, navigate to General > Software Update, and download and install the latest beta on your compatible device. As mentioned, iOS 18.1 is a major update considering the number of AI features it brings to the table. While the update does not include all the bells and whistles of Apple Intelligence, it does bring some notable improvements.
Other than iOS 18.1, Apple has also seeded iPadOS 18.1 to the general public, and you can download it right now on your compatible iPad. The process to install the update is the same as iOS 18.1, so do not worry. However, for the Apple Intelligence features to work, you must have an M1 iPad or newer model.
Apple Intelligence is the main highlight of the iOS 18.1 update, and it has taken its due time to arrive on the iPhone and other devices. It brings notable upgrades to Siri, offers summarization tools, updates the Photos app with the new Clean Up feature, a new Focus Mode, and a slew of Writing Tools. You can check out the full changelog below for more details.
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 summarySiri
- 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 clearPhotos
- 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 seeNotifications
- 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 recordingPhone
- 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 recordedCamera
- 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 restartSome features may not be available for all regions or on all Apple devices. For information on the security content of Apple software updates, please visit this website: https://support.apple.com/100100
These are all the new features coming with today's iOS 18.1 update for the iPhone and iPad. You can check them all out right now, as the update brings a lot more than just AI features to the table. Apple has also released a handful of additional updates which we will be covering in detail.
About the author: Ali Salman is a technology reporter for Wccftech mobile section with a specialized focus on Apple and the intellectual property that drives mobile innovation. He has cultivated a unique expertise in analyzing and deconstructing complex technology patents, translating dense legal and technical documents into clear, insightful reports on future products.
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