Apple releases iOS 18.1 with Apple Intelligence support, Control Center improvements, bug fixes, more
Apple has today released iOS 18.1, introducing Apple Intelligence support for users in the U.S., Control Center improvements, bug fixes, and more.
For users outside the U.S., iOS 18.1 is a minor update, addressing an issue in Podcasts where unplayed episodes are marked as played, a video playback stutter when scrubbing through 4K 60 fps recordings in Photos on warm devices, issues with digital car keys not unlocking or starting vehicles with passive entry after device transfers, and unexpected restarts for iPhone 16 or iPhone 16 Pro models.
In the U.S., Apple has officially launched its new personal intelligence system, Apple Intelligence, adding a range of AI-driven features across writing, mail, messages, and notifications while enhancing Siri’s capabilities. Image editing tools, like the AI-powered Clean Up feature, are also part of this update.
Starting today, Siri has more natural conversation capabilities and an updated design, with a glowing light circling the screen edge when active on iPhone, iPad, or CarPlay. On Mac, Siri is repositionable on the desktop for easier access. Users can now type to Siri, switch between text and voice, keep context across multiple requests, and receive help with Apple features and settings.
The Photos app now allows users to search using simple descriptions, enhanced by smart completion suggestions, while the new Clean Up tool lets users remove unwanted elements from photos by circling them on the screen.
Apple Intelligence introduces summarized notifications on the Lock Screen for quick previews of long threads, and the Reduce Interruptions Focus feature filters for critical notifications only.
In the Notes and Phone apps, new audio recording, transcription, and summary generation features allow call summaries that capture key points. Call participants are notified when a recording begins.
Currently available to U.S. users, Apple Intelligence will roll out to additional regions by December, expanding localized English support to Australia, Canada, Ireland, New Zealand, South Africa, and the U.K. Further language support, including Chinese, French, and German, is expected by April 2025.
Apple Intelligence is compatible with iPhone 16 and 15 Pro models, iPads with A17 Pro or M1 processors, and Macs with M1 or later processors.