Apple is set to release iOS 18.3 for iPhones in January 2025, following the previous updates of iOS 18.1 in October and iOS 18.2 in December 2024. This update will continue the rollout of Apple Intelligence and address various bugs. The upcoming iOS 18.3 appears to be a smaller update compared to its predecessors. Although there are rumors about a new version of Siri, it hasn’t been confirmed yet. However, some groundwork has already been laid for future updates.
With iOS 18.1, iPhones received a new Siri animation, but without the AI enhancements. iOS 18.2 introduced Chat-GPT integration for handling complex queries. However, EU users will only start benefiting from Apple Intelligence in April 2025. The full functionality of a chatbot might not be available until iOS 19 in 2026, according to early rumors.
iOS 18.3 will improve AI notification summaries for iPhones and iPads, which can be managed from the lock screen. These summaries are now more recognizable due to italicized text, helping to address issues with inaccurate AI-generated summaries. Apple has temporarily disabled AI summaries for messaging and entertainment apps, with a future update planned to fix these issues. As of iOS 18.3, Apple Intelligence is enabled by default, whereas it was previously an opt-in feature.
New in iOS 18.3 is the ability to use Visual Intelligence on iPhone 16 to identify plants and animals, and to scan event details from posters and flyers into the calendar. Samsung and Google offer similar features on their Galaxy S25 and Pixel 9 series.
Another addition in iOS 18.3 is support for robot vacuums in Homekit. This feature was announced at WWDC 2024, but its release has been delayed. Apple plans to enable users to control key functions of vacuum robots, like power settings and cleaning modes, through Homekit and Siri commands. Users can also set up cleaning routines and instruct Siri to clean specific areas.
iOS 18.3 also includes various optimizations and bug fixes. For example, it resolves an issue where the keyboard would disappear during Siri text input and fixes a bug in Apple Music where audio playback continued after closing the app. Additionally, a calculator feature is being reinstated, allowing users to repeat mathematical operations by tapping the equals sign.
The update addresses an issue with Genmoji, a feature introduced in iOS 18.2, where personalized images might not be created unless another person is selected first. It also fixes a problem with the interface of the AI writing tool used by third-party apps.
In addition to iOS 18.3, Apple is working on updates for iPadOS 18.3 and macOS Sequoia 15.3, which will include similar features. The new macOS version will bring the Genmoji app to Macs, allowing users to create their own emoji characters through text input. The final versions of iOS 18.3 and other system updates are expected to be released by the end of January 2025, potentially on the 27th or 28th, unless significant issues are discovered.