In a few days, iOS 18.3 will bring the next update for iPhones. Following the releases of iOS 18.1 in October and iOS 18.2 in December 2024, the next software update for iPhones is scheduled for January 2025. This update continues the rollout of Apple Intelligence and addresses bug fixes. Here’s what’s in the update.
iOS 18.3 appears to be a smaller update. The number of new features it will deliver is less than previous iOS 18 updates. According to an iOS 18 roadmap, the new version might include a new voice assistant, Siri, although this has not yet been confirmed. Changes are happening behind the scenes, with preliminary work already underway.
With iOS 18.1, a new full-screen Siri animation was introduced, but without the new AI component. iOS 18.2 added Chat-GPT integration for handling complex queries. While users in the EU haven’t experienced these features yet, they are expected to benefit from Apple Intelligence starting April 2025.
The full functionality of a chatbot might be included in Siri with iOS 19 by 2026, according to early rumors about the next iPhone operating system generation.
As noted in the changelog for iOS and iPadOS 18.3, iPhones and iPads will receive improved AI notification summaries. These can be managed from the lock screen and disabled if necessary. AI summaries will be more noticeable with italicized text, which is helpful as Apple deals with faulty AI summaries and other issues.
Apple has temporarily disabled AI summaries for messaging and entertainment apps, with a future update to address hallucinating summaries. Additionally, Apple Intelligence is now enabled by default, whereas previously, it was an opt-in feature.
New in iOS 18.3 is the ability to use Visual Intelligence on the iPhone 16 to recognize plants and animals, as well as scan dates from posters and flyers to save them in the calendar. Samsung and Google offer similar features on their Galaxy S25 and Pixel 9 series.
Another new feature in iOS 18.3 is support for vacuum robots in HomeKit, which was announced at WWDC 2024. Although advertised by Apple, this feature is expected to appear later in the year. Apple has not updated its German website, but the US site indicates the feature will arrive in a later update.
According to Apple, HomeKit and Siri commands will allow users to control key functions of vacuum robots, such as power control, cleaning mode, suction, wiping, and charging status. Automations and scenes will also be possible, allowing users to create cleaning routines or instruct Siri to vacuum the living room.
The update includes various optimizations and bug fixes. For instance, the issue of a disappearing keyboard during Siri text input should no longer occur. An Apple Music bug that prevented audio playback from stopping after closing the app has also been addressed.
iOS 18.3 brings back an old iOS feature for the calculator. Tapping the equals sign will allow users to repeat mathematical operations. The update also fixes a Genmoji issue from iOS 18.2, where a personalized image might not be created unless another person was selected first. Additionally, it resolves an error in the interface of the AI writing tool used by third-party apps.
Beyond the iOS 18.3 update, Apple is working on updates for iPadOS 18.3 and macOS Sequoia 15.3. Both updates will include similar features to the iPhone, with the upcoming macOS version introducing the Genmoji app on Macs. The Genmoji feature allows users to create custom emoji characters through text input.
iOS 18.3 and other operating system updates are expected to be released in their final version by the end of January 2025. Based on current information, the release is anticipated on January 27 or 28, unless Apple discovers significant issues.