After a month of beta testing, Apple has just released iOS 18.5. This is likely the last major iOS 18 update before Apple previews iOS 19 next month. That said, we still believe the company might release iOS 18.6 and iOS 18.7 in the future with bug fixes and security patches.
Unlike previous iOS 18 versions, iOS 18.5 is pretty light on features. Among the tweaks, Apple has fixed one of the most annoying iPhone changes everyone hates: the new Mail. This update fixes the Contact Photos “issue” by offering Mail users a new menu that lets them toggle the feature with a simple tick. That should have always been the case.
Before the iOS 18.5 update, you could disable Contact Photos in Mail, but that required a visit to the Settings app, where you’d find the option to disable Contact Photos in the Mail menu.
Apple also tweaked AppleCare information in the Settings app, adding a banner with an AppleCare logo and other details about coverage. With iOS 18.5, Apple added a new Pride wallpaper to celebrate the “strength and beauty of LGBTQ+ communities around the world.”
Besides that, the company added some important changes, including:
- Parents now receive a notification when the Screen Time passcode is used on a child’s device
- Buy with iPhone is available when purchasing content within the Apple TV app on a 3rd party device
- Fixes an issue where the Apple Vision Pro app may display a black screen
- Support for carrier-provided satellite feature is available on all iPhone 13 models.
For the first time since it became available, Apple hasn’t added new Apple Intelligence features with this iOS release. The company will likely save the newest features for the iOS 19 preview in June.
Alongside iOS 18.5, Apple also releases iPadOS 18.5, watchOS 11.5, macOS 15.5, visionOS 2.5, and tvOS 18.5.
