Apple has released the iOS 18.1 and iPadOS 18.1 release candidates for developers and public beta testers, bringing continued enhancements to the Apple Intelligence suite of features. This release comes a week after the seventh beta versions and can be downloaded through the Settings app on compatible devices (General > Software Update).
Key highlights of Apple Intelligence in this update include:
- Writing Tools: Available for editing text across apps, these tools help with spell-checking, grammar correction, tone adjustments, and summarizing text.
- Siri Updates: A redesigned Siri with a subtle glow effect and a new Type to Siri feature for text-based interactions. Siri can also follow conversations if you stumble over words and maintain context between requests.
- Safari Summarization: Safari now includes the ability to summarize long articles.
- Reduce Interruptions Focus Mode: A new Focus mode that minimizes distractions.
- Smart Replies: Available in both Mail and Messages, allowing for quick responses.
- Mail App Enhancements: Time-sensitive messages are surfaced at the top of your inbox for easier access.
- Memory Movie in Photos: This feature creates slideshows based on text descriptions.
- Phone Call Recording and Transcription: Users can now record, transcribe, and summarize phone calls.
- Spatial Photos: Available for iPhone 15 Pro models, allowing for spatial photo capture.
Certain features, like Image Playground, Genmoji, and more advanced Siri functionalities, are not yet implemented. More details on these features can be found in Apple’s Apple Intelligence guide.
