iOS 18.2.1 for iPhone Now Confirmed as iOS 18.3 Beta Testing Continues

Following our report that Apple is internally testing iOS 18.2.1 for the iPhone, an anonymous social media account with a proven track record of sharing iOS-related information has revealed the upcoming software update's build number: 22C161.

Generic iOS 18 Feature Real Mock
With the build number now known, the update is now confirmed.

When the anonymous account shares a build number for an upcoming iOS version, the update is usually released no more than a week later. However, given it is currently the holiday season, it could take longer for the update to be released. We continue to respect the account's request that we not link to their social media posts.

iOS 18.2.1 should be a minor update that fixes bugs and/or addresses security vulnerabilities, but it is unclear which specific issues might be resolved. There are not any critical, widespread bugs that we know about at this particular time, but Apple has obviously identified various bugs and/or security vulnerabilities that it wants to patch ahead of iOS 18.3.

Apple began testing iOS 18.3 with developers and public beta testers earlier this month. That update is likely to be released to all users in January or early February, and only minor changes have been discovered in it so far.

Related Roundups: iOS 18, iPadOS 18
Related Forums: iOS 18, iPadOS 18

Popular Stories

iPhone 17 Pro Lower Logo Feature 1

iPhone 17 Pro Coming Soon With These 14 New Features

Monday June 30, 2025 1:08 pm PDT by
Apple's next-generation iPhone 17 Pro and iPhone 17 Pro Max are less than three months away, and there are plenty of rumors about the devices. Apple is expected to launch the iPhone 17, iPhone 17 Air, iPhone 17 Pro, and iPhone 17 Pro Max in September this year. Below, we recap key changes rumored for the iPhone 17 Pro models:Aluminum frame: iPhone 17 Pro models are rumored to have an...
Apple Watch Ultra Night Mode Screen

Apple Watch Ultra 3 Launching Later This Year With Two Key Upgrades

Wednesday July 2, 2025 1:13 pm PDT by
The long wait for an Apple Watch Ultra 3 appears to be nearly over, and it is rumored to feature both satellite connectivity and 5G support. Apple Watch Ultra's existing Night Mode In his latest Power On newsletter, Bloomberg's Mark Gurman said that the Apple Watch Ultra 3 is on track to launch this year with "significant" new features, including satellite connectivity, which would let you...
A18 Pro Chip

New MacBook With A18 Pro Chip Spotted in Apple Code

Monday June 30, 2025 8:05 am PDT by
Apple is developing a MacBook with the A18 Pro chip, according to findings in backend code uncovered by MacRumors. Earlier today, Apple analyst Ming-Chi Kuo reported that Apple is planning to launch a low-cost MacBook powered by an iPhone chip. The machine is expected to feature a 13-inch display, the A18 Pro chip, and color options that include silver, blue, pink, and yellow. MacRumors...
iPhone 17 Pro Lower Logo Magsafe

iPhone 17 Pro's New MagSafe Design Revealed in Leaked Photo

Wednesday July 2, 2025 8:37 am PDT by
The upcoming iPhone 17 Pro and iPhone 17 Pro Max are rumored to have a slightly different MagSafe magnet layout compared to existing iPhone models, and a leaked photo has offered a closer look at the supposed new design. The leaker Majin Bu today shared a photo of alleged MagSafe magnet arrays for third-party iPhone 17 Pro cases. On existing iPhone models with MagSafe, the magnets form a...
macbook air spacegray purple

Apple Planning to Launch Low-Cost MacBook Powered By iPhone Chip

Monday June 30, 2025 3:20 am PDT by
Apple is planning to launch a low-cost MacBook powered by an iPhone chip, according to Apple analyst Ming-Chi Kuo. In an article published on X, Kuo explained that the device will feature a 13-inch display and the A18 Pro chip, making it the first Mac powered by an iPhone chip. The A18 Pro chip debuted in the iPhone 16 Pro last year. To date, all Apple silicon Macs have contained M-series...
iOS 18

Apple Releases Second iOS 18.6 Public Beta

Tuesday July 1, 2025 10:19 am PDT by
Apple today seeded the second betas of upcoming iOS 18.6 and iPadOS 18.6 updates to public beta testers, with the betas coming just a day after Apple provided the betas to developers. Apple has also released a second beta of macOS Sequoia 15.6. Testers who have signed up for beta updates through Apple's beta site can download iOS 18.6 and iPadOS 18.6 from the Settings app on a compatible...
Wi Fi WiFi General Feature

iOS 26 Adds a Useful New Wi-Fi Feature to Your iPhone

Wednesday July 2, 2025 6:36 am PDT by
iOS 26 and iPadOS 26 add a smaller yet useful Wi-Fi feature to iPhones and iPads. As spotted by Creative Strategies analyst Max Weinbach, sign-in details for captive Wi-Fi networks are now synced across iPhones and iPads running iOS 26 and iPadOS 26. For example, while Weinbach was staying at a Hilton hotel, his iPhone prompted him to fill in Wi-Fi details from his iPad that was already...
maxresdefault

Five Features Coming to AirPods Pro 3

Friday June 27, 2025 10:52 am PDT by
Apple hasn't updated the AirPods Pro since 2022, and the earbuds are due for a refresh. We're counting on a new model this year, and we've seen several hints of new AirPods tucked away in Apple's code. Rumors suggest that Apple has some exciting new features planned that will make it worthwhile to upgrade to the latest model. Subscribe to the MacRumors YouTube channel for more videos. Heal...
replay all time playlist apple music

Apple Music Debuts All-New Personalized Playlist

Monday June 30, 2025 7:16 am PDT by
As part of its 10-year celebrations of Apple Music, Apple today released an all-new personalized playlist that collates your entire listening history. The playlist, called "Replay All Time," expands on Apple Music's existing Replay features. Previously, users could only see their top songs for each individual calendar year that they've been subscribed to Apple Music, but now, Replay All...

Top Rated Comments

Dave-Z Avatar
27 weeks ago

There are not any critical, widespread bugs that we know about at this particular time
?

Yeah, okay. You guys are funny.

So. Many. Bugs.

(And to the pedantic fanboy: Yeah, I get they used the adjective critical. I am pointing out that this year's OS releases (across the board) are adding useless, half-baked "features" instead of actually fixing long-time bugs, newly-introduced bugs, or incorporating features that would legitimately be useful.)
Score: 20 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Fraserh02 Avatar
27 weeks ago
Great news, this has made my Christmas!
Score: 15 Votes (Like | Disagree)
JosephAW Avatar
27 weeks ago
Always feel better about a dot one update. :p
Score: 8 Votes (Like | Disagree)
CharlesShaw Avatar
27 weeks ago

Well, that's a relief. All of us can carry on with our Christmas now.

Have a good time MacRumorians and Mods. ?
And if reports of some nasty vulnerability hit the news during the holiday visit, one can assure Uncle Bob that Apple's already on it, and pass the gravy, please.
Score: 7 Votes (Like | Disagree)
ectospheno Avatar
27 weeks ago

Not knowing how something works does not qualify as a bug. Not making any effort to troubleshoot does not mean something is a bug. Something you don’t understand but no else is reporting is also not a bug.
People like you are why I rarely post.
Score: 7 Votes (Like | Disagree)
BigDO Avatar
27 weeks ago
The level of drama in the post about a bugfix update is comical.
Score: 6 Votes (Like | Disagree)