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

2024 iPhone Boxes Feature

Apple Changes Trade-In Values for iPhones, iPads, Macs, and More

Thursday January 16, 2025 6:45 am PST by
Apple today adjusted estimated trade-in values for select iPhone, iPad, Mac, and Apple Watch models in the U.S., according to its website. Some values increased, while others decreased. The changes were not too significant, with most values rising or dropping by $5 to $50. We have outlined some examples below: Device New Value Old Value iPhone 15 Pro Max Up to $630 U ...
Generic iOS 19 Feature Mock Light

iOS 19 Leak Reveals All-New Design

Friday January 17, 2025 2:42 pm PST by
iOS 19 is still around six months away from being announced, but a new leak has allegedly revealed a completely redesigned Camera app. Based on footage it obtained, YouTube channel Front Page Tech shared a video showing what the new Camera app will apparently look like, with the key change being translucent menus for camera controls. Overall, the design of these menus looks similar to...
Generic iOS 18

Everything New in iOS 18.3 Beta 3

Thursday January 16, 2025 12:39 pm PST by
Apple provided the third beta of iOS 18.3 to developers today, and while the betas have so far been light on new features, the third beta makes some major changes to Notification Summaries and also tweaks a few other features. Notification Summary Changes Apple made multiple changes to Notification Summaries in response to complaints about inaccurate summaries of news headlines. For...
iPhone 17 Slim Feature Single Camera 1 Redux

'iPhone 17 Air' Launching Later This Year With These 10 New Features

Wednesday January 15, 2025 7:16 am PST by
While the so-called "iPhone 17 Air" is not expected to launch until September, there are already plenty of rumors about the "ultra-thin" device. Overall, the "iPhone 17 Air" is shaping up to be a mixed bag. Due to its thinness, the device is expected to have some limited specifications compared to the iPhone 17 Pro models, including only a single rear camera, only a single speaker, no SIM...
2024 App Store Awards

Apple Explains Why It Removed TikTok From the App Store in the U.S.

Sunday January 19, 2025 6:58 am PST by
Apple on late Saturday removed TikTok from the App Store in the U.S., and it has now explained why it was required to take this action. Last year, the U.S. passed a law that required Chinese company ByteDance to divest its ownership of TikTok due to potential national security risks, or else the platform would be banned. That law went into effect today, and companies like Apple and Google...
iPad Pro vs iPhone 17 Air Feature

Here's How Thin the iPhone 17 Air Might Be

Friday January 17, 2025 3:38 pm PST by
For the last several months, we've been hearing rumors about a redesigned version of the iPhone 17 that Apple might call the iPhone 17 "Air," or something along those lines. It's going to replace the iPhone 17 Plus as Apple's fourth iPhone option, and it will be offered alongside the iPhone 17, iPhone 17 Pro, and iPhone 17 Pro Max. We know the iPhone 17 Air is going to be super slim, but...
iPhone 17 Pro Dual Tone Horizontal Single Feature

iPhone 17 Rumored to Feature Major Thermal Design Upgrade

Friday January 17, 2025 4:33 am PST by
The iPhone 17 lineup will feature a vapor chamber heatsink to improve thermal performance, according to a new report. The news comes from Chinese tech news site MyDrivers, which claims that the entire iPhone 17 lineup, consisting of the iPhone 17, iPhone 17 Air, iPhone 17 Pro, and iPhone 17 Pro Max, will adopt the improved thermal heat spreader. Vapor chamber technology is already used...
HomePod mini and Apple TV

Apple Expected to Launch 20+ Products This Year: Here's the Full List

Friday January 17, 2025 5:30 am PST by
2025 promises to be quite a big year for Apple, with the company rumored to be planning more than 20 product announcements this year. Apple's rumored smart home hub will be its second all-new product to launch in as many years, following the Apple Vision Pro headset last year. And of course, we will get several new iPhone and Apple Watch models, like every year. Beyond that, Apple could...

Top Rated Comments

Dave-Z Avatar
4 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
4 weeks ago
Great news, this has made my Christmas!
Score: 15 Votes (Like | Disagree)
JosephAW Avatar
4 weeks ago
Always feel better about a dot one update. :p
Score: 8 Votes (Like | Disagree)
CharlesShaw Avatar
4 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
4 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
4 weeks ago
The level of drama in the post about a bugfix update is comical.
Score: 6 Votes (Like | Disagree)