Apple Releases iOS 18.5 and macOS Sequoia 15.5 Public Betas

Apple today seeded the first public betas of upcoming iOS 18.5, iPadOS 18.5, and macOS Sequoia 15.5 updates, allowing the public to test the updates ahead of when they see an official launch. The public betas come a day after Apple provided the second betas to developers.

iOS 18
Public beta testers can download the updates from the Settings app on each device after opting into the beta through Apple's public beta testing website.

iOS 18.5 and macOS Sequoia 15.5 are relatively minor updates, and few new features have been discovered. The iOS Mail app has options for toggling off Contact Photos and Group by Sender for a look that's more like the iOS 17 Mail app, and there are some minor changes to how AppleCare info is displayed.

Apple has also released public betas of watchOS 11.5 and tvOS 18.5.

The software likely focuses on bug fixes and security improvements that are not outward facing. We're expecting Apple to release iOS 18.5, iPadOS 18.5, macOS Sequoia 15.5, and the other software updates sometime in May.

Related Forums: iOS 18, iPadOS 18, macOS Sequoia

Popular Stories

iOS 26

15 New Things Your iPhone Can Do in iOS 26.2

Friday December 5, 2025 9:40 am PST by
Apple is about to release iOS 26.2, the second major point update for iPhones since iOS 26 was rolled out in September, and there are at least 15 notable changes and improvements worth checking out. We've rounded them up below. Apple is expected to roll out iOS 26.2 to compatible devices sometime between December 8 and December 16. When the update drops, you can check Apple's servers for the ...
ios 18 to ios 26 upgrade

Apple Pushes iPhone Users Still on iOS 18 to Upgrade to iOS 26

Tuesday December 2, 2025 11:09 am PST by
Apple is encouraging iPhone users who are still running iOS 18 to upgrade to iOS 26 by making the iOS 26 software upgrade option more prominent. Since iOS 26 launched in September, it has been displayed as an optional upgrade at the bottom of the Software Update interface in the Settings app. iOS 18 has been the default operating system option, and users running iOS 18 have seen iOS 18...
iOS 26

Apple Seeds iOS 26.2 and iPadOS 26.2 Release Candidates to Developers and Public Beta Testers

Wednesday December 3, 2025 10:33 am PST by
Apple today seeded the release candidate versions of upcoming iOS 26.2 and iPadOS 26.2 updates to developers and public beta testers, with the software coming two weeks after Apple seeded the third betas. The release candidates represent the final versions of iOS 26.2 and iPadOS 26.2 that will be provided to the public if no further bugs are found during this final week of testing....
Photos App Icon Liquid Glass

John Gruber Shares Scathing Commentary About Apple's Departing Software Design Chief

Thursday December 4, 2025 9:30 am PST by
In a statement shared with Bloomberg on Wednesday, Apple confirmed that its software design chief Alan Dye will be leaving. Apple said Dye will be succeeded by Stephen Lemay, who has been a software designer at the company since 1999. Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg announced that Dye will lead a new creative studio within the company's AR/VR division Reality Labs. On his blog Daring Fireball,...
Intel Inside iPhone Feature

Apple's Return to Intel Rumored to Extend to iPhone

Friday December 5, 2025 10:08 am PST by
Intel is expected to begin supplying some Mac and iPad chips in a few years, and the latest rumor claims the partnership might extend to the iPhone. In a research note with investment firm GF Securities this week, obtained by MacRumors, analyst Jeff Pu said he and his colleagues "now expect" Intel to reach a supply deal with Apple for at least some non-pro iPhone chips starting in 2028....
iOS 26

When Will Apple Release iOS 26.2?

Monday December 1, 2025 4:37 pm PST by
We're getting closer to the launch of the final major iOS update of the year, with Apple set to release iOS 26.2 in December. We've had three betas so far and are expecting a fourth beta or a release candidate this week, so a launch could follow as soon as next week. Past Launch Dates Apple's past iOS x.2 updates from the last few years have all happened right around the middle of the...
maxresdefault

iPhone Fold: Launch, Pricing, and What to Expect From Apple's Foldable

Monday December 1, 2025 3:00 am PST by
Apple is expected to launch a new foldable iPhone next year, based on multiple rumors and credible sources. The long-awaited device has been rumored for years now, but signs increasingly suggest that 2026 could indeed be the year that Apple releases its first foldable device. Subscribe to the MacRumors YouTube channel for more videos. Below, we've collated an updated set of key details that ...
ive and altman

Jony Ive's OpenAI Device Barred From Using 'io' Name

Friday December 5, 2025 6:22 am PST by
A U.S. appeals court has upheld a temporary restraining order that prevents OpenAI and Jony Ive's new hardware venture from using the name "io" for products similar to those planned by AI audio startup iyO, Bloomberg Law reports. iyO sued OpenAI earlier this year after the latter announced its partnership with Ive's new firm, arguing that OpenAI's planned "io" branding was too close to its...
iphone air camera

iPhone Air's Resale Value Has Dropped Dramatically, Data Shows

Thursday December 4, 2025 5:27 am PST by
The iPhone Air has recorded the steepest early resale value drop of any iPhone model in years, with new data showing that several configurations have lost almost 50% of their value within ten weeks of launch. According to a ten-week analysis published by SellCell, Apple's latest lineup is showing a pronounced split in resale performance between the iPhone 17 models and the iPhone Air....
iPhone 17 Pro Cosmic Orange

iPhone 17 Pro Lost a Camera Feature Pro Models Have Had Since 2020

Thursday December 4, 2025 5:18 am PST by
iPhone 17 Pro models, it turns out, can't take photos in Night mode when Portrait mode is selected in the Camera app – a capability that's been available on Apple's Pro devices since the iPhone 12 Pro in 2020. If you're an iPhone 17 Pro or iPhone 17 Pro Max owner, try it for yourself: Open the Camera app with Photo selected in the carousel, then cover the rear lenses with your hand to...

Top Rated Comments

PsykX Avatar
9 months ago

A second “Snow Leopard”.
I still remember when Steve Jobs announced this as a new OS "with zero new features".
The best part is that it wasn't even true, there was quite a lot of nice refinements.
Best macOS release ever.
Score: 12 Votes (Like | Disagree)
con2apple Avatar
9 months ago
“As a new feature, we can see that some of the most annoying bugs have been fixed.”

Call me bitter, sarcastic and defeatist. But given the current state of Apple's software control, “a few bugs less” would be a great feature.

Which, by the way, I would also like to see in the new OS this summer. A second “Snow Leopard”.
Not more concepts with lawsuits as a bonus, but 365 days of bug fixes.
Score: 12 Votes (Like | Disagree)
uczcret Avatar
9 months ago

Sorry but the "current state of Apple’s software control” is excellent and has never been better. The has never, nor will there ever be, a piece of bug free software from anywhere or anybody, period. Windows 11 is even worse in comparison. Those waxing nostalgic for the perfect macOSs of yesteryear have faulty memories.
Two things can be true at the same time though. Windows 11 is a bloatware and ad infested mess, but Apple’s software quality has been slowly declining for years now.
Score: 8 Votes (Like | Disagree)
dchronus Avatar
9 months ago

...
On Twitter I've seen claims that the base language model has been throughly revamped, meaning that everything that relies on it, from Siri to Translation to Genmoji to features like Summarization, now works substantially better.
...
If that's true then I'd love to see some real examples of it lol
Score: 5 Votes (Like | Disagree)
name99 Avatar
9 months ago
"iOS 18.5 and ‌macOS Sequoia‌ 15.5 are relatively minor updates"
Maybe not.
On Twitter I've seen claims that the base language model has been throughly revamped, meaning that everything that relies on it, from Siri to Translation to Genmoji to features like Summarization, now works substantially better.

If anyone is beta testing these new releases, they might want to try those out.
Score: 5 Votes (Like | Disagree)
tipoo Avatar
9 months ago

Beware of rose-colored glasses. That is how Snow Leopard wound up, but I seem to recall there were a few bumps along the way. :)
I think people misunderstand the point here. Yeah it launched with a particularly bad finder delete bug and a few others. But the magic of Snow Leopard was that they continued working on it for the next 3 years and it got to a pinnacle of applicance like stability that has not been matched since they switch to the yearly cycle. Even if you follow some people's advice to stay on the second newest version, each OS never feels fully baked before they move on to the next. Ages old areas of slop and jank are never addressed.

So what we really want is that year of development laser focused on getting old bugs, slop, and jank down to as near minimal as possible, plus another year of it being out and getting that same treatment. Since the switch to yearly it seems like they're always chasing the next bauble at the expense of not giving as much care to their own HDI and slop and ages old dev bugs that never get fixed.

Do that and then they can move on to adding new bugs in the next one, sort of an LTS release.
Score: 4 Votes (Like | Disagree)