Apple Seeds iOS 18.6 Release Candidate to Developers and Public Beta Testers
Apple today seeded release candidate versions of upcoming iOS 18.6 and iPadOS 18.6 updates to developers and public beta testers for testing purposes, with the updates coming a week after Apple seeded the third betas. The release candidates mark the final version of the software that will be provided to the public provided no additional bugs are found.

iOS 18.6 and iPadOS 18.6 can be downloaded from the Settings app on a compatible device by going to General > Software Update.
No notable new features have been found in the iOS 18.6 and iPadOS 18.6 betas, so it's not clear what might be added in the update, though there are some changes to the App Store in the EU due to the DMA. Rumors suggest that Apple wanted to expand Apple Intelligence to China with iOS 18.6, but regulatory hurdles have delayed the launch.
iOS 18.6 and iPadOS 18.6 likely focus on smaller changes and bug fixes, and we'll update this article should anything new be found in the fourth beta.
Apple is winding down work on iOS 18 and is focusing on iOS 26. iOS 26 is in beta testing right now and is set to launch in September alongside new iPhone 17 models.
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