iOS 18.1 Features: Everything New in iOS 18.1

iOS 18.1 is the first major update to iOS 18, and it brings a slew of new features including Apple Intelligence, phone call recording, and more, plus bug fixes.

Generic iOS 18
This guide highlights everything that's new in iOS 18.1.

Apple Intelligence

iOS 18.1 includes the first ‌Apple Intelligence‌ features for the iPhone 15 Pro models and the iPhone 16 lineup. It will take some time for Apple to roll out all of the ‌Apple Intelligence‌ capabilities, but a handful are available now.

  • Writing Tools - Writing Tools lets you proofread, summarize, and rewrite text throughout the operating system.
  • Siri - Siri has a new look, offers Apple device product knowledge, there's a Type to ‌Siri‌ feature, and ‌Siri‌ is able to maintain contexts between requests and understand when you stumble over your words.
  • Smart Replies - In Mail and Messages, Apple can suggest replies to incoming messages.
  • Summaries - ‌Apple Intelligence‌ can summarize email messages and notifications so you can see what's important at a glance. You can also get summaries of transcriptions in the Notes app, and websites in Safari.
  • Photos - Memory Maker lets you create custom slideshows with just a description, natural language search is supported, and there's a Clean Up feature for removing unwanted objects from images.
  • Focus - A Reduce Interruptions Focus Mode only shows you important notifications while filtering out everything else.

Phone App

iOS 18.1 supports recording your phone calls and getting transcriptions from the calls. Tapping on the upper left hand record button after placing a call initiates a recording, and all participants are notified that the call is being recorded.

ios 18 1 call recording 1
Calls are saved to the Notes app, and the Notes app is able to generate a transcription.

Camera

Spatial photo capture has been added to the ‌iPhone 15‌ Pro and ‌iPhone 15‌ Pro Max, and it joins the existing spatial video capture feature in a new Spatial camera mode. Spatial photo capture has been an ‌iPhone 16‌ feature since launch.

For ‌iPhone 16‌ models, Camera Control now has an option to swap over to the front-facing TrueDepth camera with press and swipe gestures. If you hold down the Camera Control button with a light press, you will also now see a bar underneath the adjustment options.

iphone 16 hands on camera control

AirPods Pro 2

If you have AirPods Pro 2, iOS 18.1 adds a new set of Hearing Health features. You can do a built-in hearing test, identifying tones to check for hearing loss. Should hearing loss be detected, there is an option to use the ‌AirPods Pro‌ 2 as a hearing aid to boost conversations and other sounds around you.

airpods pro 2 hearing aids
Apple also has an option to tweak music, videos, and calls based on your hearing test (if loss is detected), and there is a hearing protection feature for all users that minimizes exposure to loud environmental noises across all listening modes.

Control Center

There are new connectivity controls in Control Center for Satellite and AirDrop, allowing these buttons to be added to Control Center individually. Previously, the toggles were only available in the all-in-one connectivity control.

ios 18 1 control center connectivity
Apple has also added new Measure and Level controls to the Control Center. Measure opens up the Measure app, while Level opens up the Measure app to the included Level feature.

Apple Music

Apple Music now has an option to share ‌Apple Music‌ songs directly on TikTok. To do so, tap on Share Song and then choose TikTok from the list of apps.

ios 18 1 share song tiktok

RCS Business Messaging

You can text with businesses that use Apple's Business Messaging feature over RCS.

Wallet App

In the Wallet app, if you have an Apple Card and your Daily Cash goes to a savings account, you'll no longer see the savings account balance on the main ‌Apple Card‌ screen. Instead, you can tap on the savings button to get your current account balance.

ios 18 1 savings account no balance

App Store

App Store search now supports natural language to make it easier to find exactly what you're looking for.

Game Center

You can send Game Center friend invites directly from the Contacts app and Friends Suggestions, with receivers able to see the invites in their inbox in Settings.

Bug Fixes

There are several bug fixes in iOS 18.1.

  • Unplayed Podcasts episodes will no longer be marked as played.
  • Videos recorded at 4K 60 fps and viewed in the Photos app will no longer stutter when scrubbing through the video.
  • A bug that could cause digital car keys not to start or unlock a vehicle with passive unlocking after restoring from a backup or transferring from another iPhone has been fixed.
  • ‌iPhone 16‌ and ‌iPhone 16‌ models should no longer unexpectedly restart.

Security Updates

iOS 18.1 addresses over 20 security vulnerabilities, which means it's a good idea to update as soon as you can.

A full list of the vulnerabilities fixed can be found on Apple's website, but it includes updates for image processing, Safari downloads, Safari private browsing, Shortcuts, ‌Siri‌ and Spotlight.

Read More

For more detail on the ‌Apple Intelligence‌ features in iOS 18.1, we have a dedicated guide. Our ‌iOS 18‌ roundup has a list of all of the features in the iOS 18 update.

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

Popular Stories

iPhone 17 Pro in Hand Feature Lowgo

iPhone 17 Pro to Reverse iPhone X Design Decision

Monday July 7, 2025 9:46 am PDT by
Since the iPhone X in 2017, all of Apple's highest-end iPhone models have featured either stainless steel or titanium frames, but it has now been rumored that this design decision will be coming to an end with the iPhone 17 Pro models later this year. In a post on Chinese social media platform Weibo today, the account Instant Digital said that the iPhone 17 Pro models will have an aluminum...
iOS 26 Feature

Everything New in iOS 26 Beta 3

Monday July 7, 2025 1:20 pm PDT by
Apple is continuing to refine and update iOS 26, and beta three features smaller changes than we saw in beta 2, plus further tweaks to the Liquid Glass design. Apple is gearing up for the next phase of beta testing, and the company has promised that a public beta is set to come out in July. Transparency In some apps like Apple Music, Podcasts, and the App Store, Apple has toned down the...
imac video apple feature

Apple Launching These 15+ Products Later This Year

Sunday July 6, 2025 8:05 am PDT by
The calendar has turned to July, meaning that 2025 is now more than half over. And while the summer months are often quiet for Apple, the company still has more than a dozen products coming later this year, according to rumors. Below, we have outlined at least 15 new Apple products that are expected to launch later this year, along with key rumored features for each. iPhone 17 Series iPho...
iphone 16 pro models 1

Here's How the iPhone 17 Pro Max Will Compare to the iPhone 17 Pro

Saturday July 5, 2025 1:00 pm PDT by
Apple should unveil the iPhone 17 series in September, and there might be one bigger difference between the Pro and Pro Max models this year. As always, the Pro Max model will be larger than the Pro model:iPhone 17 Pro: 6.3-inch display iPhone 17 Pro Max: 6.9-inch displayGiven the Pro Max is physically larger than the Pro, it has more internal space, allowing for a larger battery and...
iPhone Car Key Kia

Here's Which Vehicles Offer iPhone Car Keys

Sunday July 6, 2025 3:03 pm PDT by
In 2020, Apple added a digital car key feature to its Wallet app, allowing users to lock, unlock, and start a compatible vehicle with an iPhone or Apple Watch. The feature is currently offered by select automakers, including Audi, BMW, Hyundai, Kia, Genesis, Mercedes-Benz, Volvo, and a handful of others, and it is set to expand further. Apple has a web page with a list of vehicle models that ...
iphone 17 pro render majin bu

New iPhone 17 Pro Renders Highlight Apple Logo and MagSafe Design Changes

Sunday July 6, 2025 8:43 pm PDT by
New renders today provide the best look yet relocated Apple logo and redesigned MagSafe magnet array of the iPhone 17 Pro and iPhone 17 Pro Max. Image via Majin Bu. Several of the design changes coming to the iPhone 17 Pro model have been rumored for some time, such as the elongated camera bump that spans the full width of the device, with the LiDAR Scanner and flash moving to the right side. ...
iPhone 17 Pro in Hand Feature Lowgo

iPhone 17 Pro Coming Soon With These 14 New Features

Friday July 4, 2025 1:05 pm PDT by
Apple's next-generation iPhone 17 Pro and iPhone 17 Pro Max are just over two months away, and there are plenty of rumors about the devices. Below, we recap key changes rumored for the iPhone 17 Pro models. Latest Rumors These rumors surfaced in June and July:Apple logo repositioned: Apple's logo may have a lower position on the back of the iPhone 17 Pro models, compared to previous...
apple account card feature

Apple Account Card Expanding to More Countries

Tuesday July 8, 2025 7:34 pm PDT by
Apple is expanding the ability to add an Apple Account Card to the Wallet app to more countries, according to backend Apple Pay changes. With iOS 15.5, Apple updated the Wallet app to allow users to add an Apple Account Card, which displays the Apple credit balance associated with an Apple ID. If you receive an Apple gift card, for example, it is added to an Apple Account that is also...
iPhone 14 Pro Dynamic Island

iPhone 17 Models Rumored to Feature Redesigned Dynamic Island

Monday July 7, 2025 7:38 am PDT by
iPhone 17 models will feature a redesigned Dynamic Island user interface, according to a post today from Digital Chat Station, an account with more than three million followers on Chinese social media platform Weibo. The account has accurately leaked some information regarding future Apple products in the past. The account did not share any specific details about the alleged changes that are ...

Top Rated Comments

EU-Regulations Avatar
9 months ago
How did we need Privacy before and now just let this „Intelligence“ read and write our emails ?

Is that the result of somewhat like a common covid-shot-damage ?
Score: 4 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Popple Avatar
9 months ago

Upgraded my iPhone 15 pro earlier today and I haven’t seen any of these updates. There’s a new apple intelligence in my settings app which invites me to join some waitlist. Dunno.?‍♂️
You’ll probably get access less than 10 minutes after joining the waitlist. I think my notification came in less than 5 minutes. My guess is that ‘Join Waitlist’ is Apple’s user-facing way of saying ‘hold tight while we set up your private AI server’.
Score: 4 Votes (Like | Disagree)
JohnC1959 Avatar
9 months ago

I was wondering how they were going to get around dual party consent states like CA with the call recording. Can't wait to get my first notification that my call is being recorded. Doesn't seem like too many peeps are gonna be down with that. Can't think of too many situations where I'm going to say "oh sure, I'm cool with you recording this call".
A good use would be when talking to some customer support center for help. You can have a transcript of their suggestions. And it would be odd for them to refuse to be recorded when they themselves likely told you this call was being recorded on their side too.
Score: 3 Votes (Like | Disagree)
AlinomyTomy Avatar
9 months ago
So is this the release that makes icon/widget arranging (in the home screen or control center) not psychotic anymore?
Score: 3 Votes (Like | Disagree)
EU-Regulations Avatar
9 months ago
Trust is a concept that makes a lot of money for Apple.

At the same time Apple takes 20.000.000.000 $ every year from Data Kraken Google …

And now they are guaranteeing Privacy again?

As you will find Partners in the terms of use, that nobody knows…

Criticizing business models like Big Data and its AI Marketing is our last resort.

But John is our Mastermind, defending Apple like their advocat, a company that does not even pay taxes like the rest of us.

Oomph.
Score: 2 Votes (Like | Disagree)
frifra Avatar
9 months ago

Control centre is still so buggy especially for a .1 release.
Meaning exactly what?
Score: 2 Votes (Like | Disagree)