Apple has only just released iOS 18.4 to the public and mere days later it is already starting to give access out for the next update in iOS 18.5.
Apple has begun seeding the latest iOS 18.5 beta 1 to those with compatible devices that allow for access. So mostly developers then.
Why is this exciting for everyone else? This comes just ahead of the near inevitable iOS 19 announcement from Apple at WWDC 2025 keynote which happens in early June.
That should mean that this is one of, if not the, last update to roll out in the iOS 18 series before that jump to iOS 19 gets announced. As such it could reveal some hints at what is coming.
What’s not coming in iOS 18.5?
One feature that was expected to arrive in this new beta but almost certainly will not is a major Siri jump forward.
Initially it was thought that Apple would delay roll out of on-device screen awareness for Siri. Now that’s gone a step further and it’s expected that this update to Siri is going to be delayed longer.
Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman reported: “During [an] all-hands gathering, [Siri senior director Robby] Walker suggested that employees on his team may be feeling angry, disappointed, burned out, and embarrassed after the features were postponed. The company had been racing to get the technology ready for this spring, but now the features aren’t expected until next year at the earliest, people familiar with the matter have said.”
Apple was allegedly at 80% working with Siri, so perhaps we can expect that update to arrive later in the year at that iOS 19 announcement. Considering Apple teased those features back on the iPhone 16, it would make sense to have this ready sooner rather than later.
What’s new in iOS 18.5?
At the time of publishing the new iOS 18.5 beta 1 has only just been released to those who can access it. So expect more reports on what’s coming to be released in the coming days as developers dig into the new setup from Apple.
