The latest iPhone software is just out and it has bug fixes, features and security issues to address. I’ve been looking at how it’s been received so you can know whether you can install it in confidence or not.
Apple iPhone 16 Pro is compatible with iOS 18.5.
This post has the initial thoughts on that and I’ll be updating this post over the coming week and will make a final assessment on Tuesday, May 20.
Who Is It For And How Do You Get It?
Apple iOS 18.5 is compatible with all iPhones from the iPhone XS and XR models released in 2018 and every phone after that. That means the iPhone 11 series, iPhone 12, iPhone 13 and so on right up to the iPhone 16 series, plus the second- and third-generation iPhone SE models as well as the recently-released iPhone 16e.
To update, open the iPhone Settings app, click on General, then Software Update. Then, choose Download and Install, and the software will download from there. This is a largish download, around 1.5GB on my iPhone 16 Pro Max, but it should be reasonably quick to install.
What It’s About
So late in the iOS cycle, it’s not surprising that there are scant new features here. There’s new wallpaper to celebrate Pride month, a tweak or two to the Mail app and some other gentle updates — you can read full details of what’s in it here. Apart from features, there are security issues, as usual.
Apple iOS 18.5 Security
There are more than 30 issues fixed in this update, Apple has revealed. One affects Bluetooth and means an app could access sensitive user data, one addresses an alarming issue with FaceTime calls where muting the microphone did no such thing, and one addresses a flaw where somebody getting hold of your iPhone could have accessed the Notes app from the lock screen. Fellow Senior Contributor Kate O’Flaherty has more on these issues here at Forbes.
Initial Reactions
One commenter said “These official updates from Apple are starting to look like all the ‘update for performance and stability’ on the App Store” while another complained that getting Siri fixed should be the priority (though Apple has said this will come later). But overall there has been little of the usual worries of battery depletion.
Apple iOS 18.5 Initial Verdict: Update
With almost three dozen security updates, it was always going to have taken an absolute disaster to suggest you waited. Initial reactions seem to have unearthed few new problems, so the advice now is to update. Final verdict next Tuesday.
This post was created with our nice and easy submission form. Create your post!
