Apple’s iPhone software is drawing a lot of attention right now. The first public beta of the next version, iOS 26, is due to land any second now (read this for exactly when) and what could be the final big release of the current cycle, iOS 18, is on the glide path, too. Here’s when to expect it.
iOS 18.6 is about to land on the iPhone.
iOS 18.6 Release Date
Apple iOS 18.6 Release Candidate appeared on Monday, July 21. In case you don’t know, though you probably worked it out from the title, this is the version that is considered good enough to be released to general use.
That doesn’t mean there can’t be changes but unless something goes madly wrong in the next few days, expect this to be the one Apple will release. Not only did the developer beta of the Release Candidate go live, but so did the public beta version.
It will be compatible with phones going back to the iPhone Xs and right up to the latest, the iPhone 16 Pro Max and iPhone 16e, for instance.
Apple routinely presses go on the general release a week after the Release Candidate, which means week commencing Monday, July 28. Which day is up for grabs but the company definitely prioritizes Monday or Tuesday if it can. Recently, it’s had quite a series of Monday releases, so that’s the day I think it will be.
If, by around 10 a.m. Pacific on Monday, July 28 it hasn’t surfaced, then the next day, Tuesday, July 29, is a shoo-in.
iOS 18.6: What’s In The Release?
You won’t be surprised to hear that this will not be a feature-packed update. In fact, as MacRumors points out, it’s sparse on the features front. “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,” it reports.
Instead, expect a focus on small updates and bug fixes. Any new features Apple has planned will, it seems, now be saved for iOS 26 this fall.
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