Five reasons to upgrade to iOS 18.1 besides Apple Intelligence

iOS 18.1 is a big release for iPhone users, primarily because of Apple Intelligence. But what if you don’t have an AI-compatible iPhone, are in the EU or China, or just don’t care much about AI? Here are five reasons to upgrade to iOS 18.1 anyways.

Call recording in the Phone app

iOS 18.1 adds a new built-in feature for recording calls inside the Phone app. There’s no need to install a separate third-party app for making recordings anymore. Just hit the new icon in the top-left corner of the screen during a call, and the person you’re talking to will be notified that a recording has started. After the call’s over, iOS provides a transcript for your convenience.

Powerful new AirPods Pro 2 features

AirPods Pro 2 are getting a big upgrade in iOS 18.1 with the addition of three hearing health features: Hearing Test, Hearing Protection, and Hearing Aid. Apple says the vast majority of users haven’t had a hearing test any time recently, and now in iOS 18.1 you can get that test with no additional equipment or medical bills. These health additions could truly prove life-changing for users.

New Control Center toggles

iOS 18 introduced a fully customizable Control Center with a huge number of available controls. iOS 18.1 adds to that list of options. There are new controls for the Measure app, but perhaps the ones users will appreciate most are new standalone Connectivity controls for AirDrop, Satellite, VPN, and Wi-Fi. You can also now reset Control Center to the factory setting.

Apple Music enhancements

Apple Music is gaining two new features in iOS 18.1: TikTok sharing and a customizable iPad tab bar. The former lets you easily share music to TikTok the way you’ve long been able to do with Instagram. The latter is a handy tool to create shortcuts to your most-used sections, playlists, and folders inside the iPadOS Music app.

Key security fixes

Apple always includes a variety of security updates in its new software versions, and iOS 18.1 is no exception. The latest software release adds security fixes for vulnerabilities that involve Siri, Safari private browsing and downloads, the Shortcuts app, and a lot more. Here’s the full list of security updates.

iOS 18.1 wrap-up

There’s plenty more to enjoy about iOS 18.1. Chief among those additions are the included Apple Intelligence features, of course. But there are also several more non-AI additions, and even a variety of bug fixes.

Have you upgraded to iOS 18.1? What are your favorite additions? Let us know in the comments.

Best iPhone accessories

• ESR 3-in-1 MagSafe portable charger
• AirPods Pro 2
• Anker 100W charging brick for fast charging
• 6.6ft USB-C cable for longer reach
• New Apple MagSafe charger 2m