Following the public release of iOS 18.0, Apple is now focused on iOS 18.1. Now available to everyone, iOS 18.1 includes new Apple Intelligence features plus a major change to the iPhone’s NFC chip.
Here’s everything you need to know about iOS 18.1 as it rolls out to your iPhone today:
Table of contents
iOS 18.1 adds Apple Intelligence
Apple Intelligence is Apple’s suite of artificial intelligence features, first announced at WWDC in June. These features will roll out over the next year, and the first set of Apple Intelligence capabilities is included in iOS 18.1.
Writing Tools
Using the new Writing Tools feature, users can rewrite, proofread, and summarize text with just a few taps on their iPhone. Here are the available options in iOS 18.1:
- Rewrite
- Proofread
- Make Friendly
- Make Professional
- Make Concise
- Summarize
- Create Key Points
- Make List
- Make Table
In general, Writing Tools can be accessed by highlighting your text and choosing “Writing Tools” from the popover menu. In the Notes app, however, iOS 18.1 beta 5 also added a dedicated button for Writing Tools in the always-visible toolbar.
Reduce Interruptions
Reduce Interruptions is a new Focus mode in iOS 18.1 that uses artificial intelligence to show you only notifications that require immediate attention, such as a text message indicating an early pickup from daycare. All other notifications will be silenced.
The Reduce Interruptions feature behaves just like other Focus modes in iOS, allowing you to set different apps and contacts from which you always want to receive notifications. This can be managed in the Settings app.
Photos app features
Multiple new Apple Intelligence features are available in the Photos app. Perhaps most notably, in iOS 18.1 beta 3, Apple added a new Clean Up feature to the Photos app. Clean Up lets you remove distracting objects and people from your photos with a single tap.
Second, you can now create memories on demand by simply typing a description. Apple Intelligence employs language and image understanding to select the most suitable photos and videos based on the provided description. It then constructs a storyline with chapters organized around themes extracted from the photos. Finally, these chapters are assembled into a movie with its own unique narrative arc.
Also in the Photos app, Apple Intelligence powers new natural language search capabilities, making it easier to find specific photos. The ability to search in videos is also more powerful, letting you find specific moments in clips and jump right to that relevant segment.
New Siri design and features
While most of Siri’s more significant upgrades won’t be available until later this year or next year, iOS 18.1 does include a few changes for Apple’s voice assistant. Most notably, iOS 18.1 introduces an all-new design for Siri with a glowing light that wraps around the edge of the screen when Siri is active.
iOS 18.1 also adds the ability to switch between text and voice for Siri by double-taping the home indicator at the bottom of your iPhone. Thanks to training based on Apple’s extensive support documentation, Siri can now give detailed answers to questions about Apple products and software.
Apple also says that Siri in iOS 18.1 is better at keeping up with you when you stumble over words or change your request midway through. It’s also better at maintaining context between multiple requests.
Mail app upgrades
iOS 18.1 includes multiple new Apple Intelligence features for the Mail app, alongside integration with other features such as Writing Tools.
First, the Mail app includes a new “Priority Messages” section at the top of the inbox, which shows your most urgent emails such as a same-day dinner invitation or boarding pass. Also in the inbox view, you’ll now see a summary of each message instead of just a preview of the first few lines of that email.
When looking directly at a message, iOS 18.1 adds a new “Summarize” button. A new “Smart Reply” feature provides suggestions for a quick response and will identify questions in an email to ensure everything is answered.
Transcription summaries
iOS 18.1 also brings advanced summaries support powered by Apple Intelligence. This feature is available in the Notes app, where you can get a summary of audio recordings. When you record a phone call in the Phone app, Apple Intelligence can also generate a summary of that recording.
Notification summaries
When you receive multiple notifications from Mail or Messages, Apple Intelligence automatically summarizes them so you can get a recap without having to tap and read every message.
Additionally, with iOS 18.1 beta 3, Apple expanded notification summaries to other Apple apps as well as all third-party apps. This means you can now use notification summaries for all apps and notifications on your iPhone. During the iOS 18.1 setup process, you’ll be asked to pick and choose which apps you’d like to use notification summaries.
NFC access for third-party apps
In addition to Apple Intelligence features, iOS 18.1 will also open up the iPhone’s NFC chip to third-party developers for the first time. This means that third-party developers will be able to access the iPhone’s NFC chip for contactless features in their apps, including:
- In-store payments
- Car keys
- Closed-loop transit
- Corporate badges
- Student IDs
- Home keys
- Hotel keys
- Merchant loyalty and rewards cards
- Event tickets
- Government IDs (coming at a later date)
Apple says that developers interested in accessing the iPhone’s NFC chip must “enter into a commercial agreement with Apple, request the NFC and SE entitlement, and pay the associated fees.” There aren’t any details about the fee structure available right now.
Note that while Apple says the functionality will launch in iOS 18.1, it will be up to third-party developers to adopt the new entitlement and add features to their apps. The feature will be available in Australia, Brazil, Canada, Japan, New Zealand, the U.K., and the United States.
Control Center tweaks
iOS 18.1 also makes changes to the revamped Control Center that was first introduced in iOS 18. Most notably, there are now dedicated toggles for connectivity options such as Wi-Fi and VPN controls.
Additionally, iOS 18.1 adds a new “Reset Control Center” option in the Settings app. This allows you to reset the Control Center layout to factory settings if you decide you want to start fresh.
Camera Control changes for iPhone 16
For iPhone 16 users, iOS 18.1 adds the ability to switch to the selfie camera with the Camera Control.
The new option can be found by following these steps:
- Open the Camera app, lightly press the Camera Control to bring up the menu
- Lightly press the Camera Control twice and navigate to the “Cameras” menu
- Swipe all the way to the left and you’ll see a new selfie option
iPhone Mirroring upgrade
When iPhone Mirroring was first introduced as part of iOS 18 and macOS Sequoia at WWDC, Apple touted that you would be able to easily drag and drop files between your iPhone and Mac. However, this feature wasn’t available at first launch.
But with iOS 18.1 and macOS Sequoia 15.1, you can now seamlessly drag and drop files between your iPhone and Mac thanks to iPhone Mirroring.
Call recording and transcriptions
Initially exclusive to the iPhone 15 models, Apple has expanded support for call recording and transcriptions to older iPhone models as of iOS 18.1 beta 4. You can initiate call recording via a new icon in the upper-left corner of the Phone interface while on a call.
Transcription for call recording is available in English (U.S., Australia), Spanish (U.S., Mexico), Mandarin Chinese (China mainland), Cantonese (Hong Kong), and Korean (South Korea).
Apple Music’s new TikTok integration
iOS 18.1 introduces deeper integration between Apple Music and TikTok. In the Music app, there’s now a new button that lets you quickly share a song or album directly to TikTok. You can post it as a video or photo, or send it as a private message.
If you post it as a photo or video, TikTok will automatically attach the song to the post, allowing others to hear the audio when they view it.
This feature is similar to the Apple Music integration with Instagram Stories introduced in iOS 13.4 back in 2020.
Bug fixes
Apple says that iOS 18.1 includes fixes for iPhone 16 and iPhone 16 Pro users, the Photos app, Podcasts, and the digital car keys feature. Here are the full details:
- Fixes an issue in Podcasts where unplayed episodes are marked as played
- Fixes an issue where videos recorded at 4K 60 while the device is warm could experience stutter while scrubbing the video playback in Photos
- Fixes an issue where digital car keys may not unlock or start a vehicle with passive entry after restoring from a backup or transferring directly from another iPhone
- Fixes an issue where iPhone 16 or iPhone 16 Pro models may unexpectedly restart
iOS 18.1 release date
You can update your iPhone to iOS 18.1 now by going to Settings, choosing General, then choosing Software Update.
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