Apple has released iOS 18.3 for iPhone, after 42 days of beta testing. Although this update does not contain many features compared to previous updates iOS 18.2 و iOS 18.1However, it does include some important changes. The most notable element of this update is the return of an important feature in the Calculator app. Most of the other changes in iOS 18.3 only apply to iPhone models that support Apple Intelligence features: the iPhone 15 Pro, iPhone 15 Pro Max, and all iPhone 16 models.
It is worth noting that the new emojis are not available in this update, and they are expected to be added in the next update, iOS 18.4.
NoteMany of these features and changes are also available on iPads running iPadOS 18.3 and Macs running macOS Sequoia 15.3. Here are the new features and changes in iOS 18.3.
Automatically activate Apple's intelligence
When you update your iPhone to iOS 18.3, Apple Intelligence will be automatically turned on, giving you access to all its features right away. If you don't like this feature, you can turn it off in Settings under Apple Intelligence & Siri.
Add events and occasions using visual intelligence
Visual Intelligence was introduced with iOS 18.2 for devices that support camera control. However, in the previous update, there was an issue with adding events and occasions to the calendar when details were erased from stickers or posts.
In the new iOS 18.3 update, the process has become much easier. When you take a photo of an ad or poster with details about an event or event, the system will automatically recognize the dates, times, and important details. Instead of manually adding this information as before, you can now tap the “Create Event” button to add all the details directly to your calendar with one tap.
For example, if you take a photo of an art exhibition poster, your phone will recognize the date, time, and location of the exhibition and suggest that you add it as an event to your calendar instantly and easily.
Learn about plants and animals
Apple has added a new feature that allows you to identify types of plants and animals by photographing them with the phone's camera, as part of its visual intelligence features.
Update notification summaries format
The notification summaries on the Lock Screen and Notification Center on iPhone 16, iPhone 15 Pro, and iPhone 15 Pro Max have been updated to italicize, making them easier to distinguish from regular notifications. This feature is part of Apple Intelligence.
Control notification summaries from the lock screen
You can now control notification summaries for each app separately right from the Lock screen or Notification Center. On iPhone 16, iPhone 15 Pro, and iPhone 15 Pro Max, all you have to do is swipe left on the summary, select Options, and then turn off app summaries for the specific app. If summaries are off for a specific app, you’ll see options to turn them back on in the same way.
Notification Summaries (in testing)
When you enable Notification Summaries from Settings - Notifications - Notification Summaries, iOS 18.3 will tell you that this feature is still experimental. You’ll see a screen explaining that Apple Intelligence will summarize the content of your notifications to make them easier to read at a glance, with the caveat that this feature can sometimes misunderstand the meaning of the original notification.
Customize unavailable summaries and applications
Notification Summaries was introduced with iOS 18.1, and despite the benefits it brought, Apple removed support for summaries for news and entertainment apps in iOS 18.3. This decision was made due to the inaccuracy of the summaries, something that BBC News brought to Apple’s attention. However, iOS 18.3 added a new way to help you identify which apps support summaries and which don’t. To access these settings:
◉ Go to Settings – Notifications – Notification Summary “You will notice this option also during the setup process mentioned above.
◉ Or through Settings - Applications - [application name] - Notification summary.
◉ If you see a “Temporarily unavailable” message, this means that the feature is currently disabled. If you enable it, summaries will appear again once the feature is available.
Calculator app improvements
An important feature has returned to the Calculator app with the iOS 18.3 update. You can now press the equal sign (=) to repeat the last calculation, a feature that was previously present and has been brought back again.
Warning when cropping PDF screenshots
When you crop a screenshot of a PDF file, you will see a warning that the portion you cropped is still in the file and has not been deleted from the original file. This means that the cropped portion will not appear in most PDF viewers, but it may appear in some other applications.
Camera control update
On iPhone 16 models, the AE/AF Lock feature introduced in iOS 18.2 has been renamed “Lock Focus and Exposure” for clarity. It also has an explanation: Gently press and hold, then continue to touch the camera control to maintain focus and exposure.
New Genmoji Button in Messages
To make creating Genmoji easier, Apple has added a new option in the Messages app. On devices that support Apple Intelligence, you can find the Genmoji option by tapping the (+) button in Messages.
Robotic Vacuum Support
When iOS 18 was released, Apple announced that the Home app would support robot vacuums, and said the feature would be available in early 2025. Now the feature is available with iOS 18.3. If your robot vacuum supports HomeKit or Matter, like the iRobot Roomba Combo 10 Max Robot, you can control it through the Home app.
Currently, controlling vacuums with Siri only works in English (US).
Bug fixes
As with any update, iOS 18.3 includes a bunch of bug fixes, most notably:
◉ Fixed the problem of the keyboard disappearing when using Siri by typing.
◉ Fixed an issue where audio would continue to play even after closing the Apple Music app.
Security updates
The update also includes fixes for recently discovered security vulnerabilities. Details of these updates will be posted later after the stable release.
Other Features
Brazilian users can now enable sleep apnea alerts. This is an important health feature that helps monitor sleep status and alerts the user when breathing problems occur during sleep.
Here are some hints of new features to come:
◉ A key to control accessibility features, making it easy for users to adjust device settings to their needs.
◉ A new invitations app that makes it easy to send and receive electronic invitations.
◉ New smart voices for VoiceOver that help the visually impaired use the device.
◉ New zoom effects in Shortcuts and Messages apps.
◉ Options to provide feedback on notification summaries.
◉ New AI-powered shortcut actions.
◉ Additional screen recording and streaming features.
iOS 18.3 update brings significant improvements with new features that make the user experience smarter and smoother.
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