Apple has recently rolled out the public beta before iOS 18.5, a few weeks after a stable release of iOS 18.4. The new OS update does not bring major new features, but introduces subtle changes – mostly under the hood – the iOS 18 features that Apple is rolling in a phased manner.

One of the notable updates in iOS 18.5 is Apple Mail app. Earlier with iOS 18.2, Apple introduced an important overhaul for the design of the app, including smart categories, grouped messages by sender and AI-Sorted priority messages. However, changes did not allow users to disable some of these features through the Settings app. Now, with iOS 18.5, Apple allows users to manage them directly within the mail interface.

The change in feature settings is available through the three-dot menu located in the top-right corner of the mail app. Users can now close categories, AI priority sorting and message groups. Additionally, Apple has also added a new option to the same menu – contact photo. This feature now allows users to hide their contact images in the inbox view, for those who prefer classic, old mail looks.

The second update from iOS 18.5 is within the Settings app for Applecare & Warlay Section. Update introduces some visual treatment and now contains direct links to Apple’s aid site. This will make it easier for users to use relevant assistance while dealing with device issues.

In addition to these few minor upgrades, iOS 18.5 greatly focuses on performance performance and under-hood adjustment. If you want to try changes, you may join Apple’s beta program. However, as usual, the public beta versions come up with a warning. The first beta of iOS 18.5 is still in the initial test and will be susceptible to Bugs.

Apple iOS releases 18.4.1

Meanwhile, on the final release side, Apple recently pushed the iOS 18.4.1 update. This update makes iOS 18.4 on release, but does not bring any important features or changes. However, on the security side, iOS 18.4.1 is important, and users are advised to update their iPhones as soon as they update. The update addresses the major security weaknesses, which are said to have been exploited to carry out attacks against iOS users. Additionally, the iOS 18.4.1 also belongs to an issue related to carplay.

In its release notes for Apple, iOS 18.4.1 and iPados 18.4.1, the new update addresses a vulnerability in Coreaudio, which is a low-level API on its mobile and tablet operating system. The CVE-2025-31200 was identified as the defect, the Apple and Google were initially discovered by the danger analysis group. The defect, as discovered by researchers, was causing code execution when processing an audio stream in a maliciously designed media file. With the new update, Apple has addressed the issue of memory corruption with a better limit check.

The iPhone users can check for updates in general> software updates> install.