Updated May 3 with more details of what will be in the update.
Apple’s next iPhone update is almost upon us. When iOS 18.5 is released, it’s probably going to be one of the last versions before the focus switches to iOS 19, to be unveiled on Monday, June 9. Here’s the latest indication of when iOS 18.5 will come and a warning that if you’re expecting a lot of new features, you will likely be disappointed — though there are no reports of new wallpapers. More on that below.
Apple iOS 18.5 is nearly here.
Historically, the .5 version of iOS software almost always lands in mid-May, as pointed out by 9to5Mac. Last year, iOS 17.5 landed on Monday, May 13 for instance. Last month, I reported that the exact same date, May 13, a Tuesday this year, was a strong possibility.
The date above is still a likely choice, as is the day before, Monday, May 12. Apple used to routinely prefer Tuesday releases but more recently Monday has been a favorite day, too.
There could be more iOS 18 releases – last year we saw iOS 17.6 in July and iOS 17.6.1 in August. Then, iOS 17.7 and iOS 17.7.1 were released alongside iOS 18 releases in September, principally for users who wanted the latest security updates but were reluctant to jump on board with the new OS so soon after initial release. Still, iOS 18.5 is one of the last.
A report from 9to5Mac in the last few days points out that there are few features in iOS 18.5, and “very little has been changing from one beta update to the next. As a result, Apple has little reason to prolong the testing cycle,” it says.
And something else has happened that only takes place when the final release is nearly ready. “Additionally, this week Apple shipped developer and public betas of iOS 18.5 and its companion updates on the same day. This normally only happens late in a beta cycle, when the launch is near,” the report says.
There’s another factor: improved Siri. Earlier in the release cycle, the promised Siri upgrade with Apple Intelligence seemed to be slowing things down. As soon as Apple announced it was coming later, things sped up again, it felt like.
Apple iOS 18.5: What’s In It
Things could change, but right now, the content found in the beta releases is pretty sparse. While new features could still be added, it’s unlikely so close to Release Candidate, which is the final beta before general release.
There are small tweaks to Mail, to make it easier to adjust the app’s settings, and a new banner which can appear if you have the Back Tap action turned on. It’s possible that Apple Intelligence will be activated for China and it’s likely there will be new Pride wallpapers. That’s more or less it apart from the details discovered by Aaron Zollo.
Further indication that we’re almost at the end of the beta cycle comes from Zollo at ZolloTech who points out that the latest beta has build number 22F5068A. “With an A at the end of the build number, it means we’re really close to a final release,” Zollo says.
Zollo also says that as well as Pride wallpapers, it looks like there are “mentions of a couple of other wallpapers that should be added in this update if Apple decides to add them,” as he puts it, based on recent leaks such as a post on X from @aaronp613, an analyst at MacRumors.
“iOS 18.5 beta 4 hints at 2 new wallpapers that are coming soon: ‘Innumerable dark and light dots create overlapping graphite contoured pockets shielding emanations of light’ and ‘A trio of crystalline bubbles enfold refractions of light, divulging a simulacra of aberrations through spherical contours,’ ” is the description provided.
Zollo also says that the latest beta has fixed a CarPlay issue that had been experienced in the previous beta, and he also claims that “microstutters” in apps like Apple Music have now gone.
Apple iOS 18.5 Release Date
For all the above reasons, I’m sticking with my previous prediction, that Monday, May 12 or Tuesday, May 13 are still the most likely dates for iOS 18.5, unless there’s a last-minute issue, in which case the following week steps up.
The next big indicator will be the appearance of the Release Candidate. If that happens on Monday, May 5 or Tuesday, May 6, then the following week for the general release looks like a shoo-in.
Zollo also talks about the expected release date, by the way, saying he expects the Release Candidate to arrive on May 5, “with a public release probably on the 12th.. That’s typically what Apple does,” he says, though he also suggests that a smaller release, iOS 18.4.2, could be on the way. “and the reason I say that is Apple stopped signing iOS 18.4,” he says.
That’s not impossible, but in that case it would need to appear in a matter of days. I’ve not seen any indication that iOS 18.4.2 is happening yet. My money is still on iOS 18.5 being the next update, on Monday, May 12.
