After a month-long beta phase, Apple has officially launched iOS 18.3 for all iPhone users. This update introduces modifications to two significant Apple Intelligence features, along with a series of fixes and enhancements.
Scroll down for a comprehensive overview of everything included in iOS 18.3…
Details about iOS 18.3
To upgrade to iOS 18.3, open the Settings app on your iPhone, select “General,” followed by “Software Update.” Your device will download the update and prompt you to restart when it’s ready to finalize the installation. The build number for this release is 22D63. Additionally, Apple is rolling out iPadOS 18 to iPad users today.
Discover new features in iOS 18.3
Changes to Apple Intelligence notification summaries
The release of iOS 18.3 has brought significant modifications to the Apple Intelligence notification summaries feature. These changes come in response to various complaints from news organizations, primarily the BBC. The BBC highlighted issues where the notification summaries inaccurately represented headlines from its news app. For instance, Apple Intelligence incorrectly reported that Luigi Mangione, who was accused of murdering United Healthcare CEO Brian Thompson, had taken his own life.
In light of this feedback, Apple has implemented several changes to notification summaries in iOS 18.3:
- Notification summaries have been temporarily disabled for the News & Entertainment app category. Apple plans to reinstate this feature in future updates as adjustments are made.
- The Lock Screen now features italicized text to indicate notification summaries, making it easier to distinguish them from standard notifications.
- Users can disable notification summaries for any app directly from the Lock Screen or Notification Center by swiping, selecting “Options,” and choosing the “Turn Off Summaries” option.
- When enabling notification summaries, iOS 18.3 clarifies that this feature – like all Apple Intelligence functions – is currently in beta.
- In the Settings app, Apple now issues a warning to users that notification summaries “may contain errors.”
Upgrades to Visual Intelligence
However, the news isn’t all negative regarding Apple Intelligence features in iOS 18.3. This update introduces two new functionalities to Visual Intelligence for users of the iPhone 16:
- Users can now add Calendar events directly from posters or flyers. Just capture a photo of the poster or flyer, and Apple Intelligence will recognize the event’s date and time, adding it to your calendar automatically.
- Visual Intelligence can now identify a wider range of plants and animals.
Visual Intelligence is available for all iPhone 16 models and can be accessed by long-pressing the Camera Control.
Apple Intelligence is now enabled by default in iOS 18.3
With the launch of iOS 18.3, Apple has made a potentially controversial choice. They have announced that Apple Intelligence will be automatically activated for users who are new to or upgrading to iOS 18.3. This means the feature is now opt-out rather than opt-in.
“For users who are new to or updating to iOS 18.3, Apple Intelligence will be enabled by default during the onboarding process,” Apple clarifies.
If you want to disable Apple Intelligence after updating to iOS 18.3, you can go to the Settings app, select “Apple Intelligence & Siri,” and switch off the Apple Intelligence toggle.
Additional improvements
iOS 18.3 also includes several minor changes and enhancements. Most notably, the update resolves a frequent issue concerning the remodeled Calculator app introduced with iOS 18. Now, users can once again press the equals button multiple times to perform additional operations.
- The Calculator app will repeat the last calculation when the equals sign is pressed consecutively.
- This update fixes a bug where the keyboard may disappear upon initiating a typed Siri request.
- It also addresses a problem where audio playback continues after closing Apple Music until the track finishes.
Conclusion on iOS 18.3
What are your thoughts on the adjustments made in iOS 18.3? Do the updates to the notification summaries adequately resolve the identified issues? Should Apple have opted to enable Apple Intelligence by default in this update? Share your opinions in the comments below.
With iOS 18.3 now live for everyone, attention shifts to the upcoming iOS 18.4. This forthcoming update is anticipated to introduce significant new features to Apple Intelligence, including a more robust Siri with personalized context and in-app functionalities.
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